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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Poison Season, Destroyer's 2015 effort, was a classic case of good but forgettable. I rated it favorably, thought it was fun and modish in the moment, but then never, ever went back to it. Dan Bejar's vocals are so damn crisp, refined to the point of parody, that imagining him in any other place than an upper-middle class NYC art gallery would be unnatural. That's to say, I've learned to be cautious with his material. Even standout tracks like 'Dream Lover' or Kaputt's 'Bay Of Pigs' spurn the concept of replayability, working well with one mood and one mood only. So, with that in mind, how do I feel about 'Sky's Grey,' the first single from Ken? It's good, but sturdy reservation is held. Destroyer cliches run amok, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't chuckle at Bejar's parched opening line. For the bulk of 'Sky's Grey,' Destroyer plays the role of Destroyer, seeping deeper into the stereotype, only bending at the cost of introducing an Art Pop edge that, ironically, makes the stereotype even stronger. All that negativity doesn't discredit the goodness we find here, it's just that I've been through this with Bejar before, and 'Sky's Grey' doesn't try to prove me wrong.
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If Still Striving wasn't being released by Ferg and reviewed by me next week, I can definitively state that I'd never listen to 'Nasty (Who Dat)' again. The Migos effect, what was once a semi-promising Trap group who excelled individually during prime feature real estate, has grown incrementally sour, to the point where everything they're apart of sounds exactly like everything else. However, the curious case of 'Nasty' finds Migos at the top of the song's peking order. That isn't saying much, being that the song is terrible and all, but it is proof of Ferg's immeasurable ineptitude here. 'Nasty' works as solid evidence of Trap's laissez faire attitude, simply piecing together low level, jargonistic boasts without a care in the world for the product you're putting out there. No one can create the hook found on 'Nasty' and think to themselves; "yeah, this is good." Obnoxious and irritating would be describing it lightly, as Ferg's autotune-scrapped whining proves instantly unlistenable. Suffering isn't something I find enjoyable, so while I endured to discover any hidden treasures in 'Nasty' (there isn't), listening again would be the last thing on my to-do list.
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These guys sure know how to grab ahold of the spotlight huh? Last week, the self-described boy band released 'Gummy,' less than a summer removed from dropping Saturation and that album's litany of music video-assisted singles. And now the process beings anew, with Saturation 2 clearly on the way. Problem being, Brockhampton's single-driven predictability is quickly running dry, 'Swamp' being the weakest effort thus far, at least in contention with 'Boys.' If it wasn't for Saturation's diverse, deep cut taste-making, something the singles didn't hint at, serious concern would set in. Nothing, apart from Dom McLennon's tongue-twisting, lyrically-focused verse, impresses here. The two-sided hook shared by Kevin Abstract and Matt Champion reveals the group's lackadaisical, no idea left behind approach. It's weak, purposely annoying, and overly repetitive. While Abstract's verse is fair, as pro bono, Merlyn's and especially JOBA's is not. The former gets by only because his part in the music video is entertaining, the latter fails wholeheartedly. His rapping is achingly derivative of hyperactive emcees like Tech N9ne, heightened by his crazed eyes acting in the video.
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The age of the emoji is upon us, and even the most respected of artists are succumbing to the self-gratifying pleasures of igniting eye-roll curiosity amongst fans (I'm talking to you, Bon Iver). Well, Four Tet has just joined the group, releasing whatever the hell you want to call this song, on a Spotify playlist overrun planet emojis and nondescript symbols. Even the artist the song here henceforth known as '- ҉' was made by, ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ, a collection of meaningless jargon too. So yes, while '- ҉' isn't theoretically under the Four Tet pseudonym, it's clear from the instant the compact percussion loops over middle eastern strings and vocals that Four Tet is the man behind the creation. Just a few weeks ago, when Kieran Hebden dropped 'Planet,' I spoke about the man's idiosyncratic approach to beatmaking, something superbly on display here as the man's name, or any name, is nowhere to be seen, yet his style is felt immensely. The song itself another expectation, with a similar structure to 'Planet,' the distinction occurs when the puzzle piece vocals emerge. '- ҉' is a solid Dance track, but like Four Tet's recent releases, it merely stays the course instead of elevating above it.
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Some time ago, I forget when exactly, The National's Boxer made it onto my premium-less Spotify account. Praise was abound, which is why the few listens I gave of it left me thoroughly disappointed. 'Fake Empire' was a strong opening, but the posh chic of mainlined Indie Rock that controlled the album was so bland that remembering a single second would be impractical. The lead single of Sleep Well Beast, 'The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,' failed to change matters, ushering in yet another conventional style that wore dry a decade ago. But then 'Guilty Party' inverted the movement, proving that The National's style could work, and work extremely well, given a beating heart of tangible emotion. While not as significant, 'Carin At The Liquor Store' tends to that same ideology, prominently buzzing with a operatic piano medley that ascends by the end with some seething, noise-drenched guitars. It's still Indie Rock by the books, but the quality has been raised.
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Not that I expected much out of Desiigner, but the man did provide us with 'Panda' and 'Tiimmy Turner,' two excellent, new age Trap cuts. But as this week showed us with the misery that was A$AP Ferg's 'Nasty,' the genre has grown quite fond of submitting dreadful music without a care for quality. 'Arms' joins that race. Being a single to Desiigner's upcoming debut LP Life Of Desiigner is unlikely, but the proper artwork and worldwide release aims to declare 'Arms' bigger than what it actually is. This song is utter garbage. Whereas 'Nasty' was more annoying, 'Arms' is more pathetic. Each beg the question: "Why did you release this?" Nothing about 'Arms' earns a spotlight, failing to rise above any no-name Soundcloud rapper who won't earn recognition because they're not talented enough. The hook is lazy and pesky, Desiigner's energy almost nonexistent, his flow stale and unimpressive, and the production is about as low quality as one can muster. The synths, which are 'Arms'' primary ingredient, sloppily meander in and out of existence, with a muddy aura that gives off the perception it doesn't want to be there. The percussion, too, is lifeless and tacked on, doing absolutely nothing original with the space its been given.
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