I feel like Cardboard Castles was "catchier" but All You Can Do was a superior album in terms of theme, music and lyrics. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the newest release from Watsky.
Personally, I'm not huge on Cardboard Castles. That doesn't mean I dislike Watsky's music, I actually love his stuff. I just feel like it's not his best work. But yeah, his other 3 albums are dope.
I'd like to think of myself as somewhat of a Hip Hop head, however, I think Watsky is a breath of fresh air for the rap industry. In the same way Eminem came along and proved you dont have to be black in order to be a good rapper, Watsky has proved you dont need to be shocking or violent to rap, you can just rap about your school grades and your nerdyness. If anything, to me Watsky symbolizes what a rapper should be, a person with a voice and a flair for wordplay and not strictly rapping about violence, woman and money.
Do you think Eminem was the first successful white rapper? And more importantly do you think fuckin Watsky is the first rapper to not be "shocking or violent "?
Chris. Of course Watsky isnt the first rapper to talk about "non violent" subject matter, however, he dosnt even touch upon it. Take KRS 1 for example. He talks about intelligent and important subject matter, but he still touches upon violence from a non participating view point. Watsky dosnt even do that, he raps about his grades in school an d how much he loves animals lol, there's definitely a difference
And on a certain level I can respect that he doesn't pretend to be a drug dealer like dudes like Tyga pretends to be but that doesn't make him more enjoyable and subject matter isn't important as long as you're not lieing about what your saying but what I'm saying is he's not the first non violent rapper and Eminem sure isn't the first or best white rapper but he is. The most successful.
Well, jury still out on that one, i dont see why Eminem isnt the best white rapper. My personal Favorite is Aesop Rock but its close. As commercial as Eminem is, he's still the brains behind the slim shady lp and marshall mathers lp, dosnt get much better than those 2 albums
As a huge fan of Watsky, I can definitely understand this review. Get High and Watch Planet Earth is incredibly annoying. I tried to listen to it to at least hear the verses but I can't get through the chorus. The songs that are good I really enjoyed, but some of them just fell short of my expectations. I appreciate the execution but can't really jam to the entire album.
+AnotherHopelessDream Actually for me is the very opposite, i'm a huge fan of Watsky and i loved this album soooo much. When i listen to watsky I'm not looking for hardcore Hip Hop, but just funny and chilling rap. Also this album's beats are really good, they may not be understood by the "heads" cause they are too musical, in the sense that they have actual instruments and composition going on instead of the usual fake drums and loops on loops.
You hit the nail on the head. Watsky is fucking phenomenal imo, but half of his songs I just can't get into because of the instrumentals. Cardboard Castles was better.
I think with Watsky that you need to realize he tells the truth in his songs. It may be overly sensitive, but that's how he feels. He's one of my favorite rappers, maybe my favorite, but that's because I relate to the stuff he says. I'm an overly sensitive little bitch and his music is almost comforting. I agree, Ink Don't Bleed is the best track on this LP, but Let's Get High and Watch Planet Earth is also a very good track. It's actually Watsky's favorite track on this LP.
I think Watsky has undeniable talents, and Cardboard Castles (his second album) might be a little naive but, it felt genuine the whole way through. Is college rap a genre? I would definitely call Watsky college rap. He has a good foundation and hopefully watching him grow and grow up will be worth it.
He is growing. X infinity definitely elevated his music making a lot. And his latest works (mean ass drunk, welcome to the family, all like whatever) are getting even more mature. But he will always have his 'boyish charm'
@@fourteenants this comment aged well. the full ‘COMPLAINT’ album was surprisingly good, even at its cornier moments. I’ve grown up as watsky’s music has ‘grown up’ and now, being a college kid, I’ll still blast some old watsky in my car for nostalgia’s sake (and also because there’s some awesome tracks tbh), or I will listen to tracks off COMPLAINT and two select songs off Placement that were notable, with Dreams and Boxes being an absolute work of genius imo; hoping to get something from it tattooed someday because the song is incredible
If you dislike the instrumentals that much, then you've got Anderson .Paak to blame for that, as he produced it. Also, how could you do a review of this album and NOT ONCE mention Anderson .Paak?? He produced it, features prominently on several of the songs, and toured with Watsky for this album's release.
I thought the point of watsky was that he kind of is childish. And his out look into hip hop is from a younger more playful perspective. I don't feel that it is in anyway detrimental to his music though, but that's just me.
I''ve always been a fan of Watsky's music. As a spoken word poet, he knows which points to hit in rhyme and storytelling. The instrumentals that he's had, with help from Kush Mody and Anderson Paak, to me are great. It is true that this new album isn't as good as Cardboard Castles, as that album had one or two bad tracks, while this has a bit more. But I enjoy his music nonetheless.
I love Watsky. Cardboard Castles might be one of those rare albums where I like every song, but as for All You Can Do, it wasn't quite as good for me. I still give it a 6 or so, but art is really subjective, some enjoy abstract, some portraits. Music is admittedly less objective than visual art, but it is still mostly opinion-based, so I have to respect yours, especially when I can't understand some of the technical terms you use, as it means you know more about music than I do. I love music a lot, too, but I can tell we definitely have different perspectives on music when every album I really enjoyed you gave somewhere between meh and decent.
