Joshua Jackson’s Review: “Honest” by Future
Grade: B-
After months of setbacks, auto-tune rapper Future released his sophomore album, “Honest.” The record displays the progression within the Atlanta, Ga. artist’s music with stellar production by Mike WiLL Made It and songs that are lyrically miles apart from his previous efforts. Future has perfected the method of creating a catchy hook on songs such as “I Won” and the album’s title track. Features from Kanye West, Drake and Lil Wayne compliment the record nicely and the feature from the legendary Andre 3000 proves that Future has caught the eye of some of the biggest artists in music. The album has plenty of good tracks but no clear direction as a whole album. The structure of “Honest” is a blur of love songs and hood songs that fight one another more than they flow together.

Will Kallenborn’s Review: Apache Relay
Grade: A-
The Apache Relay’s second album came at the heels of a great folk rock revival in the U.S. The band had an iconic sound that seemed to work well with the likes of Mumford and Sons and other similar sounding bands. Now that folk rock is reaching its heights with its new album, the band seems keen on proving it isn’t content with playing the same sounds. Its new album has a completely new feel while still retaining the band’s folky Americana vibes. “Katie Queen of Tennessee” was the first single from the album and is emblematic of the entire work. Songs like “Good as Gold” and “Valley of The Fevers” fill out the rest of the album and maintain the light and airy sound of the other tracks. All together, this album shows The Apache Relay is continuing to develop as a band, and it had a lot of great music in its future.

Panya Kroun’s Review: “Days of Abandon” by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Grade: B+
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is like a modern-day version of The Smiths, combining a very much melodic and pop-friendly sound with morbidly depressing lyrics. On its previous release, “Belong,” the group used fuzzy guitar rhythms and production techniques to set themselves apart from other artists who drew similar inspiration from Morrissey’s band of misanthropes. On “Days of Abandon,” the band has quite literally abandoned those techniques in favor of a cleaner and jumpier sound courtesy of producer Andy Savours of My Bloody Valentine fame. The lo-fi noise that defined “Belong” is conspicuously absent on this album. It’s been replaced with a more accessible feel that draws greater attention to the band’s gentle and melodious percussive style. This natural approach makes for an excellent follow-up to two satisfying efforts.

Meg Ryan’s Review: Iggy Azalea’s “The New Classic”
Grade: A
Whether she’s being called the “New Bitch” or a “Goddess,” Iggy Azalea’s debut album, “The New Classic,” is exactly what its title claims. Azalea shows she can hold her own as a woman in the male-dominated rap industry. The album includes a mix of rap tracks about Azalea’s journey to success, personal relationships and female empowerment. Azalea’s verses are strong and showcase her independent fight to success, transforming from a girl in Australia to a worldwide performing artist. “The New Classic” includes collaborations with T.I., Rita Ora and Charli XCX on the pre-released single, “Fancy.” Azalea also released a deluxe edition of the record with three additional tracks, “Rolex” being one of them, a can’t miss. By the end of Azalea’s album, it’s apparent there’s a new force in the rap genre.