Summer Albums Recap: Fantastic Projects You May Have Missed This Past Summer

I was Mature For My Age But I was Still a Child - Grouptherapy

Genre: Alternative Hip-hop

This album is one of the most unexpected pieces of music to come out this year, which is saying a lot given that Travis Scott’s Utopia and Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape also came out around the same time. However, what first drew me to I was Mature For My Age But I was Still a Child was not the fantastic reviews it received on most major publications, or its unique blend of alternative hip-hop and pop elements, but rather the discovery that all three artists had grown up as child actors on major platforms like Disney and Nickelodeon. One in particular, Tyrell Jackson Williams, or TJOnline, is most known for his work as Leo Dooley in the Disney show “Lab Rats,” as well as one of the voices for Tyrone the Backyardigan. Due to the group’s status as ex-child stars, I came into the album expecting it to be difficult to take seriously. However, what I found was a project brimming with personality, style, and maturity. While many have likened the group’s weirdo pop-rap sound to groups like Brockhampton, a comparison that does make sense in many regards, the group has still managed to cultivate a sound that is very much their own. All three members of the group have moments to shine: from SWIM’s aggressive style that seems to overflow with personality, to Jadagrace’s addictively sweet singing, to TJOnline’s calm swagger and bravado, every song showcases each member of the group’s strengths. The melodic and bouncy “How I’m Feeling” showcases Jadagrace at her best on top of bubbly synths and punchy snares, while my personal favorite track, “Funkfest” sees standout performances from both SWIM at the start and TJOnline on the back end. A guitar line drones in the background moving at a breakneck speed. A persistent heartbeat pattern of hats and kicks accompany the instrumental, as well as a snare that seems as though it is fighting to catch up with the rest of the song in a fantastically unique groove. I was Mature for my Age but I was Still a Child strikes a perfect balance of wearing its many influences on its sleeve while still finding no shortage of new paths to blaze. It is an incredible freshman effort from an extremely unexpected group, and it will be fascinating to see where the band goes next.

But Here We Are - Foo Fighters

Genre: Rock

It is impossible to talk about But Here We Are without first talking about the tragedy that inspired it. In 2022, Foo Fighters lost their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, to cardiac arrest possibly caused by drug usage. While to many, creating music out of an event such as this may not seem enticing, to Foo Fighters, music was the perfect way to express their grief, resulting in the band’s most heartbreaking and personal project to date. The album obviously centers around the effects of Hawkins’s death, but lead vocalist Dave Grohl chose to approach it through the lense of nostalgia, and a struggle to move past grief. While But Here We Are is by all means heartfelt and tragic, it also sees the group attempt some of their most raw, noisy instrumentals. To me, it feels as though the band is letting out their anger and sorrow on the instrumental side, while they are lyrically hoping to come to terms with the death of their friend. And of course, while there will always be a void where Hawkins once filled it with the sound of kicks and snares, Grohl taps into his time as the drummer for Nirvana in order to temporarily cover it up. This album is Foo Fighters at their best, showing maturity and musicality all the same on a project that feels like a rollercoaster of emotion and anguish.

Struggler - Genesis Owusu

Genre: Punk/Soul/Funk/Rap/Synth Pop/a bunch of other stuff

Struggler was one of my most anticipated albums this year ever since I discovered Genesis Owusu’s earlier project, Smiling With No Teeth. That album was a creative blend of punk, rap, funk, soul, and a bit of experimental. Although the teaser tracks for Owusu’s sophomore effort were not my favorites due to the low growly shouts Owusu adopts, the album as a whole turned out to be so good it may even rival his freshman project. Owusu utilized the album to tell a story about humanity’s will to survive. Humans are the strugglers in a world that can seem all too oppressive, yet still they persevere. He cleverly uses the metaphor of a roach, an animal that can withstand countless natural and unnatural dangers, to further illustrate his point. Aside from the songs’ themes, the actual musicality is for the most part fantastic. Owusu once again blends many elements and genres, this time with a far greater focus on punk and synthwave. My favorite song on the album, “Freak Boy,” offers one of the best choruses I’ve heard this year, along with introspective lyrics and an instrumental full of gritty synthesizers and bass. Aside from “Freak Boy” and songs like it, Owusu pivots to drastically different styles throughout the album, most notably on songs like “See Ya There,” and “Stuck to the Fan,” both of which feature laid-back, soulful grooves and far less aggression than the other punk-infused tracks on the album. While some songs do come across as filler, such as “Balthazar” or “That’s Life (A Swamp),” they do not end up detracting from the album’s overall highlights. In every style Owusu attempts, each one is filled with a unique personality and meaning that makes the project a true diamond in the rough.