Try his album Cardboard Castles. Start with Tiny Glowing Screens pt. 2 (a spoken word piece) as well as Sloppy Seconds. If you still dont like him then Im sorry and that sucks :P
not real rap fans wanna listen to some goofy nasally teenager rap about trivial bullshit and about how he wants to be a real rapper. it's like being 5'6 and wanting to be in the nba.. like it's not impossible but maybe you should pick another career path. watsky just isn't a real rapper to real rap listeners
TorosJake16 I disagree. I think Watsky has a place in rap. And I'm assuming you dictate what "real rap" is. The genre evolves every day. And dude, he's 27.
watsky is beloved for his stunning lyricism, not his music per se, so if you don’t relate to the themes in his writing then you won’t care for the album. i think he’s undeniably a great writer though
Seriously? This guy kicks cliches in the ass and you give him a 4? Rap with actual meaning and you give it a 4? I'd at the very least give it at 6. At the LEAST.
I hate the fact that melon picked the worst Watsky album to date to fully review. I can defiantly see why music nerds don't like Watsky, but he's still one of my favorite artists.
Dude has finally finished his COM PLA INT PLA CEM ENT INT ENT ION trilogy now! Would be pretty cool to hear Tony's take on that whole thing. I'd say his music is much more interesting nowadays.
I love 1/3 of the songs on this album. I love All You Can Do, Whoa Whoa Whoa, Bet Against Me, Never Let It Die, Ink Don't Bleed, and The One. The rest of the album fits on a scale of mediocre to garbage, but the 1/3 that I do love makes up for a lot of it. I think it's like a 6/10 imo.
I don't know why I'm just seeing this, but YES! I have listened to xInfinity several times. It is tied with Acid Rap and To Pimp A Butterfly for my favorite album of ALL TIME.
that would be because riff raff's last album, while not being that great did have a few good songs that stood out. this album highlighted Watsky's ability to rap fast and have boring instrumentals. Watsky's album was weak from a rhyme scheme and punch line perspective too, i thought it was boring to listen to. Riff raff's album whyile it was not great by any stretch at least tried to mix it up in line delivery and in instrumentals. (wasnt a fan of either to be honest, but i liked some tracks off both) ...just my opinion
I have to strongly, strongly disagree, but I guess it's your opinion. Sometimes you surprise me, obvious shit artists (specially hip-hop/rap) with gimmicks get an 7 or 8 from you, but obvious authentic breath of fresh air artist get 3's or 4. Wag of the finger, no bad dog.
I don't mind you disagreeing with him. That's fine, but you saying "obvious shit artists (specially hip-hop/rap) with gimmicks get an 7 or 8 from you, but obvious authentic breath of fresh air artist get 3's or 4," seems like a very bitter and dismissive statement. I would advise refraining from that type of speech and/or discontinuing your viewing of theneedledrop, because frankly....it's really unnecessary. :) :)
Eman Collins I really appreciate Anthony 's view on artists. I was just disappointed with this review because it seemed like an easy 7 or 8. Not Watsky 's best, by far actually.
Anthony, I am not one to make long comments, because most of the time I think they don't matter, but I feel I got to address this. I love your arguments and your reasoning for what you say (normally), but after watching this video I kinda feel you were to harsh on Watsky. You mention that Watsky address his stagedive on the album, and you make a caricature of a fan that calls him "brave". You know what I talk about. After you saying that, I just feel that I got to say, that I don't seem him as brave for addressing the incident on the album, but I respect him for at least trying to deal with it. Why trying to say sorry, if people listening to him ridicule it? You may not like the music, but have decent respect for another human being trying to right his wrongs.
i dislike that you take all his songs at face value :| I mean yes, hes talking about those things, but his songs are basically poems with meanings, but you take almost every word so literally. I don't feel like you thought the songs through enough :| again, just my opinion :P
i would love to hear your take on his last few projects. x infinity had a few misses for me but it really showcased his story telling abilities (the lovely things suite and exquisite corpse are huge standouts for that reason) and his entire placement album is a masterpiece in my mind it’s such a cohesive album it’s his best work by far and it’s so under appreciated. dreams and boxes is such a huge stand out from that album it showcases everything watsky does perfectly.
***** I thought the lyrics were pretty bad tbh, and all the religious imagery was really awkward to listen to for me. But I did like some of the instrumentals and the vocals were decent. I know a few people who love it too, just not for me I guess :P
Pointing out, that Watsky sort of does have a personal tie in to his song Sarajevo.... He wrote the song to show that love is not bound by religion. This is personal to him because he has a Jewish parent and a Protestant one, while being questionably atheistic himself. His family all loves each other and they are of different religions, and that is what the song is about.
Hi, 9 years late to the party. Watskys my favorite musician, I basically agree with Fantanos opinions on this album, I do love all the songs on this album but not my favorite of his. Would love to see Fantano review some of his other albums, I'm really curious what he would think of some of Watskys more recent stuff where he gets less story-based and more experimental with his sound
Totally understandable review. I am a big fan of Watsky, but I think this album is, to me, a big step back from his previous recordings. I don't know if he was trying to be too ambitious with the concept or what, but it falls short and doesn't stick in the same way that his older music does to me. On point with your picks on the good tracks though.
