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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The sorrowful story of The Social Experiment's quiet downfall is one massive what if for modern day Hip-Hop. We're in the Trap era right now, and were when Chance The Rapper dropped 2016's Coloring Book, however one can gleam that had the likes of Chance, Saba, Noname, Jamila Woods, and every Social Experiment member consistently put out projects to strengthen their peachy, Juke craft, Hip-Hop's current predominant style may have been singing a different tune. It seems like ages ago when the collective united on the powerful Surf, with this week, through Peter CottonTale's 'Forever Always,' acting as a short-lived reminiscent period. That bracing Chicago charm beams through 'Forever Always,' a tranquil and chipper romp around the love of music. CottonTale's autotune vocals - that bear resemblance to Frank Ocean's work on Blonde - start the single off on a shaky foundation, but that's nothing new for The Social Experiment member who grew familiar with redeeming potentially corny moments. With Chance's tip-toeing verse, Daniel Caesar's heartfelt hook, and the Rex Orange County's Gospel recital, 'Forever Always' eventually blossoms into that shimmering Juke experience we, as a Hip-Hop community, desperately miss.
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There's few artists that skirt the edges of Indie and mainstream greater than Florence + The Machine. Her music, at its heart, is pure Art and Chamber Pop. Not the type of music one likens to widespread appeal, especially in the modern age. Yet, if singers like Lorde or Lana Del Rey have taught us anything, it's that a niche always exists. Florence's most recent album, 2015's How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, struggled to maintain my interest after a heaping of overly theatrical melodrama swallowed the project's artistic crevices. However, the lead single to High As Hope presents a more refined approach. Of course, Florence's operatic vocals still a key cog in the gear spooling of 'Big God,' but surrounding her is limited, yet poignant instrumentation that relies on minimalism to capture the peaks. Similarities can be drawn to Son Lux's work, as silence permeates 'Big God' greater than any single sound. Better yet, the production eschews what would've been desirable set pieces in favor of subtle, artsy quips, as electrical glitches manifest around a tinkering of percussion. Even Florence branches out towards the end, croaking in a low-toned gargle like Avant-Garde singer Jenny Hval or, lofty enough, Bjork.
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DOOM's career has been one that's both unprecedented and unpredictable. Take 2018 for example. After years of silence following years of overflow DOOM returned alongside Czarface, the masked trio who were directly inspired by the enigmatic rapper's cartoonish work. However, Czarface Meets Metal Face wasn't the only project stewing for DOOM, as DJ Muggs announced a limited edition EP with 'Death Wish' acting as lead single. Freddie Gibbs joins the ill-behaved tandem over a beat crafted within the clouds of a smoked out basement. In terms of noticeability, Muggs' production outlasts both DOOM and Gibbs with its underlying sneer and near-drumless concoction. Not only do the dim and cold avenues of 'Death Wish' stray heavily from the summertime in which it was released, it also bears no resemblance to 7L's colorful Boom Bap world DOOM previously dabbled in. This investigation into variations may awaken the noticeably tired DOOM from settling down in Boom Bap, despite the wobbly flows both he and Gibbs present whilst trying to tackle this conundrum of a beat.
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Last year Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire released Brainiac, yet another varied and incomplete project that found the Brooklyn emcee scrambling for relevance with all his underground contemporaries either falling by the wayside or climbing up ahead of him. Suffice to say, Brainiac didn't move the needle, which explains '360 WAV;' A pure Trap cut that checks off each and every cliche in an unmistakable attempt to fasten itself to coattails. eXquire's sloppy vocals have always sounded best over grimy beats that felt both conscious and street-wise. '360 WAV' does feature an ominous mood, one that the rapper rifles through comfortably, but there's no mistaking those Trap hi-hats, senseless ab-libs, and flex-worthy bars. Speaking of bars, there's a strikingly questionable one that sparks up at the end of eXquire's sole verse: "Damn my ass so big I'm scared to pull out my dick / Niggas get so big I need an extra hand for this shit / So many niggas on my dick, I need an extra dick for my dick." What? Nothing more disappointing than rappers cheapening their tactics when they've proven capable of so much more.
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After lead single 'Overthrown' many were expecting yet another transformation from John Dwyer and his Rock circus now known as Oh Sees. The high-paced, high-energy romp substituted the psychedelics of their last LP Orc with brutal and unabashed Metal. However, glancing over the tracklist for the upcoming Smote Reverser and one will see 'Overthrown' existing as the shortest track, with some eclipsing six minutes, one ('Anthemic Aggressor') stretching past twelve. The attractive Speed Metal doesn't work over an hour-long duration, so secondary single 'C' paints a more accurate picture. The drum-oriented romp finds Dwyer's vocals comfortably behind hazy modification a la Orc, or even Stu Mackenzie's fuzzy abstractions as part of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Where 'C' branches itself out comes in the vocal-less chorus however, one that welcomes a guitar riff mimicking a horn section that's not at all unlike the riotous early stages of Rock N' Roll. Unfortunately, the four minutes drag with every return to Dwyer's dallying verses. He never strays from the same sound, same style, even the same lyrics.
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During the same month G.O.O.D. Music released seven-track albums devoid of singles, big names like Death Grips and Gorillaz have oversaturated their respective markets with a trove of singles ahead of the official release. Virtually half of Year Of The Snitch dropped beforehand, and now the same could be said for The Now Now as 'Hollywood' marks the fifth single on the eleven-track LP. By all accounts, it'll be their least eventful, least impressive album yet. Much like The Fall, another tour-curated album that received mixed reviews, The Now Now shouldn't be concerned with an apathetic response. Truth be told, every single, in some respect and some capacity, has been boring, forgettable, and unstylish. 'Hollywood' may be the most egregious yet, eclipsing last week's 'Fire Flies.' The primary difference lies in intent. Whereas 'Fire Flies' aimed for a more subdued, Albarn-led slow-burner, 'Hollywood' wants to excite, entertain, and jive. It achieves none of that, feeling horribly dated with the aged Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle doing his worst George Clinton impersonation. Much like Arcade Fire's recent blunder Everything Now, 'Hollywood' feels like the work of out-of-touch stars begging for relevance.
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