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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No matter the outcome, I knew listening to this would be fun. A few months back I gave The Smiths a shot. Initially hesitant and disappointed, their stock grew on me with every repeated listen. The Queen Is Dead deserves all the acclaim it so rightfully received. As for the other albums, well, standouts were apparent across the board, just not overwhelming enough to compete with their masterpiece. Nonetheless, Morrissey's lengthy solo career, one still going strong to this day, has never been of interest to me. But with this? A new album with a ridiculous cover and lead single hilariously titled 'Spent The Day In Bed?' I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Having no context for how Morrissey got to this point, hearing that pitiful keyboard medley kickstart the track, delusion and being out of touch were the only descriptions coming to mind on 'Spent The Day In Bed.' That, and the fact that lyrically the single goes all over the place, to the point where I'm entirely unsure of Morrissey's actual message. Surprisingly, his vocals have held up fairly well over the years, sounding somewhat similar to Sam Herring of Future Islands. Problem being, the production on 'Spent The Day In Bed' is noticeably bad and overblown, conjoining the worst aspects of half a dozen Pop and Rock subgenres.
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This past Friday, Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom dropped. I haven't yet had the time to listen, but ever since 'Pain' dropped in the summer, my hype and hope has been unusually high. The song, disappointingly not on the record, still floors me with stunning poignancy and a political viciousness that only her frequent collaborator Kendrick Lamar, and Run The Jewels, possess. Speaking of the former, he appears on 'Power,' a single that also features another TDE artist Lance Skiiiwalker. Right off the bat, 'Power' borrows from the Soul and Jazz of the early 60's, while combining the conscious street Rap of the early 90's with that of the D.A.I.S.Y. Age. Sound familiar? Her last collaboration with Kendrick is a hint. While not as flooring, vicious, or demonstrative as 'Pain,' 'Power' still succeeds by echoing Hip-Hop artistry whilst keeping lyrics intact. As seen here though, Rapsody has a habit of slacking in the charisma department, something Lamar corrects by the end of his verse, which admittedly turns quite odd into Reggae Rap a la Sean Paul's Dutty Rock. Never thought I'd have those two in the same sentence. Nevertheless, 'Power' further proves Rapsody as Lamar's female heir. Even the black love and appreciation gets carried over from 'Complexion (A Zulu Love).'
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Declaring 'Blue Pill' as a fresh loosie would be inaccurate. Hell, even stating it to be a 2017 single would be wrong. That's because, according to Travis Scott himself, 'Blue Pill' was recorded, or written, the same night of 'Maria I'm Drunk.' For those not familiar, that song was featured on 2015's Rodeo, one of modern Trap's best albums. After applying some simple math, that means 'Blue Pill' is over two years old. Knowing Scott's downward spiral since then, one that parallels the genre's own descent, makes 'Blue Pill' a Trap loosie worth listening to. While it doesn't excel on the same level as '90210,' 'Oh My Dis Side,' or '3500,' the Metro Boomin-produced cut exceeds the majority of Scott's disappointing Birds In The Trap. Thanks to one simple reason; the atmosphere. Likely due to Metro Boomin, there is a heavy-hand of obtuse Trap with an overemphasis on bass, but Scott's vocals are as slimy and grimy as ever. Once again, the Kid Cudi influence is strong, as if the Pop rapper himself transitioned effortlessly into the Trap era. Put simply, 'Blue Pill' captures Scott on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough. It was efforts like this that made him a household name, not the material that came because of it.
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A few weeks back, when Injury Reserve dropped 'North Pole,' I had no choice but to mention Brockhampton and their confounding rise in popularity. This, due to the fact that both groups share a similar style, each influenced from Odd Future's diverse skill set. With 'See You Sweat,' I aimed to not mention the Saturation-creating group, but once again the aesthetic similarities are apparent. With a slow groove and hazy atmosphere, 'North Pole's' Alternative R&B bore resemblance to the ensemble of late Saturation cuts, while now 'See You Sweat' pounces on the dance floor with an attempt at a Rap-centric banger. The sirens, hollowed drums, and street-wise slang draw from the Hyphy and Hip House scene of LA's not-so distant past. On its own, 'See You Sweat' is a solid hype track that'll satisfy Injury Reserve's original fans when cuts like 'Everybody Knows' and 'Wow,' or more recently, Floss' 'Oh Shit' and 'All This Money.' For me, my tastes lie, much like Brockhampton, in their deep cuts. That's where you'll find the sound of 'North Pole.' The fact that it was the lead single to the upcoming EP Drive It Like It's Stolen surprising.
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Much like Four Tet, Burial, Hudson Mohawke, Caribou, Tycho, or the litany of other Electronic artists with their own identity, Emancipator's music can be heard and recognized from a mile away. Not surprisingly, the success and critical acclaim of those listed above coincide with how adept they are at distancing themselves from their foundation, all whilst maintaining their style along the way. His debut, Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, provided a fresh sound in the late 2000's with his brand of nature-abiding Downtempo. Then, he changed the scene without changing the music. Then, he did it again. Then, he did it again. Even to this day, Emancipator struggles to escape his shadow, his foundation. That may be why 'Goodness,' the latest single from his upcoming LP Baralku, succeeds, despite the production trailing behind. Don't get me wrong, the Emancipator characteristics are still present, whether it be the overt warmth, the chopped chipmunk vocals, or the occasional violin, 'Goodness' has those identifiers. But for the first time in years, Emancipator has created a song that doesn't entirely sound like Emancipator doing Emancipator. All that being said, the praise of a potential new beginning, there isn't really anything special about 'Goodness.' It's just good.
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It's quite telling of Young Thug's swift decline in intrigue that the reason I only held a lick of interest in 'Liger' was because of Carnage's production. A producer, mind you, whose catalogue doesn't run deep, and whose sole grade-A Trap contribution was the banger 'Mase In 95' with Lil Yachty. God, I love that song. Due to Trap's enormity and carelessness in regards to releases, one year for the genre feels like five. Simply thinking back to 2016, when 'Mase In 95' released, along with Lil Yachty's excellent Lil Boat and Young Thug's lightning in a bottle Slime Season 3, and witnessing the quality drop significantly since then has been disappointing. 'Liger' is telling. Seemingly, as the months pass, Trap artists, producers and rappers alike, are trying to one-up each other to see who can be the most annoying. A byproduct, I'm aware, of Lil Yachty and D.R.A.M.'s 'Broccoli.' Carnage struggles on 'Liger' to capture a sound that's both intriguing and enjoyable, while Young Thug continues down his treacherous road of being unintelligible. Not that actually being able to decipher his lyrics would be any better, slimy sexual gratification is all you'll fine.
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