As a fan of rap/hip hop music with organic, "proper" instrumentation, this album was a winner for me personally. I felt like it was a good representation of his live work with creme fraiche, which is usually incredibly tight and tastefully done
I dig watsky. Always been a fan... still on the cliff about this new album. Can a get a grade on castles? Every thing you found nag. about him is part of what i like about him. And in one of his earlier songs (the michael sera reference) he even say "i look like the guy from juno grew a jewfro and likes to rhyme" lol. funny coincidence
I don't normally weigh in on these videos because, while I may have an sentimental or emotional attachment to some albums, Mr. Fantazmigorical tends to pretty on point with his reviews. I think your analysis of the pure musical and sonic qualities of this album were agreeable and, while I may disagree on some of those points, they are not worth getting into. What is worth getting into, however, is your description of Watsky's "Style" or storytelling as "Childish". While I do not think this is my favorite body of work put out by Watsky ( I would give this album a strong 6 or a damned weak 7), it needs to be understood that, no matter how depressing or angry the subject matter, Watsky seems to always to have an upbeat style when he raps. From the ridiculous "Kill A Hipster" to the somewhat dark "Tiny Glowing Screens 2Pt" from his last album "Cardboard Castles", Watsky's music always has a silly upbeat tone in the lyrics and in some of the instrumentals, but its important to note that, while it may not be everyone's favorite style, it is what makes Watsky stand out in the hip hop community. Saying that his music is childish is like saying a Weird Al album "Isnt Dark enough". Watsky coneys emotion in his music through a jokey filter that allows shows that, while he may be experiencing his own problems, feeling bad won't solve anything and sometimes you've got to laugh at yourself or the problem a bit to deal with it. Example, Watsky was broke, "Strong as and Oak",examining the thought of getting older, something at usually leads to a bit of existential depression, "Nothing like the First Time". All I'm saying is that you need to look at this album through a scope different than the scope you would use for rappers like A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, and even Mackelmore. Alot of these newer rappers are looking at topics from different angles than previous rappers have and adding their own flavor, but while they tend to take themselves very seriously, putting out some incredible tracks that are fueled by an almost animalistic hunger to succeed or see social change, Watsky is, as you correctly said, alot like the Michael Cera of Hip Hop. He knows that he doesn't look, act, or sound like what alot of people would consider to be a rapper, so he kind of jokes around a bit with his songs. Over all, I'm not to bent out of shape about this review, although I do wish it had been reviewed after getting a better idea of Watsky's previous work to get a sense of what kind of a rapper he is. I would be interested to watch a review of the two releases "Nothing like the First Time" and "New Kind of Sexy" and see how it changes how you look at this most recent album. Best of luck to you none the less. Forever.
Personally I think this album has a lot of bright spots, admitedly some of it rubs the wrong way, but songs like All You Can Do, Never Let it Die, Tears to Diamonds, Bet Against Me and especially Cannonball are great tracks and a real breath of fresh air.
Anthony. What did you think about the Adult Jazz album, 'Gist Is'? To me it was one of the best releases of the year. A perfect mix of Animal Collective, The Books, Fleet Foxes and The Dirty Projectors with a lot of uniqueness as well. Thinking this is their Debut, I can't wait for anything they release in the future.
I just got my pre-order of J Mascis - Tied to a Star. It's beautiful and I hope that you review it when it officially comes out the 26th. I'm impressed as always with your reviewing ability yet again Anthony! Take care! :)
To be fair to Watsky, he wrote a long and more literal apology for the stage diving immediately after the incident. Most people weren't waiting/expecting him to address it any further.
I absolutely love Watsky's music and I really liked this album, but I can see where you're coming from! To me, Grass is Greener and Hand Over Hand had a near identical sounding chords and some of the songs sound strangely groggy for Watsky. Comparing to other albums and songs he's done, some of these tracks are of his worst, but some tracks are of his best. Serejevo, Never Let it Die, Whoa Whoa Whoa and a couple others are fantastic!
Whoa Whoa Whoa does it's job as the lead single on the album. It's catchy and fun, and shows some pretty impressive skill on Watsky's part. Nothing wrong with having a swing or two at the radio. It does seem like some of his tracks are lesser versions of previous songs - "Stand for Something" is like a lesser "Energy" and "Bet Against Me" is an inferior "Moral of the Story." "Ink Don't Bleed" was good for starting a conversation about judging art as separate from the artist, and was a pretty chill track. I thought the same of the beginning of "Right Now." I liked where the track could have gone, but it did seem to devolve into goofiness. "The One" is phenomenal. "My First Stalker" "Hand over Hand" and "Boomerang" aren't really my thing. "Grass is Greener" is alright as well. The real gold on the album lies in "Never Let it Die", "Sarajevo," and "Cannonball." Those three tracks are gold.
As a guy who has never really liked hip hop. I took a leap of faith and kinda fell in love with it ( i also bought card board castles ). As a guy who likes rock and electric music. I thought this was a great jumping ton point for rap. i like the instrumentals and the lyrics. 8/10 for me. But good review. you seem to be good at this
I dig Watsky as a poet and artist, and i really like his first couple tapes but i couldn't even get through a full listen of this album before i deleted it. The beats are definitely a huge weak spot and the storytelling lacked in spots backed up by lackluster hooks. I'm hoping that if I listen to this in a few months i might appreciate it more but i just hope it helps him grow for the next project.
Found a lot of enjoyment in this album. I went in thinking this will be different & alternative & that's exactly what I got. "Let's get high & watch planet earth" didn't interest me. Some of the instrumentals used were ehh, but I got used to them & grew to appreciate them. This album made me a fan of Watsky & I'm glad I checked it out. That's just my opinion. I do understand where Anthony comes from though. Just goes to show everyone has their opinions.
Yeah, I was really feeling Whoa Whoa Whoa when that came out, and Ink Don't Bleed got me excited for the album too, but idk, it was disappointing. The instrumentals just weren't going well with me.
Watsky may not always appeal to the rap fanatic due to the simple fact that Watsky's genre is not rap; it's Alternative Hip Hop, which is very different from traditional rap. Alternative may take inspiration from a very wide array of styles ( everything from rock and jazz to country and folk, really. ) This is why Watsky does not have the same vibe as your usual rap song with a simple beat and piano.
