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.
__________________________________________________________
Have I mentioned how much I love clipping.? I'm sure my reviews for Splendor & Misery, Wriggle, and CLPPNG, and my write-up for the latter, has at least hinted towards that. Unusual experimentation and imaginative storytelling puts them in a class of their own. Whereas Death Grips honors the former, MC Ride adheres to consistent darkness. Whereas Shabazz Palaces crafts atmospheric soundscapes, Ishmael Butler tumbles over endless abstraction. Daveed Diggs and company, all with years of theatrical experience, never shies away from cool, or uncool, Sci-Fi concepts. 'The Deep' is exactly that. Think of the opposite of Splendor & Misery's uncharted space exploration between a slave and unmanned programming system and you have 'The Deep,' a story of revolution during the penultimate battle being a subterranean country and the land dwellers who aim to take it over. Yeah, they're weird. But as should be noted, always fully conscious of Earth's current struggles, drawing analogies along the way. 'The Deep's' journey is a blast, with Diggs' free-flowing annunciation that feels like a successor to 'Dominoes,' and William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes' always fascinating production that borrows from the industry surrounding it. Funky, Detroit Techno sets the groove as Diggs' swanky, G-Funk rides the vibrations.
__________________________________________________________
At this point I'm convinced American Dream is going to be great, or, at the very least, on par with This Is Happening. However, that cover is atrocious. And yes, including the "I'm being ironic" way too. As should be expected with LCD Soundsystem, American Dream will be drowning in irony, sarcasm, and self-aware parody. 'Tonite' features it all. It's not as good as the two lead singles, 'American Dream' and 'Call The Police,' but guess what, 'Tonite' knows that. That's because James Murphy knows everything, and like the old man yelling at the cloud, 'Tonite's' condemnation of mainstream music is one his legion of hipster followers will eat up. Myself included. 'Tonite' is the anti-YOLO song, criticizing artists who continually make music for the moment and not for the long haul. Ironically, because LCD Soundsystem always has to be ironic, 'Tonite' pleasures itself with instantly gratifying behavior, including a highly repetitious beat that's reminiscent of their debut LP. All in all, it's a jolly good spin down memory lane for those who latched onto Murphy's harsh judgements with 'Losing My Edge.'
__________________________________________________________
If the Cozy Tapes become a yearly thing I'll be satisfied. That is, until around the third year or so, when boredom sets in. Reminiscent of Run The Jewels' yearly onslaught, the A$AP Mob's new release schedule may work in their favor as a way to draw continued attention to the group, through banger-heavy cuts and a slew of trendsetting features. Surprisingly, neither is featured on 'Feels So Good,' a slow-burner that's dark and moody rather than upfront and forceful. And with Rocky, Ferg, Nast, Twelvyy, and Ant in tow, there isn't a single non-A$AP member around. A posse cut that's also well in-tune with conscious beat shifting and diabolical verses, 'Feels So Good' succeeds in drawing in curious attention. It isn't typical, apart from the lyrics which totally are. If the track's aura, album's cover, music video's antiquation are any indication, the A$AP Mob's posing themselves as 90's Hardcore Hip-Hop rectifiers. It'll be interesting to see how far they go.
__________________________________________________________
'War Is Coming' makes me feel bad, and that's the point. Last November, my limit had been reached. Donald Trump was elected president, I had just left two years working for local news, and I was thoroughly exhausted. Since then, politics only enter my consciousness when forced upon me (thanks Facebook feed), so the basics are all I know. On 'War Is Coming,' Car Seat Headrest directly calls out those like me, seeing the news and changing the channel (I don't even have cable anymore, that's how burnt I was). If we're being honest, with the single's quality, Toledo's not changing my outlook anytime soon. That seems to be the case with 90% of politically-motivated one-offs now-a-days. At the very least, Toledo seems concerned and not self-serving. Although the line "now is the time to throw the screenplays aside" is questionable to say the least, considering Toledo's actions are making music. The backbone is anthemic and unifying, working through light Power Pop that leans scarily close to 90's Adult Contemporary with the minimal, bouncing synths. A positive message sure, but one that doesn't bring me much pleasure.
__________________________________________________________
Brockhampton's rollercoaster summer continues with 'Junky,' and will end on August 25th with Saturation 2. I suspect by that time think pieces about their abrupt rise and arrant domination will filter through numerous publications. It really is a curious spectacle. However, the mass of singles being released has produced shaky ground for the group to stand on. Last week's 'Swamp' was abysmal, featuring the worst aspects of Brockhampton's single-centric line of thinking. I outlined then that nothing, apart from Kevin Abstract's verse, was redeemable. And now, with 'Junky,' even that is arguable. Why? Because 'Junky,' apart from Merlyn's verse, is superb. Right off the bat, Kevin proves why he's the leader, turning in one of his best verses yet, even though comparisons can clearly be drawn to Tyler, The Creator. The lack of a formal hook helps 'Junky' separate itself from the drawl that has been Saturation 2's lead-up, as both 'Swamp' and 'Gummy' felt too conventional. The erratic, borderline experimental beat helps with that as well, prominently using some foreign strings to create tension and uneasiness.
__________________________________________________________
For those unaware, KMD is an under-appreciated Jazz Rap and Boom Bap group from the early 90's. Their legacy, however, lies solely on the shoulders of one of its founding members; MF DOOM, known then as Zev Love X, and yes, without the mask. As part of a DOOM-centric series, Adult Swim has released a re-mastered version of 'True Lightyears,' a previously unreleased KMD song that features, wait for it, Jay Electronica. Unfortunately, it also features a flute. A flute so unbearable that no one in their right mind could release 'True Lightyears' as a finished product without laughing at the torment it'll cause the listener. This rivals comic levels of trolling, a KMD song featuring two of Hip-Hop's most enigmatic figures revealing verses they've had stashed away, only to be thwarted by an insistent flute that sounds as if it's being played by a child. It is so loud, irritating, and annoying, to the point where I had to stop 'True Lightyears' multiple times just to get my head screwed back on. If you're able to move past the flute (I'm not), you're in for a treat as both Jay Electronica and DOOM's verses run right up their repetitive alley-ways. It's just unfortunate there's no way to enjoy their lyrical talent without having your ears bleed in the process.
__________________________________________________________
13 is something else. My review will be released later in the week, but let's just say Denzel Curry proved to me his inherent talents, something Imperial failed to showcase. With 'Skywalker,' it's more clear as to why. Not many rappers, especially in the oversaturated Trap era, can reduce their effort and come up with a greater body of work, but that's exactly what Curry achieved on 13. Blistering, experimental, and unrefined, the barebones lunacy displayed there was only possible when an artist takes a step back and doesn't obsess over the finer details. With 'Skywalker,' Curry does, reverting back to his craft, choosing finesse over emotion. 'Skywalker' aims its sights on Trap and Southern Hip-Hop, failing to distance itself from either in any meaningful way. The hook is enjoyable, but unlike Curry's primal rage bubbling underneath. The Chopped N' Screwed screaming towards the end is a pleasant surprise, but overall the overproduced cut fails to make an impact like 13 does.
__________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment