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Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts...
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Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts dive in-depth about the project and the artist’s path to its release.
show less
Album Mode
Album Mode
Best Albums of 2024 So Far
17 JUL 2024 · We're a little over half way through the year so Démar and Adriel look back on some of the best albums so far and which might be a lock for their year-end lists.
TIMECODES:
1:40 - Blue lips
3:00 - Brat
5:10 - Might Delete Later
7:09 - Yeat 2093
7:46 - Defending yourself is the admission of guilt
10:24 - Why Lawd
12:18 - Micah
12:52 - Doubt Demar
15:03 - Algorithm
15:41 - The Album is getting popular for being good
16:45 - In a Frank Ocean space
17:39 - 2025 Grammy’s
18:30 - Water
20:37 - The Last Dinner Party
22:29 - We Don't Trust You
24:13 - Honorable mentions
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CLXXXVI. Zach Bryan | The Great American Bar Scene
11 JUL 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Zach Bryan's fifth studio album 'The Great American Bar Scene', his amazing songwriting, the hip hop to country dictionary and the album's plodding minimalism.
Démar’s rating: 8 / 10.
Adriel’s rating: 7.5 / 10
The Love List: Purple Gas, Northern Thunder, Boons, The Way Back, Bass Boat, 28
TIMECODES:
1:10 - A bunch of left turns
1:43 - Démar shouts out himself
5:22 - The singles
8:29 - Title track
9:00 - The Boys’ reference
16:23 - This scene is not even alive for
18:05 - The slower pace is the best version of him
18:44 - Hip-hop to country dictionary
20:59 - Get the Stanley out
25:19 - Minimalist production is the best version of him
32:33 - Least favourite feature
35:40 - I Love to see him working with some left or not country
36:30 - Beyonce feature
37:52 - Disgruntled but optimistic
40:02 - The Character he’s playing reminds Adriel of a 21 savage
43:05 - It’s giving Fast and Furious meets Killer Mike
46:58 - NO Skips
50:05 - Démar and Adriel’s first country music vinyl
51:21 - The Scores
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Zach Bryan - The Great American Bar Scene / 2024 / country, indie, Americana
CLXXXV. Lucky Daye | Algorithm
6 JUL 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Lucky Daye's third studio album 'Algorithm', his amazing change in style and how this project is a breath of fresh air for male R&B.
Démar’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 9 / 10
The Love List: Never Leavin' U Lonely, Herican, Blame, Mary, Breakin' The Bank, Soft
TIMESCODES:
1:01 It's the First Lucky Daye album Dema has ever listened to
2:40 Adriel was surprised by the singles
4:08 Reminds A&D of song they can’t place
6:30 Sounds like Frank Ocean
12:00 It is rare that a song comes on that strong as the intro
15:24 Demar is shocked
16:45 Miguel comparison
18:30 The guy before Travis Scott
22:40 Something that’s been missing in male R&B
25:09 R&B in the past 20 years is similar to hip-hip
25:27 Breakin’ the bank drums
31:57 Who is allowed to have interludes?
32:10 The outro on Blame
34:13 Interludes add texture to a project
35:20 Mary
38:48 Poetic lines but not everything is like that
40:08 His career
43:27 The cover
47:18 Pick up the needle
47:40 The Scores
48:50 Changes the trajectory of R&B
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CLXXXIV. Megan Thee Stallion | Megan
4 JUL 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Megan Thee Stallion's third studio album 'Megan', her lack of flow and topic variation along with her being closer to a female Logic than most think.
Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 4 / 10
The Love List: HISS, B.A.S., Paper Together, Spin, Boa , Cobra
TIMECODES:
3:28 - Is she still a hitmaker?
4:48 - She’s returning shots
6:30 - The diss tracks fit into the theme/cohesiveness of the album
8:56 - Megan’s musical growth since Good News
10:10 - I know what the album sounds like without hearing it
11:24 - Drake vocal sample
11:59 - Jeezy Sample flip
12:30 - How many times she uses the word pussy
13:30 - Sexual empowerment
14:30 - Flo Milli comparison
15:55 - Better rapper than Lil Baby
18:58 - Similar to Meek Mill
21:51 - Tapping into the anime side
24:04 - Headed into the Ice Spice lane
24:59 - Her 3rd project
27:45 - Boa
30:53 - Spin
32:42 - Signature sound being something you’re not the best on
34:04 - Logic comparison
35:53 - Something we created “that it’s empowering”
38:10 - The person that talks like this in real life is someone you don’t like
40:25 - BAS intro
45:20 - What it means for her career / personal case study for Adriel
48:36 - To Megan, rapping fast means rapping well
52:20 - The cover
55:10 - The score
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Megan Thee Stallion - Megan / 2024 / hip hop, rap, trap
Kendrick Lamar Pops Out and Queen Sells Their Discography for £1 billion
28 JUN 2024 · Sometimes you really have to pop out and show niggas. Kendrick Lamar's Juneteenth concert "The Pop Out — Ken & Friends," crazy, the duo breakdown their favourite moments and disappointments. Also Queen just sold their entire discography for £1 billion and we wonder which new artist could sell for the same.
TIMECODES:
1:10 - Kendrick with the Quotables
2:05 - Showed how important the West Coast is to hip-hop
4:44 - The box
7:15 - Euphoria
9:35 - The crowd
10:40 - Showing all of TDE together
13:48 - There is Not a bigger W in sports than defeating the biggest rapper
14:56 - Biggest problem with Drake is the unification effect is not there
15:51 - Vince Staples
17:01 - Kendrick album expectations
25:13 - Queen selling their catalogue
29:51 - Is there and artist that would garner more money then queen?
32:11 - What is going to happen with all these being sold?
33:20 - Outkast - Hey Ya
35:35 - Too new?
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CLXXXIII. Kehlani | CRASH
28 JUN 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Kehlani's fourth studio album 'Crash', her failed expansion beyond R&B and whether her album performances even matter to her career overall.
Démar’s rating: 4 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 5 / 10
The Love List: Groove Theory, 8, Deep
TIMECODES:
4:39 Originators of vibey R&B girl era
4:55 Fans and the public view her differently
8:19 Ariana Grande
10:14 Toxic Queens
17:45 A lot of good songs but no bangers
18:19 Leave that stuff to Ice Spice / Glorilla
19:45 Styles P
20:32 Vocals strained
25:15 Very regular Afro beats track
26:44 Unnamed singer
27:30 No songs that only she can do
32:04 Cohesiveness of her project
33:04 A disservice to her fans
35:50 Low power Rhianna
37:07 The cover
39:00 The Scores
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Kehlani - CRASH / 2024 / R&B, pop, country
CLXXXII. Don Toliver | Hardstone Psycho
22 JUN 2024 · This week, Démar and Adriel discuss Don Toliver's fourth studio album 'Hardstone Psycho', his versatility, joining the sexy drill wave, and Don Toliver outgrowing the Cactus Jack label.
Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 8.5 / 10
The Love List: KRYPTONITE, TORE UP, LAST LAUGH, 5 TO 10, DEEP IN THE WATER
TIMECODES:
1:47 - Can’t Say
2:33 - His last project
3:07 - His voice colour
5:19 - Sexy drill
7:15 - Same spot as the last review
7:43 - Staying one pocket is a disservice
8:35 - Bandit as a single
11:34 - Don Toliver is like Count Dracula
12:16 - Almost a new genre
15:28 - Future comparison
18:20 - RIP to screw / Travis Scott songs
21:43 - Disc 4 R&B Don Toliver
25:10 - Party trap version is next level
27:02 - Albums that have everything
27:45 - lyrics
31:23 - It will hurt his score to look at lyrics
31:40 - Cactus Jack as a label
32:44 - Artist discovery is hard
38:55 - What it means for his career
42:38 - The cover
45:09 - Going for the themes regardless if the music matches
46:15 - vinyl cop
47:24 - The score
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Don Toliver - Hardstone Psycho / 2024 / Trap, R&B, Drill, Sexy Drill
CLXXXI. Charli XCX | BRAT
21 JUN 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Charli XCX's sixth studio album 'BRAT', how the start of her career misaligned people's perception of her, Brat's distortion and her approaching Daft Punk and Playboi Carti levels of good repetitiveness.
Démar’s rating: 9 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 7.5 / 10
The Love List: 360, 365, Von dutch, Mean girls, Everything is romantic, B2b
TIMECODES:
2:27 - The industry plant label
3:19 - Review of her career
9:55 - Demar, a fan of distortion
10:22 - Playboi Carti zone
11:32 - Talk Talk
13:20 - Adriel's Hudson Mohawke era
15:48 - Von Dutch
19:05 - Grime / breakdown / Stormzy
21:28 - Mean girls
25:20 - Respectfully, you’re a trash musician
26:46 - Progressions
27:16 - not going to get bored
27:42 - Her singing capability
29:26 - It is electronic music
26:59 - Lyrics
32:07 - Line between being deep and honest
33:00 - beard fishing
38:40 - How unique she is
39:50 - She’s an artist
40:08 - Repetition
41:43 - What it means for her career
43:58 - if you’re boom clap kind of person
45:37 - It's a Club album
46:11 - The cover
49:49 - The Scores
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Charli XCX - BRAT / 2024 / electronic, hyperpop, electropop
Drake's 'Wah Gwan Delilah' Remix is Silly and The-Dream is Nasty
7 JUN 2024 · Yes, "Wah Gwan Delilah" Remix really has Drake on the track, no, it's not a serious track. After Drake got demolished in his beef with Kendrick Lamar Demar and Adriel analyze why Drake released "Wah Gwan Delilah" now. Also, the hip hop continues its #Metoo moment as The-Dream is accused of rape and sexual battery in a new lawsuit.
TIMECODES:
2:07 Drake did it on purpose to cut the tension
3:32 This is him saying I am not accepting defeat
5:39 Could Drake drop a ‘Mob Ties’ right now?
7:31 Chance the Rapper comparison
10:12 Good move wrong time
12:25 The-Dream
18:02 Hip-hop me too
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CLXXX. Shaboozey | Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going
7 JUN 2024 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Shaboozey's third album 'Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going', it's constant conversation between country and hip hop and whether Shaboozey is a gimmick.
Démar’s rating: 6.5 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 6.5 / 10
The Love List: Horses & Hellcats, A Bar Song (Tipsy), Drink Don't Need No Mix, Finally Over
TIMECODES:
1:39 - Movie soundtrack (spiderman)
4:44 - Hip-hop sensibilities in his music
06:28 - Horses and Hellcats lyrics
12:35 - Two things can be true
13:54 - Same soup, different mix
15:02 - Beyonce album helps?
19:40 - Démar couldn’t picture this outside of a hip-hop song
20:40 - Let it burn
21:00 - Is he a gimmick?
26:33 - Chanting
28:55 - His voice
31:24 - Adriel loves these kind of songs
34:58 - Isn't on the beat at all
36:28 - Noah Cyrus
39:09 - Favourite feature
41:33 - What does this album do for his career?
47:28 - Score
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Shaboozey - Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going / 2024 / country
Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts...
show more
Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts dive in-depth about the project and the artist’s path to its release.
show less
Information
| Author | Demar Grant & Adriel Smiley |
| Organization | Demar Grant & Adriel Smiley |
| Categories | Music Commentary , Entertainment News , News Commentary |
| Website | - |
| albummodepod@gmail.com |
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