I liked this album. I'll probably listen to it some more and end up loving it like Cardboard Castles, though. "If time is money a second's a penny a minute's buck a couple years are a milly I'm getting really really filthy Bitch, get me a bathtub! I'm filthy rich, watching my pennies stack up I shower in a typhoon If time is dimes then I'm a tycoon I'll glue em together and the climb to the moon" FAV TRACKS - Never Let it Die, Right Now LEAST FAV - My First Stalker (But I don't exactly hate it like Anthony)
Is that because they are both white rappers? Because that's the only similarity between them that I see. Well that and they can both rap fast. But, their subject matter and production are way different
What do you think about Watsky's other albums? Because I feel like 'Nothing Like the First Time' was amazing, then I started liking his albums less and less from that point on.
The intro was pretty funny, but thanks for remiding me of that stupid Nicki Manji song again :). I really like your reviews, that vocabulary you use is on the spot.
I really love Watsky, and I liked this album a lot, but you do bring up valid and understandable points throughout. Though, I'd really like to see your take on his newest album "x Infinity". I feel like it really matured a lot, and while it does get melodramatic at times, I don't feel that it's out of place given the goal he had for the album and all. But, hey, Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
you didn't talk about my favorite song "Never let it die" I love it. Also if you want a grand moment listen to his song "!!" it is basically show must go in. grand as shit
Watsky and Cardboard Castles are playful, meaningless, and pretty cool whatever. x Infinity on the other hand is literally the smartest, most technical in lyrical value, and the greatest rap album of all time - if you don’t count Linkin Park
While I disagree with you on this album I thought you expressed your views very well and brought up some very valid critiques of Watsky, most notably his instrumentals. Still luv u bby,
I don't always agree with your opinion. I really do like this LP. I could be biased because I do like watsky but at the end of the day you have real reasons to dislike something and I respect that
![Rapper Reacts to Watsky FOR THE FIRST TIME!! | WHOA WHOA WHOA [All You Can Do]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XbJSBLevr7M/mqdefault.jpg)
Want to see your thoughts on X Infinity! please
Meshach Fifth YES PLEASE I love that album so much
Meshach Fifth I love the album too!
Antoinette McCall it was in a yuno review segment. just search up theneedledrop and the album name and it should come up
This guy has zero view idk why you would want him to review that after him being so blind on this review
It's been 3 years anthony
I feel like Cardboard Castles was "catchier" but All You Can Do was a superior album in terms of theme, music and lyrics. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the newest release from Watsky.
Personally, I'm not huge on Cardboard Castles. That doesn't mean I dislike Watsky's music, I actually love his stuff. I just feel like it's not his best work. But yeah, his other 3 albums are dope.
"Lupinnati triangles."
I understand the review but I don't feel like 'overly sentimenal' is a fair critique. Also, Cannonball, IMO is nothing short of absolute genius.
I really like this record, but I'm not a fan of hip hop. That's kinda how I describe Watsky to people: Rap for people who don't like rap
I'd like to think of myself as somewhat of a Hip Hop head, however, I think Watsky is a breath of fresh air for the rap industry. In the same way Eminem came along and proved you dont have to be black in order to be a good rapper, Watsky has proved you dont need to be shocking or violent to rap, you can just rap about your school grades and your nerdyness. If anything, to me Watsky symbolizes what a rapper should be, a person with a voice and a flair for wordplay and not strictly rapping about violence, woman and money.
Do you think Eminem was the first successful white rapper? And more importantly do you think fuckin Watsky is the first rapper to not be "shocking or violent "?
Chris McDonald no Eminem was not beastie boys were
Chris. Of course Watsky isnt the first rapper to talk about "non violent" subject matter, however, he dosnt even touch upon it. Take KRS 1 for example. He talks about intelligent and important subject matter, but he still touches upon violence from a non participating view point. Watsky dosnt even do that, he raps about his grades in school an d how much he loves animals lol, there's definitely a difference
And on a certain level I can respect that he doesn't pretend to be a drug dealer like dudes like Tyga pretends to be but that doesn't make him more enjoyable and subject matter isn't important as long as you're not lieing about what your saying but what I'm saying is he's not the first non violent rapper and Eminem sure isn't the first or best white rapper but he is. The most successful.
Well, jury still out on that one, i dont see why Eminem isnt the best white rapper. My personal Favorite is Aesop Rock but its close. As commercial as Eminem is, he's still the brains behind the slim shady lp and marshall mathers lp, dosnt get much better than those 2 albums
As a huge fan of Watsky, I can definitely understand this review. Get High and Watch Planet Earth is incredibly annoying. I tried to listen to it to at least hear the verses but I can't get through the chorus. The songs that are good I really enjoyed, but some of them just fell short of my expectations. I appreciate the execution but can't really jam to the entire album.
AnotherHopelessDream thank you for your passionate input, my son. :-)
+AnotherHopelessDream Actually for me is the very opposite, i'm a huge fan of Watsky and i loved this album soooo much. When i listen to watsky I'm not looking for hardcore Hip Hop, but just funny and chilling rap. Also this album's beats are really good, they may not be understood by the "heads" cause they are too musical, in the sense that they have actual instruments and composition going on instead of the usual fake drums and loops on loops.
+Akuma what the hell are you even talking about. Every single one of these has a repeating drum loop
Repeating drum loop? srsly? what record have you listened to? the drummer here does an amazing work dude...cause there's a drummer not a loop!
Sean Conway are you insane
I think Cardboard Castles and x Infinity were both better than this album. I usually skip this album when going through him.
Same but I do like Whoa whoa whoa though
You hit the nail on the head. Watsky is fucking phenomenal imo, but half of his songs I just can't get into because of the instrumentals. Cardboard Castles was better.
