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 | Progressive Electronic | Listen
DRIFTING INTO THE VOID WITH A HAND TO HOLD
So it seems, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has found herself in the reformative New Age movement that has burgeoned over the past couple years, what with middle-aged, middle class white women concerning themselves with spirituality and meditation. At times, The Mosaic Of Transformation nears parody, as the album's peaceful, polyphonic pieces work as a sort of educational course on tuning yourself to the frequency of nature. It's odd that, for such an understated album which is a far cry from EARS and The Kid, Mosaic incurs a sense of propagandized telepathy. Twice the length and I'd almost start to convince myself of its values. Alas, Smith's latest project dives too deep in aesthetic, alienating an audience not in-tune with their corporeal states. As always, her passages flow nicely between the breaths, but rarely - if ever - capitalize on a teetering patience with something daunting. Even the ten-minute 'Expanding Electricity' never actually expands, as it finds itself lost amongst a myriad of tacky New Age parameters with no intention of grounding itself. And that's ultimately the best track here.
D+
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2020 | Hardcore Hip-Hop | Listen
STANDING ATOP A BURNING SQUAD CAR, FIST RAISED HIGH
Why'd I ever doubt Run The Jewels? El-P hasn't made a subpar project in his life, for Killer Mike it's been over a decade. Something in the interim between Run The Jewels 3 and today caused concerns to rise for no sensible reason. The bulk of which can be attributed to burnout, a sort of fatigue spurred by RTJ's constant presence and, admittedly, predictable modes of conduct. The latter, still as prevailing as ever on Run The Jewels 4, though the cruciality in timing helps to fuel their always-persistent sense of urgency. 2020 needs an album like this, even if the political overtones don't extend through every song. The curb stomp aggression, delirious pacing, and cautious appeal towards mainstream crowds helps RTJ4 achieve success. Yet again, their track record remains uncompromised.
If there's ever a candidate for strongest "shuffle" artist, it would be Run The Jewels. From the get-go, the duo's style and tenacity has never wavered or been called into question, much like their quality that combats every subtle dip with a heavy-hitter that reels you back in. As with its predecessors, RTJ4 abides by those same principles. Typically one to dislike stagnation in art, one truth can't be denied: Quality trumps all, and El-P and Killer Mike have it in abundance. 'Yankee & The Brave,' 'Out Of Sight,' 'Holy Calamafuck,' 'Walking In The Snow,' and 'A Few World For The Firing Squad' are all excellent contributions that straddle the line between nonsense bangers and political protest anthems. The last two are RTJ4's best for precisely the latter reason, as Killer Mike contributes two of his best verses that lay the hammer down with heart and resolve at just the right time in American history. Better yet, with their history denouncing racial injustice and heralding systemic upheaval in check, these efforts don't come off as pandering or propagandized. 'Walking In The Snow' would've existed with or without George Floyd's death.
As always, there are some lulls that are pried away from detracting the whole. Namely, the three-track run of 'JU$T,' 'Never Look Back,' and 'The Ground Below.' The latter two for their relative reverence, the former for its message comes across as obtuse and misguided. Especially with a capitalist sage such as Pharrell Williams at the helm, the poignancy feels a tad insincere. Oddly enough, despite moderately enjoying it as a single, 'Ooh La La' has actually grown off me too, as the insistent chorus can only be appreciated for so long before the temptation of hitting next grows too strong. Still, reasonable mares aside, RTJ4 proves the worth of Run The Jewels, especially at a time when Hip-Hop is lacking in fortitude. Vivacious production from El-P that, once again, represents the cream of the crop, along with lyrical punch after punch that displays wit, emotion, and candor. What else could you ask for?
B+
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2020 | Gangsta Rap | Listen
INNER-CITY STRIFE GLORIFIED ON THE SILVER SCREEN
If Freddie Gibbs' patterns of success weren't obvious before, they damn sure are now. What exactly am I referring to? Well, the quality and coherency of the producer, of course. Without a dedicated beat-maker carrying out Gibbs' vision of Scarface-esque ghetto stories, the Indiana rapper falters under added weight. Think Freddie, Shadow Of A Doubt, or any of his early mixtapes. The burden can't be his to carry alone, as Alfredo once again shows his limitations as a finesse rapper with trifling redundancies in language and prose. Much like his collaborations with Madlib, Piñata and Bandana, Gibbs is not the primary attraction. He's merely the facilitator of imagery, imagery that's predictable and overwrought in Hip-Hop.
The real showcase here is Alchemist, with his sly, under-the-table roguery and cinematically-paced, Blaxploitation-style cultivation. Spliced film samples, rather recurrently, string each song together, adding to Alfredo's vengeful allure, favoring graphic grandeur over realistic portrayals of street life. Nevertheless, his work shines on cuts like '1985,' 'Frank Lucas,' and 'All Glass,' as I'm reminded of Kenny Segal's vicious, guitar-laced work with Billy Woods on Hiding Places. Alchemist brandishes diversity as well, with standouts like 'Something To Rap About' - featuring a lengthy, serpentine verse from Tyler, The Creator, the album's best - and 'Babies & Fools' taking a more laid back approach that really captures the essence of confident superiority. On Alfredo, Alchemist is the showcase. Gibbs plays it safe, passing each recursive line with diminishing passion and persistence. Tyler, Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, Rick Ross, all surprise him with their respective verses. There could be a line, a bar, hell an entire stanza, ripped from an underplayed mixtape of Gibbs' from nigh-on a decade ago inserted here and one wouldn't be able to tell the difference. A legend in the streets, through and through, without the inclining to depart.
C
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Two things spurred my growing interest in græ; The sheer ambition of a double LP and the aggressive tonal shift of Sumney's 2018 EP Black In Deep Red, 2014. Songs like 'Rank & File' proved the singer was capable of more than quivering romantics and tormented discussions of identity, much like one of his idols D'Angelo. Regrettably so, græ returns to that lachrymose safe zone for an enduring 65 minutes, saving itself from brutal ennui with sparks and flashing that are too few and far between.
On græ, Moses Sumney seeps even further into the woven silk of his ipseity, self-actualizing through the recurring topic of isolation. It's a sound prospect to divulge with commentary, the idea of feeling stranded despite being surrounded by fans and loved ones, but the execution tethers too boldly to the doldrums brought on by such ideology. Tracks like 'Two Dogs,' 'Bystanders,' 'Keeps Me Alive,' and 'Lucky Me' come and go without so much as a wimper, as Sumney travels inwards to Singer/Songwriter obstinacy accompanied only by the occasional string ensemble. I'm reminded of Perfume Genius' lackluster deep cuts off No Shape or Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, except, in this case, expanded out to the length of an entire album. Given those four aforementioned cuts all lie on the second disc, it's no surprise that preference lies on the first. However, græ's two best cuts, 'Me In 20 Years' and 'Bless Me,' appear in the back half, with the latter being the only moment of transcendence I'd consider great, with a monumental Psychedelic Soul climax complete with an eager choir.
Despite moments that uphold græ's fleeting intrigue, one still can't help but feel disappointed, especially when lead single 'Virile' promoted the album with a more vicious, upfront, Art Rock tone. There is nothing else similar to that song here, with minor crests in 'Cut Me,' 'Neither / Nor,' and 'Polly.' While I appreciate the genuine artisanship that went into græ, the devotion required to endure such a lengthy, emotionally-invested project isn't worth the lackluster result.
C-
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