What's a Listening Log? Well, the idea is quite simple. It's a weekly segment that consolidates all the mini-reviews Dozens Of Donuts has given on RateYourMusic over the past week, split between the Past and Present. A straightforward grading scale has been put in place, ranging from A+ to F-, with C acting as the baseline average. There is no set amount of reviews per week, just however many I get around to reviewing. And don't expect week-of reviews. I wait one month - with at least three listens under my belt - before I rate and review an album. Enjoy!
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Ty Segall pinned First Taste as a transformational album, undergoing a shift in precedent with the removal of his all-trustworthy guitar. However, if First Taste teaches us anything it's that it's strikingly easy to craft Psychedelic and Garage Rock by other avenues. Likely because it's all in the grit and grind, which Segall himself just can't escape. Sure there's aspects here, like 'Ice Plant' and 'When I Met My Parents Pt. 3,' that sway heavily into Segall as an A cappella vocalist, the former laid bare the other swarmed by harmonized loops. They're each entertaining and striking, mind you. But by and large, First Taste doesn't stray from Segall's safe place. It's theatrical in its aggression, kooky in its content.
While it starts off decently enough with 'Taste' (that's made all the better by its excellent music video), First Taste stumbles until 'When I Met My Parents Pt. 3,' wherein a strong four-song stretch rounds things out. 'Self Esteem' in particular is one of Segall's most ambitious cuts, forgoing Psychedelic Rock (sans his vocals) for some upbeat Progressive Rock that veers towards Krautrock. 'Radio' and 'Lone Cowboys' are both well-rounded as well, but do nothing more than balance out the ugly slogs of 'The Arms' and 'I Sing Them.' Greatly improves over Joy, not so much Freedom's Goblin.
C
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2019 | Thrash Metal | Listen
LOVECRAFTIAN MONSTROSITIES ON VENUS' ACRID SURFACE
Another tonal shift for King Gizzard, following the gaga Boogie Rock of Fishing For Fishies. Here, the Australian mega-outfit takes a hard detour towards Thrash Metal, a deviation as pronounced as 2017's jarring transition between Murder Of The Universe and Sketches Of Brunswick East. At this stage, with how much quality musicianship King Gizzard continues to drop, my interest lies solely on the genre at hand. Unfortunately that doesn't benefit Infest The Rats' Nest, for incessant Metal such as this rarely appeals to my senses, other than to arouse a categorical aroma I'd rather not investigate. It takes me, the listener, and King Gizzard back to their breakout LP Nonagon Infinity, except here the gimmick isn't as pronounced or provocative.
Am I disappointed? Not in the least. Until they start resting on their laurels, I'll continue to applaud King Gizzard with every distinct sonic Hellscape they muster. My experience with Metal is limited, to the point where commenting on the musical qualities of any specific Infest The Rats' Nest track would be insignificant and trivial. Truthfully all the songs feel awfully similar, composed with an impassive idea of manmade apocalypto. Stu Mackenzie's vocals are barbaric, devoid of anything but vile. And it works, likely making his presence Infest The Rats' Nest's best.
C-
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2019 | Conscious Hip-Hop | Listen
UPLIFTING THE STREETS WITH INTROSPECTIVE HOPEFULNESS
If one looked at non-collaboration projects, Blu's career has been neglected since 2014's Good To Be Home. However, fans of the Los Angeles native know that's anything but true, as ten projects - all with different producers or emcees - have been released since. Ground & Water, the second of his 2019 LP's, features production, scratching, and samples from Damu The Fudgemunk. His style is unobstructed and precise, cherishing the Boom Bap era Hip-Hop's left behind. Vintage, golden era Hip-Hop samples litter Ground & Water, giving Blu a sense of nostalgia and optimism that guides the LP's themes of confidence and idealism.
Unfortunately, as per usual with Blu, quantity trumps quality leaving the bulk of Ground & Water to be a stale bore incapable of offering anything new or substantial. The beats are nice, but prosaic and hellbent on traditions long since abandoned. In other words, they're unmemorable despite some, like 'Feet On The Ground' and 'Share The Love,' feeling like Exile outtakes. That is to say they fit Blu's mold well, which, in turn, causes the rapper to repose on his well-worn flows and lyrics. And as was the case with this year's A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night, the collection of featured artists (mostly appearing on the posse cut 'Beast Mode') feel as though they've been handpicked from the streets themselves. Their amateur status is apparent in how lackluster and prototypical their bars are..