It was, but a 4 for this album is just...
Hm.
Yeah, it's a little harsh, but this album had some of my least favorite Watsky instrumentals. I'd give it a 6 or a 7
Jake Woodard A seven is pretty reasonable.
This album was shit. - A real hip-hop listener.
Fact By real you probably mean you exclusively listen to Tupac and other 90's rap to seem cool. Any idea who Big L is, bud?
I think with Watsky that you need to realize he tells the truth in his songs. It may be overly sensitive, but that's how he feels. He's one of my favorite rappers, maybe my favorite, but that's because I relate to the stuff he says. I'm an overly sensitive little bitch and his music is almost comforting. I agree, Ink Don't Bleed is the best track on this LP, but Let's Get High and Watch Planet Earth is also a very good track. It's actually Watsky's favorite track on this LP.
Jario imagine having lil uzi vert as your favorite rapper lol
Fuckin SAME
I think Watsky has undeniable talents, and Cardboard Castles (his second album) might be a little naive but, it felt genuine the whole way through. Is college rap a genre? I would definitely call Watsky college rap. He has a good foundation and hopefully watching him grow and grow up will be worth it.
Oh yeah, it's definitely college rap. Not complaining though, it's fantastic!
He is growing. X infinity definitely elevated his music making a lot. And his latest works (mean ass drunk, welcome to the family, all like whatever) are getting even more mature. But he will always have his 'boyish charm'
@@fourteenants this comment aged well. the full ‘COMPLAINT’ album was surprisingly good, even at its cornier moments. I’ve grown up as watsky’s music has ‘grown up’ and now, being a college kid, I’ll still blast some old watsky in my car for nostalgia’s sake (and also because there’s some awesome tracks tbh), or I will listen to tracks off COMPLAINT and two select songs off Placement that were notable, with Dreams and Boxes being an absolute work of genius imo; hoping to get something from it tattooed someday because the song is incredible
Good way to describe his older stuff. College rap
I love this album.. and also agree with pretty much everything you said.
Does that make sense?
COMPLETELY agree.
Yeah it means you like below average quality music.
@@M00SE414 r/iamverysmart
Otter Hero fuck off
If you dislike the instrumentals that much, then you've got Anderson .Paak to blame for that, as he produced it. Also, how could you do a review of this album and NOT ONCE mention Anderson .Paak?? He produced it, features prominently on several of the songs, and toured with Watsky for this album's release.
I thought the point of watsky was that he kind of is childish. And his out look into hip hop is from a younger more playful perspective. I don't feel that it is in anyway detrimental to his music though, but that's just me.
Review True That by Michael Cera
YES
I''ve always been a fan of Watsky's music. As a spoken word poet, he knows which points to hit in rhyme and storytelling. The instrumentals that he's had, with help from Kush Mody and Anderson Paak, to me are great. It is true that this new album isn't as good as Cardboard Castles, as that album had one or two bad tracks, while this has a bit more. But I enjoy his music nonetheless.
I love Watsky. Cardboard Castles might be one of those rare albums where I like every song, but as for All You Can Do, it wasn't quite as good for me. I still give it a 6 or so, but art is really subjective, some enjoy abstract, some portraits. Music is admittedly less objective than visual art, but it is still mostly opinion-based, so I have to respect yours, especially when I can't understand some of the technical terms you use, as it means you know more about music than I do. I love music a lot, too, but I can tell we definitely have different perspectives on music when every album I really enjoyed you gave somewhere between meh and decent.
Note to self: Don't listen to source fed/philip defranco for rap recommendations
Actually yes. You should give it a listen.
Try his album Cardboard Castles. Start with Tiny Glowing Screens pt. 2 (a spoken word piece) as well as Sloppy Seconds. If you still dont like him then Im sorry and that sucks :P
lls
not real rap fans wanna listen to some goofy nasally teenager rap about trivial bullshit and about how he wants to be a real rapper. it's like being 5'6 and wanting to be in the nba.. like it's not impossible but maybe you should pick another career path. watsky just isn't a real rapper to real rap listeners
TorosJake16 I disagree. I think Watsky has a place in rap. And I'm assuming you dictate what "real rap" is. The genre evolves every day. And dude, he's 27.
watsky is beloved for his stunning lyricism, not his music per se, so if you don’t relate to the themes in his writing then you won’t care for the album. i think he’s undeniably a great writer though
Seriously? This guy kicks cliches in the ass and you give him a 4? Rap with actual meaning and you give it a 4? I'd at the very least give it at 6. At the LEAST.
I hate the fact that melon picked the worst Watsky album to date to fully review. I can defiantly see why music nerds don't like Watsky, but he's still one of my favorite artists.
Dude has finally finished his
COM PLA INT
PLA CEM ENT
INT ENT ION
trilogy now! Would be pretty cool to hear Tony's take on that whole thing. I'd say his music is much more interesting nowadays.
Damn Fanny you killed this album for 10 min, gave it a score and kicked its ass for 2 more min after.you're ruthless
I love 1/3 of the songs on this album. I love All You Can Do, Whoa Whoa Whoa, Bet Against Me, Never Let It Die, Ink Don't Bleed, and The One.
The rest of the album fits on a scale of mediocre to garbage, but the 1/3 that I do love makes up for a lot of it.
I think it's like a 6/10 imo.
Did you hear the new album, 9/10!
I don't know why I'm just seeing this, but YES! I have listened to xInfinity several times. It is tied with Acid Rap and To Pimp A Butterfly for my favorite album of ALL TIME.
