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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2020 | Trap Metal | Listen
NEFARIOUS GANG SHIT UNDER A FULL MOON
While it's far from an official project - mustering a mere 13 minutes, equip with that ripped from Soundcloud aesthetic - 13lood 1n + 13lood Out Mixx reaffirms Denzel Curry's commitment to Hardcore Hip-Hop's unorthodox underbelly. The rise in fame clearly hasn't worn Curry's energy down, as 13lood 1n ignites a fire under the Florida emcee who spends these eight songs - apart from the melodramatic armistice 'PXSH6XD SHXT' - violently berating the listener with rap battle-esque punches. The production, infused with equal parts Trap, Hardcore Hip-Hop, and Memphis Rap, recalls Curry's work with Lil Ugly Mane. While it's not as visceral or groundbreaking as 13, 13lood 1n will satiate any mouths foaming for Curry's return of heinous machismo after the artful TA13OO and the slick ZUU. No particular standouts, though the opening beat of 'Intro' is filthy and the punctual abrasiveness of 'Gogeta' happen to be my favorites. Definite comparisons to City Morgue, unsurprisingly, too.
C
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You needn’t look further than the title of Circus’ opening track to see if Mick Jenkins has changed. Newsflash: He hasn’t. ‘Same Ol’ is evidence enough, not only of Jenkins’ stagnation lost amidst a fractured Chicago scene, but also the emcee’s seeming contentment with that. Once a budding star capable of merging intellectual lyrics with an intimidating front - as we saw on his debut mixtape The Water[s] - in recent years Jenkins has grown stale with an arid compound of ideas that never amount to much. Like with his recent projects - Pieces Of A Man and the twin EP pairing of Or More - Jenkins flexes pseudo-conscious sniveling over prosaic production that's constantly unsure of whether it wants to remain devoted to Jenkins' brand or branch out into formulaic Trap. The indecisive is what kills Circus.
I suppose much of the problem with Circus is how dated it sounds. Evolution is hard to come by when comparing it to 2014's Water[s]. Songs like 'Carefree' and 'The Fit' could assimilate into that tracklist without anyone batting an eyelash, swimming in Jenkins' marked, nautical Jazz Rap. This time around, no matter how lush and intoxicating the sound, the effect has worn off. Like an alcoholic becoming all too accustomed to the reaction of inebriation. Hence the subtle shift towards Trap, with scattered hi-hats and a gloomy bass endowing songs like 'Same Ol' and 'Flaunt.' The latter, my personal favorite for Jenkins' gritty flows and confident demeanor. How he entwines with the beat is all too natural and showcases his inert talents as an emcee. Lyrically not so much, as 'Flaunt' - much like the rest of Circus - offers nothing new or provocative to a Hip-Hop scene consumed by such displays of braggadocio. Only 'The Light,' with a surprisingly textured verse from Johnny Venus of EarthGang, strays from Jenkins' norm, sounding more like a deep cut from ATLiens with its Southern, conscious blend.
All in all, Circus is yet another in a long line of releases from Mick Jenkins to cement his legacy as a mediocre player eager to be forgotten. It's not bad, it's not good. It's just there. Instead of graciously walking a step behind the competition, to reignite a stalling career Jenkins needs to stray from the beaten path. That might come another day, for Circus is not it.
D+
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I first listened as a joke. I came away a fan. From carefully-crafted viral sensation using her namesake to impose a brand identity, to genre-bending Pop futurist accepting the amalgamation of the Internet age with tenacity. Yes, Poppy's declaration that I Disagree is "post-genre" carries a great deal of pretentiousness. But it's also, realistically-speaking, not far from the truth as antithetical genres fight tooth and nail for total domination. Like the melting pot of humanity, forever becoming mixed and ambiguous. Opening 'Concrete' is the best, most ludicrous example of Poppy's ambitious deterioration of music's unsung rules. In three and a half minutes she boomerangs from Alternative Metal to Twee Pop, Electro-Industrial to Country. Elongated on their own to a full-length song, each section would likely suffer from narcissistic bush-league, as Poppy's extremist goals are nothing if not kitschy and garish. Subtlety, I Disagree has none of. But it's that reckless mettle, mixed in with Poppy's universal Pop tendencies, that induce I Disagree's success. It's bold, brash, and absurd. All the right characteristics for a newfangled star.
I Disagree's one weakness lies in the assertion it's unable to bear, as the first four songs - from 'Concrete' to 'Anything Like Me' - are the album's best offerings. With fifth and sixth place being the tandem closer of 'Sick Of The Sun' and 'Don't Go Outside,' leaving four weak efforts in the middle that don't expand or innovate but merely try to replicate. The only distinction in this run is 'Nothing I Need,' which hastily inserts a Neo-Psychedelia fold that's not all too unlike Tame Impala or Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It doesn't work amidst the polarizing chaos, as its "normal" status feels shoehorned rather than complimentary.
Other than that, Poppy comes with a vengeance. That's best seen on the stellar 'BLOODMONEY,' a ravenous Electro-Industrial cut that, given her popularity, I can see providing the basis of modern Electropop's next evolution. This song, and 'Concrete' at its most rabid, bear resemblance to BABYMETAL. In fact much of Poppy's aesthetic does, with the external purity giving way to internal torment. Like Poppy in the music video, 'BLOODMONEY's' chorus could go toe-to-toe with any modern Pop hit. It is hysterically provocative and instantly recognizable. If not for the controversial lyrics and shock n' awe inclination I could see 'BLOODMONEY' controlling the radio waves. Same goes for 'Anything Like Me,' with its cattish vainglory that reminds me of Azealia Banks' '212.'
Finally, praise needs to be given to Poppy's handling of the content. Especially when 'Don't Go Outside' rolls around, since her fatalistic personality wouldn't play well outside of nihilistic communities. With that song, and the gorgeous interpolated medley of 'Concrete,' 'I Disagree,' and 'Fill The Crown,' Poppy provides a glimmer of hope and optimism that the music itself seemingly condemns. As the recurring theme of being buried in concrete plays on loop, so does the heralding cry that "you can be anyone you want to be." It's cliche yes, and truthfully the imagery of "turn me into a street" works way better, but that mental duel between right and wrong, good and evil, works wonders on I Disagree; An album that, by its very admission in the title, is destined to assure conflict.
B
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