Last year was a pretty great year for Chicago rapper, Mick Jenkins. His tape The Water[s] got a lot of positive feedback, and he was quickly placed alongside contemporaries such as Chance the Rapper when it came to promising new talent in the rap game. As you may know, I was also a pretty big fan of that tape. In short, Mick really brought himself to the front, displaying a knack for great flows, beat choices, and messages.
Going into this new EP, I had heard that he changed his style up, which can either mean that a rapper has decided to try on some more mainstream clothes, or that they are going even farther into the left-field. However, it isn't that simple for Mick on Wave[s]. While there are certainly moments here that lean a bit more to the mainstream, "Piano", "Your Love", "Alchemy"; there are also plenty of moments that could only be identified as a Mick Jenkins track, such as the closer and the track "Get Up Get Down" which has such a great banger beat and some immaculate flows to boot.
Mick also tries his hand at singing on this album, though it's more like recent Drake in the way he presents it; just a way to spice up an otherwise flow heavy rap song. To me, Mick is sounding better than ever rap wise on this EP, but some of the choruses don't work out quite so well. The main culprits here are "The Giver" which is just kind of limp, and the track "Piano" is a bit to simple and short as well.
Honestly, I found a lot to like on this EP and it has me even more excited for whatever full length projects Mick has planned for the future. Some people may think he strayed to far from what his last tape did, with it's subterranean beats and flows, but I think this is a nice contrast to what that tape had to offer, so now we'll just have to see how those two worlds mix.
If you look back at my Top Albums of 2012 post, you'll see that I thought very highly of this band's last LP. Their self-titled debut was rough around the edges, but featured the infectious energy of old school punk, and vocals that were so soulful, they simply couldn't be denied.
It's been a couple years, and I was honestly starting to think that maybe Royal Headache were out of the game, because aside from a single released a few months after their debut broke through to an American audience, the band went almost completely silent. However, Royal Headache return with High, an album of similarly catchy and energetic songs that, while not anything new or revolutionary, still manage to be a lot of fun, and certainly worth checking out.
The album kicks off with " My Own Fantasy" which shows off how much the production quality has improved since their last album, and reassures you that the band hasn't lost their knack for catchy melodies. The title track is also a standout track, with a super memorable melody and decent punk instrumentation backing it all up.
There are also slower moments here, my personal favorite being the album centerpiece "Wouldn't You Know" which has a sweet sentiment and and even sweeter vocal performance. This track is also followed by probably my favorite track on the album, the track "Garbage". A track that is the antithesis of the preceding track; it's about a person that 'belongs in the trash', it's pretty hilarious and has a fantastic grooving bassline as well.
Like I said before, High isn't reinventing the wheel, but it does still feature some of the finest vocals of any punk band out there right now, and the improved production does help these songs pop more than they did on the debut. Unfortunately, it also exposes just how bland the instrumentation can be, which didn't bother as much on the last album, but just seems like it should have improved over the last couple of years.
Also, this album doesn't have any of the more vast instrumental tracks that were on the debut, and just overall feels like more of the same from a band that I wanted more of the same from about 2 years ago. All that aside, I did have a whole lot of fun with this LP, and will certainly be revisiting it throughout the year.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Mac Demarco is a pretty cool guy. He comes off so carefree and lovable in his interviews, and so far, his music has been a mirror of that. However, on his last full length, Mac put some more serious topics on display, such as the thought of growing up and becoming older, maybe a sign that his music needed to grow too? At least that's what I took away from Salad Days, an album that I thought was an overall stronger album than 2.
Now we have this new mini album called Another One, and truth be told; it's his best collection of songs yet. From the noodly and infectious opening guitar licks of "The Way You'd Love Her" to the ambient invitation of "My House On The Water", a track that literally has Mac giving out his address and welcoming everyone to "have a cup of coffee" with him. In between these bookends, we get six tracks that alternate between fast, peppy numbers like "Just To Put Me Down" to slow crooners such as "A Heart Like Her's".
Regardless of the mood of the tracks here, they all share one thing in common, they are almost all uniformly excellent and show that Mac can put together a holistic project when he wants to, since this is easily his most cohesive effort yet, with subject matter mostly revolving around love of all shades. For instance, a track like the amazing "No Other Heart" is the perfect balance of unrequited love mixed in with the kind of humor and soul that Mac has put in his previous music, making a likeable underdog character that we can all relate to.
For an album that only lasts about 25 minutes, Another One is surprisingly fulfilling, and while I wouldn't have minded another track or two, since the closer is really more of an ambient piece, I was still plenty satisfied with what this album had to offer.