Please. Please do "x Infinity"
How the hell does this get a lower score than Riff Raff...
that would be because riff raff's last album, while not being that great did have a few good songs that stood out. this album highlighted Watsky's ability to rap fast and have boring instrumentals. Watsky's album was weak from a rhyme scheme and punch line perspective too, i thought it was boring to listen to. Riff raff's album whyile it was not great by any stretch at least tried to mix it up in line delivery and in instrumentals. (wasnt a fan of either to be honest, but i liked some tracks off both) ...just my opinion
because he knew what he was doing. watsky is just incredibly awkward
Because watsky is trash.
DO X INFINITY
I loved the album...
I have to strongly, strongly disagree, but I guess it's your opinion. Sometimes you surprise me, obvious shit artists (specially hip-hop/rap) with gimmicks get an 7 or 8 from you, but obvious authentic breath of fresh air artist get 3's or 4. Wag of the finger, no bad dog.
I don't mind you disagreeing with him. That's fine, but you saying "obvious shit artists (specially hip-hop/rap) with gimmicks get an 7 or 8 from you, but obvious authentic breath of fresh air artist get 3's or 4," seems like a very bitter and dismissive statement. I would advise refraining from that type of speech and/or discontinuing your viewing of theneedledrop, because frankly....it's really unnecessary. :) :)
Eman Collins Thanks for your concern. I think you put more into the statement than I did, and seem to miss the point. Thanks.
***** Thanks for your helpful, thought out response.
Whatever you say dude. Sleep well tonight and have an awesome day. I'm not gonna sweat it/waste anymore time trying to explain. :) *shrugs*
Eman Collins I really appreciate Anthony 's view on artists. I was just disappointed with this review because it seemed like an easy 7 or 8. Not Watsky 's best, by far actually.
Anthony, I am not one to make long comments, because most of the time I think they don't matter, but I feel I got to address this.
I love your arguments and your reasoning for what you say (normally), but after watching this video I kinda feel you were to harsh on Watsky.
You mention that Watsky address his stagedive on the album, and you make a caricature of a fan that calls him "brave". You know what I talk about.
After you saying that, I just feel that I got to say, that I don't seem him as brave for addressing the incident on the album, but I respect him for at least trying to deal with it. Why trying to say sorry, if people listening to him ridicule it?
You may not like the music, but have decent respect for another human being trying to right his wrongs.
This is My favorite Album from Watsky. I enjoyed this one a lot more than Cardboard Castles.
i dislike that you take all his songs at face value :| I mean yes, hes talking about those things, but his songs are basically poems with meanings, but you take almost every word so literally.
I don't feel like you thought the songs through enough :| again, just my opinion :P
i would love to hear your take on his last few projects. x infinity had a few misses for me but it really showcased his story telling abilities (the lovely things suite and exquisite corpse are huge standouts for that reason)
and his entire placement album is a masterpiece in my mind it’s such a cohesive album it’s his best work by far and it’s so under appreciated. dreams and boxes is such a huge stand out from that album it showcases everything watsky does perfectly.
You forgot never let it die and bet against me :(
but thanks for the 11 minutes naming everything I love about this album.
You're completely right, really happy you answered my request.
I really like him but you're correct about a lot of his flaws
Can I say I like this ironically at times? I admire the cuteness for the cuteness I enjoy it but definitely not for its "hip hop" qualities
"in the late 2000's" nigga it's 2014
lol
do you know how decades work
like 80's, 90's, ect.
Sheldonrocksalot 2000's isn't a decade. 2000's is 2000-2999
D O double G A decade is ten years, so 2000 - 2010. That's a decade. He's meaning late 2000's. 2000-2999 is a thousand years, so a millennium.
Sheldonrocksalot that still doesn't make sense because it's 2014. when we say late 1800's or 1900's we mean the later decades. you're wack bruh
Dry The River - Alarms In The Heart
There's a new Dry the River album?
sackboy15 Yes, and it just got available to stream online today. It comes out Monday.
Ah cool, thanks. Wasn't a huge fan of their first album but I'll probably check it out anyway.
sackboy15 Really? I consider it my favorite album of all time. What didn't you like about it?
***** I thought the lyrics were pretty bad tbh, and all the religious imagery was really awkward to listen to for me. But I did like some of the instrumentals and the vocals were decent. I know a few people who love it too, just not for me I guess :P
Where's X infinity?
Pointing out, that Watsky sort of does have a personal tie in to his song Sarajevo.... He wrote the song to show that love is not bound by religion. This is personal to him because he has a Jewish parent and a Protestant one, while being questionably atheistic himself. His family all loves each other and they are of different religions, and that is what the song is about.
Hi, 9 years late to the party. Watskys my favorite musician, I basically agree with Fantanos opinions on this album, I do love all the songs on this album but not my favorite of his. Would love to see Fantano review some of his other albums, I'm really curious what he would think of some of Watskys more recent stuff where he gets less story-based and more experimental with his sound
I suggested this and I got what I expected. He isn't for hardcore rap artist.
Anthony I notice you have not given a review a 1 yet. Do you care to review Wiz Khalifas Blacc Hollywood?
He gave Ultraviolence a Strong 1 to a Light 2. It's pretty much as close as it gets.
If he thinks an album is a 1 or 0 he most likely wont review it.
He gave Lil B's I'm Gay (I'm Happy) a strong 0, but I think that was more of a satirical score
bparkguy But that was a STRONG 0. Not a light!
FreshMicksMusic It actually was a light 0;
Totally understandable review. I am a big fan of Watsky, but I think this album is, to me, a big step back from his previous recordings. I don't know if he was trying to be too ambitious with the concept or what, but it falls short and doesn't stick in the same way that his older music does to me. On point with your picks on the good tracks though.
