Atmosphere continue tearing society apart on their eighth studio album. MC Sean "Slug" Daly declares that Southsiders is from the perspective of a "post-family man", so those looking for their stoned philosophies will be disappointed. They've lifted the smokescreen, leaving a stream of consciousness that results in a number of song fatalities, particularly the rigid Camera Thief and the cringe-inducing Star Shaped Heart. Flicker addresses the fragility of life, and it's the perfect ode to a friend that left too soon. On lead single Kanye West (which has little to do with Yeezy), Atmosphere dare listeners to "put their hands in the air like they really do care" and live for the moment. It's an unoriginal sentiment, to be sure, but on an album that gets lost in complex societal sneers, it's the simple things that shine. rhymesayers.com/atmosphere
Download: Flicker, Kanye West