Deepcuts: Opinion

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Why Dre and Snoop's Half Time feels so monumental.

Four years after the acclaimed Be the Cowboy, Mitski returns with an electropop opus about the plights of modern living.

With its phenomenal mid-season finale, Ozark’s final season is proving that it stands alone against comparisons to other great television.

Fez, filters, and funk; why you should be watching Euphoria …It’s just heroin.

Even by the show’s high standards, “All the Bells Say” is lights out from start to finish.

Throughout its season's penultimate episode "Chiantishire," particularly in its shocking conclusion, Succession uses water to convey characters' trauma.

The recently liberated Queen of Pop's most recent Instagram skit sheds new light on her experiences with her mental wellbeing, and harmful health professionals.

The Succession ensemble face a harsh reckoning with reality in "Too Much Birthday."

The Good, the Bad, and Jared Leto.

Swift reclaims her past, and regains legal ownership of her legendary album Red.

or: how the Roys are worse than the Sopranos and the Corleones.

A comedy of errors ensues at the long-awaited shareholder meeting in "Retired Janitors of Idaho."

The Roys engage in the first stages of public battle in cinematic "The Disruption."

Kendall desperately tries to win his siblings allegiance in "Mass in Time of War."

The local vet stopped by the offices of SMACK to talk about his upcoming course on Drake & The Weeknd at X University, Director X's New Monuments installation, and what he thinks of “Way 2 Sexy.”

As the Roy family prepares for civil war, Kendall positions to be the best man left standing in Succession's compelling premiere.

Megan Thee Stallion’s branded hot sauce for Popeyes signals their franchising partnership and lands amidst a Fast Food – Pop Music Marketing Revolution.

In her feature acting and writing debut, St. Vincent communicates the disparity between personality and persona through a darkly comical nightmare.

DMX's classic debut is given a new examination in the wake of his death and a new look at his early life.

DONDA > CLB

A retrospective look at Frances Ha and how two people’s love for French New Wave and each other gave us one of the last great comedies.

Nearly 30 years after its release, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me has gone from a box office flop to a misunderstood masterpiece about the nature of abuse.

…and blaming new direction is seriously missing the point.

We trace the mess that is the DONDA album rollout and figure out if Kanye is subverting the format again or just wasting everyone’s time.

With Billie Eilish placed firmly in the cancel culture crosshairs, the “Happier Than Ever” album circuit has been a bit of a rough go and proof of the double standard for maturing teen idols.

Rick Rubin’s gorgeous new documentary on the life and work of Paul McCartney should shut up even the largest Beatles detractors.

Blake tries to excuse Matt Damon’s iconic “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”

The alternative icon and his sonic shaman’s latest is a true distillation of everything great about the modern era of the Bad Seeds.

On the eve of his newest, we break down the Long Beach rapper’s impressive career.

What we think of Tyler's newest.

Why Bo Burnham’s new special Inside is the best piece of music this year so far.

The Acid King retells a classic Canadian millennial's tale of hearing Sum 41 for the first time.

Film regular Ian Pickett takes an academic look at a reputable cinematic achievement.

A look at Prince's greatest live moments.

Prince, Tim Burton, Superhero Movies, Seal, Francis Bacon... no one is safe from the wrath of Blake.

TINA on HBO and How the Media Romanticizes Abuse

We breakdown the complex and perennial figure fresh off her new album.

Who gives a shit what the Recording Academy says about what they think the best album of the year wasn’t? We’re just here for Harry Styles’ boas.

Dan Snaith returns with some of his most personal work yet.

The UK’s favourite new band are back with their best yet.

The death of Phil Spector has pushed the media to condemn the artist, but when did we stop respecting the art?

In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, we celebrate the turning point of the best band of the era.

Though a solid release from a group that’s capable of near perfection-- it’s hard not to feel a bit cheated.

America’s 24 karat songwriter dusts off a shiny new LP of songs both old and new.

20 years after its release, Almost Famous belongs in the canon of great rock movies but little of that has to do with its depiction of rock itself.

Kanye's foray into Evangelical gospel music is divisive as ever, but unlike past tentpoles he's left unredeemed.

In celebration of Voodoo's 20th Birthday we bring to you a very special retrospective review of D'Angelo's earth shaking neo-soul opus.

