Vic’s Picks: February 2024
This month, I recommend the new single from Wavedash, Madeon and Toro y Moi, music from Matt Martians, Justice and RiTchie, Persona 3: Reload and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
It’s time for the February edition of Vic’s Picks. This month, a lot of new music came out, so instead of including a movie of the month, I will be replacing that with a few singles of the month (I also didn’t really watch any new movies recently lol). I’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get right to it.
Album of the Month: “Matt’s Missing” by Matt Martians
The newest solo project from Matthew Martin of Odd Future, The Internet and the Jet Age of Tomorrow, better known as Matt Martians, is “Matt’s Missing” – a hodgepodge of eclectic tracks that shift rapidly from idea to idea. Meshing elements of R&B, lo-fi, hip-hop, jazz and indie pop, Martin infuses his signature wavy, hallucinatory production into some quick songs that don’t overstay their welcome – the longest track on the record clocks in at just under 3 and a half minutes.
I was a huge fan of his 2017 project “The Drum Chord Theory”, which still stays in rotation for me seven years later, so hearing this new record which shares many similarities with “TDCT” was a welcome reunion for my eardrums. His airy, auto-tuned falsetto pairs well with the speedy tempo, blissful piano glissandos and lush guitars of “Best Girl”, and his unique production style shines on tracks like “B Like That” and “Perfect Warning”. As a project, it kind of reads like an album full of interludes – but I mean that in the best way possible. Each track has a bit of an understated feel to it, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The production is fun and a tad whimsical, and the vocals are simple and easy to follow.
There’s nothing that sounds quite like Matt Martians, and I really love that. His style is his own, and he’s flexing it in full force on “Matt’s Missing”.
Best tracks: Perfect Warning, Bassline, Best Girl, Don’t Even Think About It, Adjust
Singles of the Month:
“All Ur Luv” by Wavedash, Madeon and Toro y Moi
It’s only February, and I already have my song of the summer. “All Ur Luv” mashes the virtuosic electronic production of Madeon and Wavedash with a killer vocal performance from musical renaissance man Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi – resulting in one of the catchiest pop songs to burrow into my brain in ages.
“Baby I know it won’t be the same without your love,” Bear belts in the climactic chorus, meshing perfectly with a simple, yet effective drum pattern accentuated by crisp handclaps. The auto-tuned ad-libs and second verse from Madeon add so much life and energy to the track as well, and serve as a nice contrast to Bear’s more natural vocal sound. The structure of the track is perfect for its length – building up and releasing tension masterfully, never getting boring or repeating unnecessarily.
There’s not much more to say other than this is a truly excellent pop song, and one that is sure to remain an earworm of mine for the foreseeable future.
“One Night/All Night | Generator” by Justice
Justice is BACK, baby! And who better to celebrate their return than Kevin Parker, the psych-pop genius behind Tame Impala whose meteoric rise to superstardom has inundated contemporary music charts over the last few years. The new two-song single precedes Justice’s next record, “HYPERDRAMA,” releasing April 26th – their first LP since 2016’s “Woman”.
“One Night/All Night” sees Justice’s signature dark, gritty synth sound clash with a pop-inspired song structure, hallmarked by Parker’s glittery falsetto chorus repeating throughout. Complemented by a compressed house drum beat with an immaculate open hi-hat on the off-beat, it’s no surprise this song has racked up over 10 million streams on Spotify in the last month.
“Generator” is arguably my favorite of the two, however, taking me back to similar soundscapes found on their 2007 self-titled debut. The track is perfect for a shadowy nightclub enveloped by flickering strobes, with the pounding pulse of its kick drum reverberating as partiers throw their bodies about recklessly to the beat. And that bassline that kicks in around 2:40? Sheesh! I am a sucker for a sweet synth bassline.
This is Justice at their most refined, their most confident – and I cannot wait for the arrival of “HYPERDRAMA”.
“RiTchie Valens” by RiTchie
So let me knowwww! The new single “RiTchie Valens” from Injury Reserve/By Storm rapper Nathaniel Ritchie, aka Ritchie with a T, further establishes the Tempe rapper as a force to be reckoned with – not that he wasn’t already. Venturing away from his work with Injury Reserve and By Storm, the duo founded in the aftermath of Stepa J. Groggs’ tragic death in 2020, RiTchie raps with confidence and conviction, poking fun at the industry and other rappers over a boisterous beat produced by Jeremy Fisher (@deadfjsh).