I'm feeling a strong 10 to light 11 on the Cal Cuchesta review. What do you guys think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Why?
if you put a wig on you'd become watsky's dad
Luca Vincent pops I gotta is a great night for you a little different from a little bit more than I do about the whole table I think
As a fan of rap/hip hop music with organic, "proper" instrumentation, this album was a winner for me personally. I felt like it was a good representation of his live work with creme fraiche, which is usually incredibly tight and tastefully done
I dig watsky. Always been a fan... still on the cliff about this new album. Can a get a grade on castles? Every thing you found nag. about him is part of what i like about him. And in one of his earlier songs (the michael sera reference) he even say "i look like the guy from juno grew a jewfro and likes to rhyme" lol. funny coincidence
I don't normally weigh in on these videos because, while I may have an sentimental or emotional attachment to some albums, Mr. Fantazmigorical tends to pretty on point with his reviews. I think your analysis of the pure musical and sonic qualities of this album were agreeable and, while I may disagree on some of those points, they are not worth getting into. What is worth getting into, however, is your description of Watsky's "Style" or storytelling as "Childish". While I do not think this is my favorite body of work put out by Watsky ( I would give this album a strong 6 or a damned weak 7), it needs to be understood that, no matter how depressing or angry the subject matter, Watsky seems to always to have an upbeat style when he raps. From the ridiculous "Kill A Hipster" to the somewhat dark "Tiny Glowing Screens 2Pt" from his last album "Cardboard Castles", Watsky's music always has a silly upbeat tone in the lyrics and in some of the instrumentals, but its important to note that, while it may not be everyone's favorite style, it is what makes Watsky stand out in the hip hop community. Saying that his music is childish is like saying a Weird Al album "Isnt Dark enough". Watsky coneys emotion in his music through a jokey filter that allows shows that, while he may be experiencing his own problems, feeling bad won't solve anything and sometimes you've got to laugh at yourself or the problem a bit to deal with it. Example, Watsky was broke, "Strong as and Oak",examining the thought of getting older, something at usually leads to a bit of existential depression, "Nothing like the First Time". All I'm saying is that you need to look at this album through a scope different than the scope you would use for rappers like A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, and even Mackelmore. Alot of these newer rappers are looking at topics from different angles than previous rappers have and adding their own flavor, but while they tend to take themselves very seriously, putting out some incredible tracks that are fueled by an almost animalistic hunger to succeed or see social change, Watsky is, as you correctly said, alot like the Michael Cera of Hip Hop. He knows that he doesn't look, act, or sound like what alot of people would consider to be a rapper, so he kind of jokes around a bit with his songs. Over all, I'm not to bent out of shape about this review, although I do wish it had been reviewed after getting a better idea of Watsky's previous work to get a sense of what kind of a rapper he is. I would be interested to watch a review of the two releases "Nothing like the First Time" and "New Kind of Sexy" and see how it changes how you look at this most recent album. Best of luck to you none the less. Forever.
Personally I think this album has a lot of bright spots, admitedly some of it rubs the wrong way, but songs like All You Can Do, Never Let it Die, Tears to Diamonds, Bet Against Me and especially Cannonball are great tracks and a real breath of fresh air.
You have to do xinfinty its so good
Dry The River - Alarms in the heart is shaping up to be album of the year. Please consider reviewing it Fanthony Antano.
Travis Scott - Days before Rodeo
Review one of these.
Angus and Julia Stone - Self-tilted
The Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt
Imogen Heap - Sparks
Anthony. What did you think about the Adult Jazz album, 'Gist Is'? To me it was one of the best releases of the year. A perfect mix of Animal Collective, The Books, Fleet Foxes and The Dirty Projectors with a lot of uniqueness as well. Thinking this is their Debut, I can't wait for anything they release in the future.
I just got my pre-order of J Mascis - Tied to a Star. It's beautiful and I hope that you review it when it officially comes out the 26th. I'm impressed as always with your reviewing ability yet again Anthony! Take care! :)
Will there be a review on his new album?!?
Bro should do x infinity or complaint
thanks for sharing those new SOPHIE tracks, sr. fantano. sooo good
To be fair to Watsky, he wrote a long and more literal apology for the stage diving immediately after the incident. Most people weren't waiting/expecting him to address it any further.
I absolutely love Watsky's music and I really liked this album, but I can see where you're coming from! To me, Grass is Greener and Hand Over Hand had a near identical sounding chords and some of the songs sound strangely groggy for Watsky. Comparing to other albums and songs he's done, some of these tracks are of his worst, but some tracks are of his best. Serejevo, Never Let it Die, Whoa Whoa Whoa and a couple others are fantastic!
Whoa Whoa Whoa does it's job as the lead single on the album. It's catchy and fun, and shows some pretty impressive skill on Watsky's part. Nothing wrong with having a swing or two at the radio. It does seem like some of his tracks are lesser versions of previous songs - "Stand for Something" is like a lesser "Energy" and "Bet Against Me" is an inferior "Moral of the Story."
"Ink Don't Bleed" was good for starting a conversation about judging art as separate from the artist, and was a pretty chill track. I thought the same of the beginning of "Right Now." I liked where the track could have gone, but it did seem to devolve into goofiness.
"The One" is phenomenal. "My First Stalker" "Hand over Hand" and "Boomerang" aren't really my thing. "Grass is Greener" is alright as well. The real gold on the album lies in "Never Let it Die", "Sarajevo," and "Cannonball." Those three tracks are gold.
WHERE IS THE TIMESTAMPS?????
