Album reviews for those with a lack of attention to any and all things glorious in this fine, fabulous, artsy fartsy world of ours. Have an album submission? Email it to us at Contact@TheRooster.com

LOCAL

Lola Black // Till Death Do Us Part

We’re likening the force behind the new Lola Black album to the feeling sustained when a round, bulbous object plants itself ever so conveniently against the tip of our nose. That metallic taste and inside-the-face throbbing sensation we’ve been conditioned to fear? Yeah, it’s all there. The stunningly vicious Mrs. Black and her cohorts dominate the hard rock scene in Colorado and “Till Death Do Us Part” is exactly why. This band’s sonic trip is a heavy one to its core.

Ben Roy // No Enlightenment In Sobriety

Comedian Ben Roy has been sober for three years and he still hates it. There’s no more fun, no more happiness and he says now that his demons are just louder and more aggressive. That makes watching his hardships through it all that much more glorious. Everyone knows that other people’s misery is entertaining. “No Enlightenment In Sobriety” is a giggle bucket full of outlandish stories in Roy’s renowned style of loud and combative delivery.

INDEPENDENT

MONEY // The Shadow of Heaven

A great time to road trip towards splitsville is right before the holidays. It’s a free pass away from any obligation to buy gifts. Another is in the dawn of summer, because, well, summer. “The Shadow of Heaven” is the perfect soundtrack to any well-rounded break this season. The piano ballads are sappy enough to draw out plenty of liquid eye sadness, but don’t cling on and ruin the anticipated fun. Get over the breakup quick, that beach body isn’t going to check itself out.

Matisyahu // Akeda

Independent hip-hop artists know too well that the struggle is real. After shedding his devout Hasidic image and the constraints that come with it, Matisyahu carried about through years rebranding himself in both image and musical avenues. He’s still frolicking around the typical reggae beats and straightforward prose, but does so with more soul than before. “Akeda” is his most personal album yet and delivers an exceptional journey into the struggling mind of the straightforward artist we’ve come to embrace.