Injury Reserve are a rap group from Arizona. The group consists of two MC's and a producer, and honestly, they are one of the most refreshing rap groups I've heard in a long while. For starters, the production here is a wonderful mix of old-school boom-bap style production, reminiscent of Native Tongues stuff, and newer, more atmospheric beats that are more prominent in modern hip-hop production.
Then there are the two MC's, Stepa and Ritchie With A T, who both lay some really clever and fun lines down. Stepa reminds me the most of guys like Phife Dog and De La Soul, while Ritchie has a more aggressive delivery that seems to be pulling more from Gangsta Rap of the 90's.
Regardless of the flavor though, this mixtape is fantastic through and through, with only a couple of minor setbacks along the way. I absolutely loved tracks like "Whatever Dude" which has such a laid back and enjoyable, with some really funny lines to boot, most notably the one about rapping to the "0 to 100" beat. Other great tracks include the infectious "Wow" and the hit waiting to happen "Everybody Knows" which I can see becoming a big thing if it gets enough exposure.
Deeper cuts take a more meditative approach, especially on tracks like "Washed Up" which is a critique of the attitude of the groups hometown and Stepa focuses his verse on the fickle nature of fans. Another moody moment that really stands out is "ttktv" which stands for "time to kill the vibe" which actually features Richie singing for the entire track, and while I wouldn't say the singing is technically amazing or anything, what is being said and the solemn beat behind it really help the track stand out among the rest.
So without going to long-winded on this one, I'll just say that Live From The Dentist's Office is a mixtape that you should really be showing some love; there are a lot of fun tracks here and enough contemplative moments to satisfy any fan of 'conscious' hip-hop. It is simply one of the most solid rap projects that 2015 has to offer, and you would be doing yourself a disservice by passing it up.
So, the last couple of months have been sort of crazy, so my album review schedule has been all kinds of erratic. That doesn't mean I have stopped listening to new stuff, it just means I haven't had time to form full fledged opinions on a lot of it. However, I hope to get all of this off my chest as well as my overdue albums of the year so far in one big post. Enjoy!
Top Albums of the Year So Far (In no particular order). 1. Father John Misty: "I Love You, Honeybear".
The year started off really well, and this album is proof. FJM came together with a heartwarming and funny album here, full of songs about love and the road to it. In short, this album is everything you want in a singer-songwriter album that you can simply relax to.
2. Kendrick Lamar: "To Pimp A Butterfly".
Kendrick Lamar has been making waves for the past few years, but this album right here is clearly his masterpiece. An album that is so poignant, yet balances its message with an equally impressive and catchy set of instrumentals that are hard to forget. This is surely a contender for album of the year.
3. Alabama Shakes: "Sound & Color".
I was thoroughly surprised with the latest Alabama Shakes release, an album full of tight and catchy rock tunes that even have a bit to them underneath the surface. Certainly songs like "Gimme All Your Love" will still be in rotation come 2016. Heck, this album may even win a Grammy or two, so that's cool!
4. The Decemberists: "What A Terrible World, What A Wonderful World".
Sure, I may be a little biased, and seeing them in concert for the first time this year only enhances that fact, but I still think that The Decemberists came together and put out one of their most enjoyable albums in the last few years. Plus, you get a song about a pervy teenage boy, so this is like the most 'Decemberist' Decemberists album in years!
5. Drake: "If You're Reading This Its Too Late".
Drake has been on a streak lately. Though I thought his last album was just okay, I found myself really loving this new mixtape/album. Its been in rotation since the day it dropped, and tracks like "Know Yourself" and "10 Bands" are fantastic. I look forward to hearing his next project and just hope he can keep this up.
6. Sufjan Stevens: "Carrie & Lowell".
Sufjan has been a favorite of mine since the first time I heard Illinoise, and part of me figured the new album would never reach the same heights. While that is certainly true in terms of scale, I'd say this album is Sufjan's best in terms of just about everything else. Carrie & Lowell is a simply heartbreaking ode to Sufjan's life and relationship with his late mother, and it is a testament to just how great a songwriter Sufjan is.
Albums That I Didn't Get A Chance To Review, But I Still Wanted To Talk About. 1. Sun Kil Moon: "Universal Themes".
The new SKM album kind of came out of nowhere, and considering that Benji was my album of the year, I was really excited to listen to it. And while it definitely isn't as good as the last album, there are still some really wordy and enjoyable tracks on this album. The only problem is that some of the tracks get lost in the wordiness and rambling, leading to some of the longer tracks feeling like a grind. This is a good album, but it isn't great.
2. Algiers: Self-Titled.
This album is fantastic and may end up on my end of the year list, but I just didn't have time to write a full review. and it's been out so long, I figured you didn't need another opinion telling you the same thing. In short, Goth meets Soul, and it's fantastic.