In a post on Instagram, RiTchie prefaced the release of the single by saying, “Over time, I have mentally created these huge qualifications for any music released under the IR/BS name, making sure that everything I do is different/interesting/technical enough for the reputation we have built over the years.” He continued, “What started as a personal outlet to release these mental barriers, ended up with me having some fun music I felt comfortable, then confident, and now excited to put out there in the world while me and Parker continue to work on the first By Storm record.”
And RiTchie is certainly having fun – “This shit like pullin’ teeth when you try and sell tickets / This shit is just a breeze cuz I’ve been here for a minute.” After releasing a second single with Aminé on Feb. 26 entitled “Dizzy”, he announced his solo debut “Triple Digits [112]” will be coming out April 5th. The project is sure to showcase even more of RiTchie’s masterful skill on the mic, and I am eager to hear more from one of my hometown heroes.
Video Game of the Month: “Persona 3: Reload”
I have sooo much to say about this one, but I’m gonna try to keep it brief. I’m also not entirely done with the game just yet, so I will be writing a full review once I complete the 80+ hour story. Also, I won’t be including any spoilers here!
Persona 3: Reload reimagines the 2006 JRPG/life sim that kickstarted the modern Persona series as we know it today – revamping Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island with the Persona 5 treatment. Flexing its style with gorgeous UI upgrades, a revamped combat system and an array of quality of life features, P3R allows modern Persona fans to experience what many SMT vets consider to be the crowning jewel of Persona stories.
I never played the original Persona 3 or its other remakes, P3 Portable and P3:FES, so P3R was my entry point into the Persona 3 experience – and let me tell you, it is quite a trip. I’ve found myself devoting all of my IRL free time to exploring Tartarus and Iwatodai proper, developing social links with my Gekkoukan High classmates and Iwatodai locals and trying to uncover the mystery of the Dark Hour. The cast of characters in P3 is excellent (how can you not love Koromaru?), manifested expertly by top-notch voice acting and clever writing. The game is a visual spectacle, with both the dungeon crawling and life simulator aspects being an absolute joy to witness.
Fans of Persona 5 and P5 Royal are bound to appreciate the stylish similarities of P3R, but I would argue that for those new to the Persona series, Persona 3: Reload is a great entry point. It does a great job of introducing you to the concepts and structure of modern Persona games in a captivating and visually stunning fashion. My only gripe – and this rings true for all Persona games – is that it does take a decent amount of time to really get rolling. I would say it takes about 10 hours before the story really starts to take off, but that’s not to say those first 10 hours aren’t enjoyable. This is definitely a game you have to commit a substantial amount of time to, but it is absolutely worth it.
TV Show of the Month: “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
The new series on Amazon Prime, which implemented a truly bizarre promotional scheme that involved confusingly subtle IRL pranks, taps into the nostalgia of the original 2005 film that starred two of the sexiest people alive – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Creatively helmed by and starring Donald Glover, alongside Maya Erskine of “Pen15” fame, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” puts a modern spin on the spy romance classic.
Desperate for money, “John” (Glover) and “Jane” (Erskine) find themselves connected (and legally married) through a shadowy company called Hihi. Contracted to conduct “high-risk” operations together, they share a beautiful home in New York and get to know each other better throughout their feigned marriage. As the show progresses, the two grow closer, eventually developing into a real romance as the missions they undertake get more and more dangerous.
The show is expertly shot, gracefully written, and much funnier than I had initially anticipated. As a huge fan of Glover’s previous work, both comedic and dramatic, I wasn’t surprised by his performance. But I had never watched “Pen15”, though I had heard good things about it, and was particularly taken with Erskine’s performance. The two’s on-screen chemistry was excellent – and I really felt myself caring about their characters throughout the 10 episode run. After ending on a tremendous note in the final episode, I felt very satisfied by the story that was told. I would recommend this show to anyone looking for a thrilling, action-filled comedy that isn’t afraid to dig deeper into the philosophy of love and relationships.