As a guy who has never really liked hip hop. I took a leap of faith and kinda fell in love with it ( i also bought card board castles ). As a guy who likes rock and electric music. I thought this was a great jumping ton point for rap. i like the instrumentals and the lyrics. 8/10 for me. But good review. you seem to be good at this
you should do a video about all of watskys discoveragraphy.
I dig Watsky as a poet and artist, and i really like his first couple tapes but i couldn't even get through a full listen of this album before i deleted it. The beats are definitely a huge weak spot and the storytelling lacked in spots backed up by lackluster hooks. I'm hoping that if I listen to this in a few months i might appreciate it more but i just hope it helps him grow for the next project.
Found a lot of enjoyment in this album. I went in thinking this will be different & alternative & that's exactly what I got. "Let's get high & watch planet earth" didn't interest me. Some of the instrumentals used were ehh, but I got used to them & grew to appreciate them. This album made me a fan of Watsky & I'm glad I checked it out. That's just my opinion. I do understand where Anthony comes from though. Just goes to show everyone has their opinions.
Yeah, I was really feeling Whoa Whoa Whoa when that came out, and Ink Don't Bleed got me excited for the album too, but idk, it was disappointing. The instrumentals just weren't going well with me.
CAL! Its good to see him back its been a while. BRING BACK CAL!
Is it me or has Anthony got swole?
always has been
**THICCC*
DAYS BEFORE RODEO.
Watsky may not always appeal to the rap fanatic due to the simple fact that Watsky's genre is not rap; it's Alternative Hip Hop, which is very different from traditional rap.
Alternative may take inspiration from a very wide array of styles ( everything from rock and jazz to country and folk, really. )
This is why Watsky does not have the same vibe as your usual rap song with a simple beat and piano.
I liked this album.
I'll probably listen to it some more and end up loving it like Cardboard Castles, though.
"If time is money a second's a penny a minute's buck a couple years are a milly I'm getting really really filthy
Bitch, get me a bathtub!
I'm filthy rich, watching my pennies stack up
I shower in a typhoon
If time is dimes then I'm a tycoon
I'll glue em together and the climb to the moon"
FAV TRACKS - Never Let it Die, Right Now
LEAST FAV - My First Stalker (But I don't exactly hate it like Anthony)
You definatley need to review London Grammar's album 'If You Wait', i want to hear your verdict.
the only question "watsky" is the answer to is "what if macklemore started on youtube?"
Macklemore kinda did though, at least youtube gave him his big break. Thriftshop exploded and garnered a lot of attention that way
Shaun Fowler Mccreight Actually his song Wings was probably his first popular song on RUclips.
Well i'm not a fan of his, i just know thrift shop gave him huge boosts in pop media
Macklemore has somehow managed to be both overrated and underrated at the same time.
Is that because they are both white rappers? Because that's the only similarity between them that I see. Well that and they can both rap fast. But, their subject matter and production are way different
What do you think about Watsky's other albums? Because I feel like 'Nothing Like the First Time' was amazing, then I started liking his albums less and less from that point on.
Amazing review Cal! Oh and you also did a good job Antiffeny
This is my rapping fast voice.
The intro was pretty funny, but thanks for remiding me of that stupid Nicki Manji song again :). I really like your reviews, that vocabulary you use is on the spot.
That intro about anaconda had me balling
4.. thats even for him low, and he calls himself "hip-hop fan"
4 is average for Anthony, and i'm pretty sure having an honest opinion about hip-hop is what makes someone a fan.
+Yolo Swaggins actually 5 is average 4 is below average.
watsky isn't hip hop.
Do you think you'll review the Banks album when it comes out in September? Good instrumentation.
You didn't put time stamps for the butts. I'm disappointed.
I really love Watsky, and I liked this album a lot, but you do bring up valid and understandable points throughout. Though, I'd really like to see your take on his newest album "x Infinity". I feel like it really matured a lot, and while it does get melodramatic at times, I don't feel that it's out of place given the goal he had for the album and all. But, hey, Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
X Infinity coulda been made by taking into account every criticism Anthony had in this video. I'd love to see it reviewed.
you didn't talk about my favorite song "Never let it die" I love it. Also if you want a grand moment listen to his song "!!" it is basically show must go in. grand as shit
had to watch this on 1.5 speed to sound normal anthony just mumbles and mumbles
Review Royal Blood's debut when it drops next week!
What about the Jenny Hval / Sussana collaboration? I would really like to know your opinion on this one. It's one of my album of the year contenders.
As a middle class white male, Cardboard Castles was great to me, I feel the exact way about All You Can Do thogh
Hey Anthony! Will you review the new Trioscapes album???
Do you do mixtape reviews? wanna see your take on travis Scott's new mixtape days before rodeo
DeShawn Spicer yes
any plans on reviewing You Will Eventually Be Forgotten? really good imo
Speaking of Michael Cera, review his new album! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!!!
Watsky and Cardboard Castles are playful, meaningless, and pretty cool whatever. x Infinity on the other hand is literally the smartest, most technical in lyrical value, and the greatest rap album of all time - if you don’t count Linkin Park
While I disagree with you on this album I thought you expressed your views very well and brought up some very valid critiques of Watsky, most notably his instrumentals.
Still luv u bby,
It'd be quite nice if you reviewed Strangeulation...I'll just throw that out there...
I don't always agree with your opinion. I really do like this LP. I could be biased because I do like watsky but at the end of the day you have real reasons to dislike something and I respect that
i totally agree, ink don’t bleed is solid
I'm not a big fan of Watsky or anything, but I think it's funny how much higher the rating for the last Riff Raff album was.