Sean Sharp's Diary

Listen 1: Time to break out the low rider. Ramirez COOKED with this. I didn't hear one buzzy bass (not that I don't like them) this entire album. Masterclass in focusing attention on fitting a vibe. Listen 2: I made a mistake in the previous portion of this review. There are several buzzy bass filled songs on this but they are all real bass (from what I can tell). Nothing electronic (from what I can tell). The skits on this thing are goofy as hell. Whoever the host is played out those parts perfectly. The end of the album is beautiful too. Instead of just going out with the band jamming, the crowd joins in with the clapping? Perfect way to wrap it up. Rocci's features on this are also killer. The use of him on here is second to none. Utilizing a voice exactly for what it was made to do. Crispy. 1 Week Later: Loved it from the first listen and it has only grew on me. Such a distinct sound on here that has a specific place and feel to it. Ramirez also just has this natural 90's sound to him that slots perfectly into the horns and featuring vocals.

Seems to be their critical magnus opus relative to how their work is usually viewed. For good reason as well. As a long time AJR fan, this hits in every way I want it to with The Big Goodbye being a fantastic beat and overall song. These guys just refuse to make the same thing over and over again and while many people may disagree with that, I don't think I have ever heard them make a song like The Big Goodbye or explore the calm nature of past songs like Turning Out with more care like a majority of this EP. A good way to cap off the summer.

I think I just love his style of music. After yustyna, I had a feeling it wasn't just a one-off, and I was right. His style is obviously not traditionally critically acclaimed, but something about it just resonates with my teenage years, when I listened to EDM and this gritty and dirty style, which I hadn't found before in the genre. Ultimately, I think I love music that is adjacent to other music I already like, but doesn't remind me of anyone directly. This way, I don't feel it's repetitive, yet it doesn't feel weird since it's so out of the ordinary from my usual listening habits. Artemas has that exact niche with me. LOVERCORE just further proves that for me. It doesn't sound exactly the same as his previous work, but it's still in that same vein. Feels fresh but still dedicated to his signature production and vocals.