Black identity, history and the current BLM movement in 20 songs.

Yacht rock's prickly Bohemian makes a good thing last.

Commiserating with Mr. Misery.

If not, let’s stop covering the presidency like a publicity playground for the elite.

Bran Van 3000’s eccentric debut is a timeless trove of Canadian treasures whose colourful legacy has eclipsed its initial impact.

Going Back to Growing Up.

How a bad movie and its soundtrack inadvertently told the future.

not the album we deserve, but the one we need right now.

The five-track EP is an electrifying, energetic and exciting fusion of two unique artists.

Trudging slowly over old ground.

We look at Eminem’s brutal and brilliant third album on its 20th anniversary and why it still holds up despite being as offensive as it ever was.

Built around the strengths of his past releases, the fifth album from Perfume Genius is a nimble and confident showcase of everything the artist does best.

Sonically innovative and poetically singular, Fiona’s first album in eight years is a peerless meditation on the conflicting impulses of independence.

The first in our series that celebrates original song in film.

In celebration of Tyler's 28th birthday we delve into the premier turning point in the auteur's career.

In celebration of “A Beastie Boys Story”, we look back at the album that symbolized a turning point in the band’s career and the genre itself.

See title.

Sweeping up Times Square on January 1st.

For the most part, Lipa has delivered a satisfying, bombastic, slick dance pop record in Future Nostalgia.

The producer’s third studio album under his original moniker is an exploration of music as liberation from despair.

Breathing life into the sounds of a singular cold, digital synthesizer, Green’s 34 year reissue is timely to say the least.

Donald Glover's surprise release is a quantum leap forward in sound, concept, and performance.

The sadboi soundtrack to the hedonist lifestyle is cohesive and introspective, albeit predictable.

On U.S. Girls' seventh studio album, Remy pivots her confidently idiosyncratic gaze inward.

The 10th Four Tet full length puts his mastery on display, though it exposes his formulae more than it needs to.

After a decade long wait, few thought the full length debut of Jay Electronica would ever see the light of day and with a willing shared spotlight with JAY Z, it's here in a big way.

The legendary singer songwriter is back with a new project on the way and her thoughts on Louis C.K., DIY recording, and her tumultuous relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson.

Coming off a two year waiting period, Uzi's latest is far from redeemable.

On his 9th solo album, Malkmus crafts Traditional Techniques from earthen acoustics in a sonic exploration of folk and country generics.

Check out the insane story of a former Vice music editor’s international drug ring.

Archie Marshall takes a swing and doubles down on a dissonant, colourless fourth full length. It's a rare miss.

Even without its smarmy promotional campaign, Changes is somehow a step down from one of the most inconsistent repertoires in modern pop.

The Ringer’s latest podcast brings together Chuck Klosterman and Chris Ryan in discussion about tastes, opinions, and critiques.

Grimes' adventurous fifth simultaneously introduces her alter ego while trying to save the world.

While his detractors certainly seem to outnumber his champions, Kozelek has soldiered on to produce album after album in search of a new voice that finally approaches its richest culmination.

Kevin Parker has seemingly gone pop, but it's less selling out and more evolution.

We take another look at an iconic breakup album from the Queen of the SPCA.

Happy Valentine's Day. We revisit Feist's incredible love album and its gorgeous marriage of subject matter and arrangement.

With the number one song and album in the country, he's the biggest new rap star out there, but do his skills match the stats?

The iconic Toronto indie band are back with their most cohesive release to date, but is it still fun?

Editor in Chief Jared Marshall gives Elliot Smith's watershed sophomore album a celebrated retrospective review.

On a more focused effort than 99.9% and perhaps less range, Kaytranada once again proves his ability in the album format.

Eminem's refurbished master of his classic debut The Slim Shady LP just hit streaming platforms, guest writer and friend of the site Thomas Haebler dives in to one of his favourite albums.

On her second LP, Tahliah Debrett Barnett drops a trunk rattling opus.

On the eve of its 20th birthday, Smack reviews a staple of modern pop music.

With Fear Inoculum taking the top spot on the charts in an era of Post Malone and on the cusp of two highly anticipated Toronto bookings, it’s time to look back at TOOL’s impact over the years.

In spirit of their sold out shows at the Scotia, we've wheeled out our lead critic to breakdown Tool's infamous opus Ænima.