Monday, February 12, 2018

Loosies Of The Week, Feb. 6-12



Welcome to yet another Loosies Of The Week, a wrap-up of this weeks singles, throwaways, leaks, and any other loose tracks I find. A wide range of genres this week, with a well-rounded level of quality. There's sure to be something you enjoy. 
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Czarface & MF DOOM - Nautical Depth

Always the curiosity, whereas MF DOOM's early career was noted for having such astounding quality in a limited timespan (six albums, under five different names, in the span of three years), his latter career has been marked by empty promises, missed release dates, and general villainy. That's why the formal announcement, complete with release date, album art, and tracklist, of Czarface Meets Metal Face, a collaboration between the three-headed monster of 7L, Esoteric, and Inspectah Deck, and MF DOOM, was surprising. It's unusually reputable. And while hype is certainly abound, considering the absence of DOOM's presence of late, 'Nautical Depth' doesn't really set the project's sights high. There's no doubting the two camps match elegantly, with Czarface continuing the masked comic book aesthetic DOOM pioneered, but 7L's straight-laced brand of East Coast Boom Bap doesn't really allow for the creativity DOOM's capable of. By the sounds of 'Nautical Depth,' it'll be a Czarface album, one to follow-up 2016's Fistful Of Peril, with numerous DOOM verses. Let's hope they peel back their limitations, namely on drums, and give DOOM room to imaginate without being cornered.
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There's no doubt in my mind that 'Above The Bodega' will upset committed Titus Andronicus fans, if their questionable response towards 'Number One,' A Productive Cough's toilsome, eight-minute lead single, is any indication. While I thought that sound was a progressed, refined, and condensed version of The Most Lamentable Tragedy's heights, few failed to see through the stunted production quality and cheap gimmicks. The latter returns on 'Above The Bodega,' a single that shows clear evidence of Patrick Stickles' sole transformation of Titus Andronicus into a Folk Punk oddity bearing some resemblance to the crudest of Ween's sea-faring material. Female "ooh la la's" parlay in the background, nearing Doo-Wop territory, as Glam Rock horns jaunt and jive alongside. I like it. But then again, I'm almost always a sucker for schticks. Whatever veers towards the side of being uncool will gain credibility in my eyes, which is exactly where 'Above The Bodega' finds itself.
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Blood Orange - Black History

In honor of Black History Month, Blood Orange's Devonte Hynes dropped two tracks entitled 'Christopher & 6th' and 'JUNE 12th.' They won't be featured on his prospective follow-up to Freetown Sound, but in one track's case, Hynes would be better off reconsidering. While 'Christopher & 6th' meanders around a free-flowing electric guitar, concerning itself with a death and muted reaction from the black community ("society says don't you speak"), it's really 'JUNE 12th' that shines brightly. Initially as sketchbook-driven as 'Christopher & 6th,' 'JUNE 12th' abruptly cuts off field recording's with a lovely synth drone and fractured drums. Comparisons can be drawn to Frank Ocean's Blonde era, but Hynes separates himself by relaying his political and cultural message through pure spoken word. The result is appealing, enticing despite the clear Lo-Fi production, culminating when another breakfast drum kit enters near the end. His pain can be felt, as he views American's racial woes from afar, reacting with honest tones when appropriate.
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Busdriver's multidimensional mind grows with the cover of 'The Imperfect Cinema,' an expansion upon 'Gush's' artwork, a track which I previously reviewed and is presently attached here as well. The two work as a uniformed piece through Busdriver's enriched, lyrical rambling's, a noted mark for the abstract emcee since his inception nearly two decades ago, but one that spills so far into nonsensical territory here that it's hard to appreciate anymore. Busdriver's flow continues to remain on point and fresh, as he's aged quite well in this regard (likely due to competition from Open Mike Eagle, Milo, and the rest of the Art Rappers). OME gets a shoutout in 'The Imperfect Cinema' with the line "like Mike Eagle was due to replace Jay Leno," which is arguably the most comprehensible bar here. However, while Driver's lyrics continue to confound, and not in a good way, that only represents half of 'The Imperfect Cinema,' as the track's first half glides through a filthy beat that's one half Hardcore Hip-Hop, with dark, palpitating drums, one half Avant-Garde Jazz, with a scant horn loop. Flying Lotus-esque for sure, had the futuristic producer dropped his overused high-paced synth rhythms to allow for breathing room.
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Animal Collective - Bleak Midwinter

Before you get your hopes up, no this is not a new AnCo track that suddenly finds the quartet revisiting their adolescent selves. 'Bleak Midwinter' is a ripe cut released by Geologist on his radio show from the treasured (to some) Campfire Songs era of Animal Collective. Recorded somewhere near the turn of the millennium, the track finds the group covering the classic Christmas carol 'In The Bleak Midwinter' with a tender pen. To most listening, there's nothing particularly strange about AnCo's version. Avey Tare and Panda Bear join the caroling procession together, while a strumming acoustic guitar guides the melody. It's an honest and pure take on the simple tune, acting as a test for the group to see how their melodic talents piece together. Of course, an eerie synth chord signals the close of the track, providing a discomforting end to a rather virtuous time of year. It's as if, in AnCo's world, Halloween follows Christmas as Oogie Boogie wins. There's a lot more weirdness to 'Bleak Midwinter' when gazing upon the group staring ominously with emotionless masks, one brandishing a pumpkin sweatshirt while pedaling a little girl's bike in the background. But that's what made early Animal Collective so odd. Even the most normal of ballads was offset with a layer of uneasiness.
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U.S. Girls - Rosebud

'Rosebud' is officially the fourth single to drop from A Poem Unlimited, Meghan Remy's seventh LP as U.S. Girls, which now amounts to nearly half the LP considering two of the eleven tracks are less than 26 seconds long. 'Rosebud' continues U.S. Girls expansion into full-fledged Exotica, a genre that's basically the love child of Art Pop, Psychedelic Pop, and Experimental music that leans on atmosphere. However, unlike 'Velvet 4 Sale,' or even third single 'Pearly Gates,' 'Rosebud' fails to make a notable splash. Not to mention it pales in comparison to 'M.A.H.,' which stands as one of Remy's greatest creations to date. 'Rosebud's' struggles come not from the song itself, but from the fact that it has no reason being a lead single, especially with three already released. As a deep cut, its pleasures will grow, as the percussion rhythms and hypnotic backing vocals prime themselves for a late bloomer. Unfortunately, whereas U.S. Girls' heights on Half Free saw tracks similar to 'Rosebud' (like the breathtaking 'Window Shades') rise, contort, or shatter with a vengeance, 'Rosebud' merely exists in a perpetual state of modesty. Not what I'm lured to Remy for.
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