D+
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At what point does one give up hope that Young Thug will never recapture the lightning in the bottle known as Slime Season 3? Because nothing he's done since has come close, with each ensuing record straying further from the light. The 19-track So Much Fun, predictably so, adds to that perpetual plight with 62 arduous minutes of mediocre Trap. From an artist who wears his intentions - that of fame and fortune, not artistry - on his frilly laced sleeves. Ironically, very little fun is to be had on So Much Fun with occasional glimpses of semi-solid ideas ('What's The Move,' 'Manniquin Challenge') dwarfed by the excessive bouts of depressive braggadocio that finds a man desperate for atonement. Tracks like 'Sup Mate,' 'Lil Baby,' 'I Bought Her,' 'Big Tipper,' 'Pussy,' and 'Boy Back' aren't just forgettable filler destined for, at best, a street-issued mixtape from an amateur wannabe, they're abominable hokums from an artist who's clueless on the art of making sound pleasurable.
Not to mention some other meritable moments, the most frustrating of which is 'Light It Up' and 'Surf,' become marred by Young Thug's transparent indolence. Each of those tracks, set back to back on So Much Fun, feature identifiable beats one can easily vibe to, only to have them ruined by monotonous hooks that do nothing but repeat the titles ad nauseam. Not to mention some of So Much Fun's best like 'Surf' and 'Mannequin Challenge' are both inspired by Lil Yachty's summertime jubilance, while the comical tonal shift of closer 'The London' sees Young Thug clinging to the Travis Scott bump, even if it means outright neglecting his own methodology. Also shame on J. Cole for taking part in that.
F+
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2019 | Conscious Hip-Hop | Listen
A LOST RAPPER STUMPED BY HIS OWN IDENTITY
By and large, YBN Cordae's The Lost Boy is a good album. It has all the makings of a respectable debut that musters both versatility and awareness, with an emcee whose personality - both large and small - shines. However, Cordae's biggest setback is his lack of ingenuity, assimilating an army of influencers that suffocates whatever clear character traits he once had. The most prominent of which is J. Cole, which is pardonable given his Raleigh, North Carolina roots. Though Cordae's original claim to fame, a misguided response to Cole's '1985,' was dubious at best. However, the echo of a laundry list of relevant emcees can be heard throughout the entirety of Lost Boy, whether it's Kendrick Lamar (especially the first half of 'Broke As Fuck' which bites 'HUMBLE' distinctly), Isaiah Rashad ('Thanksgiving'), Saba ('Wintertime'), J.I.D. ('Lost & Found'), or the two sides of Brockhampton ('Have Mercy,' 'Family Matters').
This goes without mentioning the artists actually featured on The Lost Boy who shape their respective songs so extensively that one could believe it came from their own catalogue. 'Bad Idea' with Chance The Rapper, 'RNP' with Anderson .Paak, and 'Nightmares Are Real' with Pusha T are the three clearcut examples of this. The lengths YBN Cordae goes to incite mimicry is so overwhelming that nothing else comes close to being The Lost Boy's most noteworthy component. All that being said, there's a reason his influencers are significant in modern day Hip-Hop and much of that translates here, with songs executing garden-variety introspection ('Thousand Words,' 'Been Around') and cordial shades of warmth ('Bad Idea,' 'Way Back Home') to cogent effect. The Acid Rap spiritualization 'Bad Idea' is The Lost Boy's best, with Cordae's flow-savvy charisma on closer 'Lost & Found' second. Oh, and a rare example of skits that actually contribute positively to a Hip-Hop record.
B-
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The number of current female emcees whose success has come entirely from their skill and not superfluous flaunting can be counted on one hand. Rapsody's one of them, first gaining notoriety on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, then solidifying it with one of 2017's best Hip-Hop records Laila's Wisdom. Here she returns with Eve, a similar evolution to Lamar, from personal stories of strife and tumult on good kid, m.A.A.d. city to societal commentary on race relations (To Pimp A Butterfly). While not nearly as ambitious, Rapsody paints an inspirited picture of what it means to be black and female in modern society. She inspires with topics ranging from appearance ('Tyra,' 'Iman') to respect ('Nina,' 'Afeni') to overcoming the odds ('Serena,' 'Sojourner'), using names of prominent black females as the basis for her interpretations.
Unfortunately, what Eve strives for in lending a conscious hand, it utterly lacks in the fun department. Even hand-crafted jams like 'Whoopi' and 'Michelle' feel artificial and unconvincing. While Rapsody's bars are mostly straightforward it's actually the production, which follows an explicit pattern of sampling one song per song, that draws thin quickly. In this sense, Eve is aggravatingly formulaic and constructed, with samples sparked from popular musicians like Phil Collins ('Cleo'), Erykah Badu ('Maya'), and Bjork ('Tyra'). There's numerous songs I like but only one I adore to the level of Laila's Wisdom's best like 'Pay Up' and 'Sassy,' and that's 'Hatshepsut' with a remarkable verse from Queen Latifah. The playful, early Kanye West-like piano beat helps 'Hatshepsut' stand out even more so.
C
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