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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Don't let the drab cover art fool you. This is Tyler, The Creator we're talking about here. He's never one to subject listeners to mundanity, either musically or visually, and that much is certainly true for his glorified loosie 'OKRA.' Featuring another masterful music video that finds creativity in the simplest of things, 'OKRA' also finds Tyler returning to the grizzled Rap foundation he built and ultimately rejected over the years. The lush Neo-Soul soundscapes of Flower Boy, this is not. In fact, 'OKRA' borrows most from the cluttered bombast of Cherry Bomb, down to the irregular structural shifts and dizzying flows. That being said, Tyler's progression as an artist causes 'OKRA' to improve on most material from that LP. His rapping has truly improved, a statement that holds more weight coming from my lips as I've always felt he was underrated as an emcee. Here, words that are treated as tongue-twisters also provide substance: "Swampy niggas out the bayou, pockets flooded y'all be dilute." In his second and third verse you can really see Lil Wayne's influence on Tyler, whereas the content overall finds Vince Staples as a primary inspiration. Crafty one-liners keep things provocative throughout, including my personal favorite, "That pussy pink like the drink in my cup / Lemonade, yeah it's Minute Maid, I been gettin' paid." The stop-gap chorus could've used some work though.
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2015's Painted Shut left a bad taste in my mouth for two reasons; Frances Quinlan's overtly Emo vocals that screeched more than they soothed, and the band's Indie Rock one-dimensionality. Bark Your Head Off, Dog aims to correct those two issues by branching out of expectation. 'How Simple,' while using rudimentary instruments, used a progressive state of intensity to cause the track's final repeating bridge to hit an excellent peak, whereas 'Not Abel' subverted all expectations with orchestral instrumentation and Quinlan doing her best Joanna Newsom impression. In a sense, 'Prior Things' exceeds on both those fronts. What will become Bark Your Head Off's closing track, 'Prior Things' immediately takes captive with a dazzling string arrangement. Attempting to constantly shift between such a distinct sound and guitars and drums would normally prove messy, but Hop Along pulls it off effortlessly here. At the center is Quinlan whose voice, both energetic and fragile, fits each tonal shift like the perfect puzzle piece. On top of all that, 'Prior Things' somehow evokes 90's nostalgia byway of Indie Rock, something we've seen in recent years with Alvvays and Japanese Breakfast. Quinlan's reminiscing surely the culprit to this, which undoubtedly works in 'Prior Things'' favor, giving it yet another layer to enjoy.
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Kool Keith, under his Dr. Octagon pseudonym, has been a major influence on numerous underground emcees that I hold in high regard. MF DOOM, El-P, Deltron 3030, Edan, and plenty more owe Kool Keith's wacky mannerisms and penchant for the absurd and grotesque some gratitude. Dr. Octagonecologyst was, by and large, a precursor to dozens of acclaimed 2000's Abstract Hip-Hop records. He then abandoned Dr. Octagon, only to reemerge in 2006 for a record of little worth and 2018, for Moosebumps. If 'Black Hole Son's' any indication, the quality Kool Keith lost in the mid-2000's has all been rectified, as the theatrical production and dizzying lyrical wordplay returns listeners to the peak of Abstract Hip-Hop. On 'Black Hole Son,' Dr. Octagon finds himself embodying the schizophrenic, near-offbeat flow patterns of Myka 9, something you can see as recently as 'Die Cut (Wrap),' the closing track to Cut Chemist's 2018 project; Die Cut. As per usual with the genre, the chorus lacks in creating a catchy benefactor, and Keith's age does play a role in his ability to exacerbate his charisma (something that's currently happening to MF DOOM as well). Neither detriment harms 'Black Hole Son' as a whole. The track is still a pleasant return to the cartoon drama and violence that he spearheaded over two decades ago.
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First there was 'American Guilt,' then there was 'Not In Love We're Just High.' In the form of 'Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays,' we've received the third single from Unknown Mortal Orchestra for their upcoming LP Sex & Food, and curiosity continues to proliferate. Each single has been noticeably different than the last, which could either spell doom for Sex & Food or unquestionable success. Whereas 'American Guilt' drew from ultra-crunchy Guitar Rock, 'Not In Love' intrigued by the prospects of a Lo-Fi Space Disco, 'Everyone' finds Unknown Mortal Orchestra returning to a safe middle ground. Of the three, this bears most resemblance to their previous LP; 2015's Multi-Love. Ruban Nielson's vocals get refined by psychedelic processing, something that works in conjunction with his parched weep, while the production remains both beefy and brittle. Whereas the content of the song lacks, and could be Sex & Food's greatest weakness given the previous singles' track record, 'Everyone' more than makes up for it with honest-to-God catchiness. On first listen it's tough to even realize how inspired by Funk and Soul 'Everyone' is, only because the song's drenched in Unknown Mortal Orchestra's prototypical Neo-Psychedelia ooze. Combining all these results in a delightful little diddy.
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Readers of mine have been keen to note that Chvrches' new material hasn't exactly been to my liking. Both 'Get Out' and 'My Enemy' were riddled with problems, the most pressing of which is how dissimilar those problems were. The writing was on the wall with Every Open Eye, an album that, in retrospect, could be seen as a transitory piece between an Indie crowd and a Pop one. Like its Love Is Dead predecessors, 'Never Say Die' reaffirms that position. Here, like "Get Out,' we receive full-blown Synthpop that associates more with the Charli XCX and Demi Lovato's of the world than the Purity Ring or Molly Nilsson's. Thus far, the only tie to their Indie upbringing is Matt Berninger awkwardly appearing alongside Lauren Mayberry on 'My Enemy.' However, despite their unabashed retreat from the Alternative scene, 'Never Say Die' still packs a relatively energetic Pop punch. It's easily the best Love Is Dead single thus far, borrowing the visceral side of 'Get Out' whilst adding more versatility to Mayberry's songwriting. The track is basically a synth orgy, which works in Chvrches' favor since, while it's less artistically appealing, it's more instinctively appealing. Interestingly enough, the scratchy noise elements will prevent this from reaching high onto the charts. Otherwise 'Never Say Die' could've been the hit they've been waiting for.
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Whether intentionally or not (likely not), A$AP Rocky's promotional release for his upcoming album, one that's centered around the concept of car test dummies, actually works as an inadvertent case study on the success and failure of the Soundcloud loosies. The two previous singles - '5IVE $TAR$' and 'Above' - both faltered with unimaginatively bland Trap that felt underproduced and careless. However, with the cautionary aesthetic, they could've just been chalked up to halfhearted ideas if the fanfare wasn't acceptable. Interestingly enough, 'Bad Company,' the best of the three and only one to feel complete, is the only one that can be found on popular streaming platforms. Despite the definitive improvement, 'Bad Company' still struggles to compete with A$AP Rocky's past catalogue, one that mixed modern East Coast Hip-Hop with slick and complex flows. Here, Rocky, and BlocBoy JB who joins him, travel down the predictable Trap route, the former borrowing the casual confidence of Drake as the latter flashes charisma that's an abomination between 2 Chainz and Riff Raff. Unlike '5IVE $TAR$' and 'Above,' 'Bad Company' actually feels fully composed, which is its best asset. The production is tasteful and even contains near-imperceptible beat switches that keep the pace moving forward.
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