Hey, it’s Henry.

I’ve decided that from the time this article was published to the time that I graduate I’m going to try and put out at least one review a week. They won’t be too big, probably 1-300 words, but I want to just start getting as many reviews as I can on the site. If I find out that the quality of my reviews are decreasing because of how fast I’m doing it, then I’ll slow it down. I will also try and put out a big review every 4-5 weeks. There might only be 2-3 big reviews, but time will tell. So here are the first “HAT Trick Reviews.” Enjoy!

This is not a “good” album. It doesn’t have interesting production, and the lyrics are straight up misogynistic; however, some of them are really creative and funny. Although, if I was to rate this album on just solely how hype it got me and how primal it is, IT IS AN AMAZING ALBUM. Comethazine is a simple man. He yells over repetitive beats about women, money, guns, substances, and “balling hard like Dennis Rodman.” Bawskee 2 is an album you listen to when you want to work out or just rage. I think one of the best parts of this album is the mixing. The engineer has mixed each song so Comethazine’s voice and the beats pair very well together, like Maybelle and Justin Bieber. There is not a lot of diversity among the beats, just some big 808s, snares, and piano riffs, a bunch of ad libs. My favorite track is “Benjamin Counter,” a song about the massive amounts of cash that Comethazine possesses. The reason why this album is appealing is because it knows exactly what it is. It’s a primal banging album that you listen to when you want to get pumped up. 8/10

Khuaghkkkkubeen, Kracuhuhbeen, Ka-Ruh-bin, KHKUGAHUGHAUGHKUHGAUGH-BEEN, Ka-Rang-Bin, (It literally took me twenty minutes and a bunch of times listening to someone say it). Khruangbin, pronounced KRUNG-BIN, is a Houston-based rock instrumental trio formed of drummer, Donald Johnson; bassist, Laura Lee; and guitarist, Mark Speer. I first found out about them late in my junior year from Marshall Brown, and I was very impressed. Khruangbin’s sound is extremely unique: It’s a very pleasing and well thought out combination of a bunch of different styles. This is a perfect sit back and relax album. It’s moody and tranquil melody’s are soothing and rewarding to listen to. Every time I listen to the whole album I feel like I’ve traveled across many different countries experiencing new things. My favorite songs on the album are “Evan Finds the Third Room,” “Shades of a man,” and “Como Te Quiero.” A lot of the songs on the album impose serious vibes and make you think really deeply; “Evan Finds the Third Room” is not that. This song is all about getting up and dancing. If the feeling of pure happiness was made into a song that would be this song. This album usually is in its sweet spot when the song is just an instrumental; however, “Evan Finds the Third Room” relies heavily on vocals. The track starts out with Lee just repeating “Yes!” over and over again and then some back up singers reply, “Is this the third room?” Other vocals come in and out of the track until it transitions into Lee talking like a phone operator. When I listen to “Shades of a man,” I picture a father coming home to his loving family after a long day of work. The bass and the guitar really bring out the best of each on this track. The drums move this track in a very subdued way, Johnson acts like the secret service member of the band. He gets the songs from point A to point B in a professional manner. He provides a really solid bass for the band to build songs from. “Como Te Quiero” is the type of song that plays in a old western where the camera pans around the town and shows us all the different characters. The thing I like about this song is it leaves a lot up to interpretation. The guitar provides a mysterious aspect while the choir has a welcoming feel and makes the song feel bigger. Overall, I think this album is a masterpiece and an excellent example of a good mixture of a lot of different cultures. 12/10

Sundown is a very simple song with no message. It’s just Jack Harlow rapping over a very catchy beat. That’s why I’ve been listening to it non-stop; there is something about the beat that is extremely addicting. It’s based off of an old Clipse beat, but the melody is slightly different. The drums on this track are really low and move the track forward in a pleasing but not aggressive way. Jack raps about being from Kentucky, taking acid, and stunting. 7/10

Injury Reserve is an Arizona based rap trio with a unique sound. I first heard them during freshman year, and I’ve been a supporter since. Their discography includes an excellent album called Floss that has incredible production, creative lyrics, and original-and-unoriginal-but-effective hooks. They released a song called “North Pole” with Austin Feinstein, a  guitarist who has collaborated with Tyler the Creator and Kali Uchis, back in 2017 that I really enjoyed as well. When I first heard “North Pole” I was surprised: They had totally departed from their previous sound. They traded in the banging drums for melodic samples; they also swapped their showboating lyrics for more emotionally revealing ones. After “North Pole” released the trio fell off my radar. They came out with an EP, but I did not give it a listen. So when they released their new single “Jawbreaker” I was very happy. “Jawbreaker” is a banger of a song. It has good verses, amazing production, a good video, and an excellent message. “Jawbreaker” is all about the fashion industry and all the “hype” and status that comes with certain brands or designers. My favorite line of this song is “he does has the rape 3000s.” This line is referring to shoes called “Revenges” by Ian Connor. He calls them the rape 3000s because Connor has been accused of raping a woman, but despite this, people still wear his shoes. Rap songs are usually praise fashion designers, not expose them. That’s why this song is so appealing because Injury Reserve talked about the things that not a lot of others do, and they do it in a way that is very original. The instrumental is pretty simple with just a few sounds: humming, xylophone, bass, clapping, bells, and wind chimes. However, the producer, Parker Corey, blends the sounds together to make this beautiful tune. Pro Teens and Rico Nasty only make the song better. Pro Teens’ chorus is addictive and catchy and Rico Nasty contributes a solid verse. 10/10

That’s it for the first round of the “HAT Trick Reviews.” Make sure you check in once a week for a new review. Until next time this is Henry Thomas signing off.