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The Album Effect episode 24 reviews Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne, Quavo Huncho by Quavo, Sister Sweetly by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and a special submission from Blues Rock band, The Blue News, for their 2011 album, Wartime Songs, plus more. Hosted by Manny, Nick, Dave, and Britt.
Check out and listen to Wartime Songs by The Blue News, available on most streaming platforms.
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Episode 24 Albums:
Tha Carter V (2018)
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne grew up in New Orleans where he began rapping at just eight-years-old. In 1991, Wayne met Cash Money Records owner Bryan Williams, who became a mentor to the young rapper and included him on several Cash Money productions. After working with rap group Hot Boys for several years, he released debut solo album, Tha Block Is Hot, which earned him a Source award nomination for Best New Artist. Wayne went on to release several more albums and mixtapes, before 2008’s Tha Carter III brought him nationwide attention, winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album and producing hit singles “Lollipop” and “A Milli.”
Lil Wayne’s twelfth studio album, Tha Carter V was in the works since 2014, but was significantly delayed due to issues with the Cash Money Records label. Debuting at number one on the Billboard chart, Tha Carter V became Wayne’s fourth number one record and marked the second-largest number of streams in one week for an album. Due to the delays in releasing the album, much of its material was recorded years ago, though some tracks were recorded as recently as weeks before it came out. The album includes features from Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj and XXXTentacion, as well as a reunion with producer Mannie Fresh, who Wayne hadn’t worked with since 2004. Tha Carter V received mostly positive reviews, with many critics noting that, with its variety of hip-hop styles, it was something of a nod to all the different eras of Wayne’s music.
Quavo Huncho (2018)
Quavo
Rapper, singer and producer Quavo is best known for his role in hip-hop trio Migos. Raised in Georgia with fellow members Takeoff and Offset, he first became involved with music in 2008 when they formed the rap group. Migos released their debut mixtape in 2011, but started gaining national attention two years later with the single “Versace.” After two successful studio albums with Migos, Quavo began to branch out into solo work, featuring on Post Malone’s “Congratulations,” DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” and Drake’s “Portland.”
Quavo released his first solo album, Quavo Huncho, in October 2018. Debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, the album received its first airplay on DJ Khaled’s “We the Best” radio show. Quavo Huncho features a number of notable guest appearances, including Cardi B, Madonna and Travis Scott, while Pharrell, Tay Keith and Wondagurl are among the album’s long list of producers.
The album gained some immediate attention for tracks that many believed were aimed at fellow hip hop stars; “Huncho Dreams” detailing an alleged relationship with Nicki Minaj, while the Drake-led “Flip the Switch” was rumored to reference the rapper’s well-documented issues with Pusha-T. Overall, the album received mostly mixed to negative reviews, with many critics feeling that it was too long and had a generic, unmemorable sound.
Sister Sweetly (1993)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
The members of Colorado’s Big Head Todd and the Monsters met in 1984, while still in high school. After graduation, guitarist/singer Todd Park Mohr, bassist Rob Squires and drummer Brian Nevin began touring extensively throughout the west coast, where they developed a devoted following for their blues and folk-influenced rock music. In 1989, the band created Big Records, through which they released their first album, Another Mayberry.
Prior to recording their third studio album, Big Head Todd and the Monsters signed with Giant Records. Produced by Prince engineer David Z, Sister Sweetly would go platinum, becoming their most commercially successful album. Though it stayed on the Billboard 200 for more than a year, it never actually cracked the top half of the chart, peaking at 117. The album did produce radio-friendly singles “Circle,” “Bittersweet,” and “Broken Hearted Savior,” the success of which led to them becoming headliners for 1993’s H.O.R.D.E. music festival.
Wartime Songs (2011)
The Blue News
Founded in 2006 by singer and guitarist Brent Orndorff, The Blue News is a blues/rock band from Terre Haute, Indiana. Taking its name from a variation on the words “The New Blues,” the band was heavily influenced by both classic and modern blues-oriented artists, citing Otis Redding, Kings of Leon and The Black Keys as inspirations. Though Orndorff originally combined live instruments and vocals with programmed drum loops, Dustin Richardson joined the band in 2008 to add live drums to their recordings.
Fifth studio album Wartime Songs was released on the band’s own Blame Records label in 2011. Recorded at the private studio of Tom Petty and Lynyrd Skynyrd producer Jim Devito, the album features a number of vintage instruments dating back to the 1950s. The appearance of two of the album’s songs in video game Rock Band 3 garnered some attention for The Blue News, as did a second–place finish in The Blues Foundation’s Best Self-Produced Blues CD competition. Wartime Songs was generally well-received, with critics comparing its style to that of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Black Crowes.
