Deep Cuts. An idea spurred by those countless playlist drifters, jumping from single to single, without investigating albums further. Here you'll find the five best 2021 songs discovered by Dozens Of Donuts in the previous month, not given exposure via the duty of lead single. The only condition I've imposed upon myself is that no artist can have more than one song.
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Low - All Night
HEY WHAT | Post-Industrial
Low's latest incarnation eviscerates sacred Ambient Pop. Usually a genre comforted by tender pleasantries, like a weighted blanket draped over the production in order to restrain movement out of the warmth, Low's incorporation of greyscale static on a gargantuan scale transports Ambient Pop to its upside down counterpart. On 'All Night,' Mimi Parker's soft cooing remains the last tether to amenity, going so far as to use the most overused vocalize imaginable ("la-la-la, la-la-la"), in spite of the growing skyscraper of brutalist architecture rising behind her paltry, but defiant presence.
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DJ Seinfeld - The Right Place
Mirrors | Progressive House
While DJ Seinfeld's last album centered on longing and the hollow melancholy that subsisted, Mirrors is all about relishing in the discovery. Tracks like 'The Right Place' are beautiful, slicing Progressive House percussion through silken bedsheets as haunting vocals from Teira whisper intently, like nearby echoes in the ether. Burial's a solid comparison, as Seinfeld's ability to placate Teira's vocals into a rather circuitous mix effectively sprouts an aura of urge and suggestion. Rhythm found in fusion.
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One could select any number of Deep Cuts off Donda, say 'Believe What I Say,' 'Moon,' or 'Jesus Lord.' However, few encompass the whole of Kanye West's latest endeavor better than 'Jail.' Stark, minimalist production with an eye on Yeezus and the restraint of a born-again Christian. It's unconventional, yet never over-the-top. Lyrics comment on religion, his estranged wife, and the hypocrisy derived from his fame. And a catchy hook with just the right amount of provocation harken back to his Watch The Throne era, a fitting comparison given Jay-Z's laid back appearance.
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Let's be clear: 'Fear No Man' is not emblematic of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Plenty of other great deep cuts, on a remarkably-consistent album, like 'Little Q' or 'How Did You Get Here' fair better in summarizing the whole of Little Simz' strife. With all the grief and consternation that surrounds, 'Fear No Man' embarks on a necessary detour of celebration. Starring her African heritage, with excitable chanting and tribal percussion, the funky calypso vibe of 'Fear No Man' works wonderfully as a necessary confidence booster. The children's choir breathlessly keeping up with the drums, especially come track's end, really heightens the swift, jovial spirit Simz was going for.
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'Man Is Like A Spring Flower' works in a classic, three-act structure. An interview with Debra Murphree, a sex worker involved in a scandal with televangelist Jimmy Swaggart sets the stage for Ignota's take on humanity's malignity, through the guise of religious hypocrisy. Her tone's filled with tremors, anger waiting to burst at the seams. Lines of depravity weave their way into the fabric presented to the masses. "The heart of man is a furnace" Ignota cries, moments before the facade takes form: "The heart of man is the hand of God extended." The repetition only serves to instill the dramatic odds found within the souls of preaching ne'er-do-wells. As for the final movement, sonic bliss engulfs 'Spring Flower' as Avant-Folk exuberance grows in size and force, like descending into the fiery pits of Hell. Mythological tales of repentance for the modern age.
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