#because i'm pretty sure most people initially read it as arizona

[rottinghollows]

Rotting Review*: FURY, RyaNerd, TwistKid, JS97

*this is a working title, it's subject to change in the future*

Moving forward and between bigger projects, I'd like to take the time to highlight tracks from artists around, and some I just like personally. This is my own opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. That being said, I will be highlighting things I both like and dislike with the tracks mentioned, plus a little opinion on it and rating, like an album review but on a much smaller scale. The titles will always highlight the artists first and foremost, but I'll be naming them and their tracks below, as well as links to the songs as well. As always, be sure to give the artists mentioned some love. Enjoy!

FURY - Triple 7 Rebel prod. Yatchzen

Pros: Triple 7 Rebel is a very well done track, from production to lyrics and Fury's inflections on the track. The last part plays well into the idea of him being a rebel out alone in the desert, and the Nevada native certainly delivers.

Con: As much as I enjoy the track, the end of it does leave a bit to be desired. If some criticism is to be made, it's really just to find a harder and more solid conclusion to the track, though I really respect the shout out to No Doms and ENDS.

Overall: I've been a follower of Fury's work for a minute, and he definitely does not disappoint. The consistency in most of his work is astounding, and he's certainly a hidden gem amongst his peers. The track reviewed can be found here.

Rating: 8/10

RyaNerd - Worlds Away

Pros: RyaNerd is one of the few who can pull off a melancholic and dissociative track, yet make the lyrics relatable and engaging enough to give it replay value. The tone throughout the song is consistent plays well with beat, making it reminiscent of a lullaby in some respects.

Cons: Some words in the song are unfortunately a little hard to understand, having some lack of enunciation which makes the track a little hard to get into as well. While i mentioned the tone to be consistent, Rya could stand to work on the tone in his vocals. The song is melancholic, however the vocals sound somewhat sleepy and like it was a chore to do, rather than sad and emotional.

Overall: While I may be the most critical of RyaNerd on this particular review, I do like what he has to offer and see massive potential for growth in his music. The track itself is a little rusty, but the quality of lyrics and melancholy are something that can be expanded and improved on, and even open new avenues if pushed in the right direction. The track can be found here.

Rating: 6.5/10

TwistKid - Nobody prod. slndrmann

Pros: Twist harnessed something very human, and also very hopeless with this particular song. While slndrmann plays a role with the beat, Twist's vocals almost take a background-esque nature within it, although enough emotion is present in the delivery that carries weight to what he's saying, and it makes for a wonderful if very thematically dark song.

Cons: Wavy edits are a tricky thing, and while I'm not actually critical of this wavy edit, I wasn't totally sold as it being the outro to this particular song. Had the song maybe been a little longer, the wavy end could have been a great stand alone edit, although I will say it does more harm than benefit to the track if I have to be honest.

Overall: TwistKid is a majorly slept on artist, and the quality of his work speaks for itself, no artists is without a hiccup or two, but Twist is a person who constantly displays growth, and an accurate representation into a darkened and troubled mind. Twist's Nobody can be found here.

Rating: 9/10

JS97 - Arizona Bronze Ginseng

Pros: While the production of this song is amazing, the personal highlight to this particular track is the rapping towards the end. Not many people may be aware of an artist named KCLS, but JS pays a pretty great homage to the monotone delivery of the previously mentioned rapper. Another pro is the build up leading to it, and the rapping trailing off to give a concrete end to the song is a plus.

Cons: Electronic music is admittedly not my forté, but I will say the first few seconds of the song linger before really getting into full swing. It's a small complaint, but it is something I've taken notice to in some other tracks, and it could be worked on to improve the over transition and experience of the songs presented.

Overall: JS is a guy who I know personally, so I'm aware he'll stick to predominantly sampling Owl City and making beats. Regardless, I'd love if he recorded himself a bit more on tracks, although I highly doubt he'll do it even if I encouraged it night and day. Watching him work is always a treat to. JS97's track is found here.

Rating: 7.5/10

Final Thoughts + Announcement

The artists I listed are people I'm well acquainted with, and even have met in some cases. Granted, I try to be objective and maybe I am, but I know I could be doing better on it. I sincerely hope this doesn't sound like it's either not objective or I'm favouring someone's work over another, because that's not the case, though I'll admit to liking everyone listed here a lot, and this is a bit of a way to say "hey, I still think about ya and would like to talk soon, cuz I suck at initiating conversations sometimes".

On another note, I'm working on an interview that will be published hopefully in the next two to three days, and afterwards I'm gonna spend time on a piece regarding the current state of the scene and what could be done to improve it. I'm looking forward to both these things, and sincerely happy to be doing so. There will be more to come, but for now look forward to those things mentioned. Thanks for reading.