3. High On Fire: "Luminiferous".
Truthfully, I haven't given this album a full listen, but what I've heard has been excellent. Big, meaty riffs and fantastic melodies that are some of the bands tightest yet. I've loved almost everything that I've heard from this band and this new album is no different. Another album I really should have made an effort to review.
4.Tech N9ne: "Special Effects"
Sigh... I feel bad for ever enjoying All 6's And 7's. But at least that album had the decency to have some actually enjoyable tracks on it. Tech has been under utilizing his rapping ability and over utilizing his features lists for way too long at this point.
5. The Vaccines: English Graffiti
It's not bad, but I just can't get over how odd the trajectory of this band has been. I like when they put out catchy brit-pop tunes, but I just don't find them to be interesting enough to do anything deeper than that.
Tracks That I've Really Enjoyed This Year.
Future Islands: The Chase
Muse are a band that I used to love. Though that is a bit dramatic for an opening sentence, it's true. When I was in my early teens I couldn't get enough of tracks like "Plug In Baby" and "Hysteria". These tracks and the albums they came from were a lot of fun, and I even to this day, still find a lot to enjoy about them; they're big, overly dramatic, and catchy as all get out.
The unfortunate thing is that for the last 10 years or so, the band hasn't really done anything that has moved me to do much more than shrug, or even cringe. The latter being my primary reaction to the band's last LP, The 2nd Law, an album so woefully mangled and bogged down in bad ideas, I'm surprised the band didn't implode while making it.
However, we now have this new album, Drones, which sees the group pulling back the reins of experimentation, and instead going back to a more familiar style, with a slightly more hard rock edge to it than usual. Overall, I am a fan of this change, but the album still doesn't leave that huge of an impression on me.
For instance, I like the tracks "The Handler" and "Reapers" and even find myself enjoying darn near every minute of "Defector", mostly because these tracks have great melodies, and rely on the symphonic rock styling that made albums like Absolution so memorable. But as soon as I find myself liking this album, a track like "Psycho" pops up, and I'm back to cringing.
"Psycho" features what is easily the cheesiest sample that you'll hear all year, with this drill sergeant screaming at a solider all 'Full Metal Jacket' style, but instead of being intimidating, it's just hilarious. Also, tracks like "Mercy" and "Revolt" are just too sappy and overly produced to evoke any kind of response from me.
This album is trying to urge the listener to fight against an oppressive military and government, but all I hear is the sound of a band conforming to a sound that they used to do a lot better. I'd say you're safe to pass on this LP if you haven't found any of Muse's last few albums enjoyable; it isn't terrible, but it ain't good either.
A$AP Rocky started his career in 2011 with a really solid mixtape, which not only got him mainstream attention, but also made him a figurehead for the burgeoning 'cloud-rap' scene, a style that has since become a pretty prominent production choice in mainstream hip-hop, next to Trap. He even followed this mixtape up with a pretty solid debut album, which not only proved he could still produce worthwhile music, but even play in styles more akin to what was popular on the charts without losing his legitimacy.
However, it's been a while since we've heard a full length project from Rocky. This has a lot to do with the fact that he's been doing a lot of features, helping fellow A$AP Mob cohorts start their careers, and the untimely death of friend and mentor A$AP Yams, who he seems to be paying tribute to him with the album cover of his latest album, AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP.
The title seems to promise two things, one, that Rocky has finally become the MC that everyone knew he could be, and he even indulges in some straight narcissism, asserting that he has become a kind of rap god, kind of like Kanye. Unfortunately, he and Kanye not only share a knack for being pretty into themselves, but also releasing sub-par albums that show just how delusional these proclamations of godhood are.
The album starts off pretty well, I really like the track "Holy Ghost" and how it addresses the hypocrisy of certain religious figures who preach living within one's means, but wear expensive clothes and jewels. And the beat on this track and the following "Canal St." are pretty classy as well. But the album really gets stuck in a rut after this point, with the track "Fine Whine" sounding so muddy and unappealing, and don't get me started on the horrendous MIA verse on this track. After that we get the single "L$D" which is just an excuse for Rocky to sing over a vaguely psychedelic beat, which all sounds pretty bad when all is said and done.
While I enjoy tracks like "Excuse Me" and even kind of dig "Lord Pretty Flacko Joyde 2", tracks like "Electric Body" come in, and I'm back to shaking my head in disgust. The only other tracks that give me any kind of enjoyment are the tracks "Wavybone" for being the most consistent verse wise, "Jukebox Joints" for a pretty funny Kanye verse, and the closer, "Back Home" which has a pretty decent beat.
Overall, this album is too inconsistent for me to really be down with it. I find some tracks to be pretty good, while others are easily some of Rocky's worst yet. I'll look for more features, and especially other projects from guys like Ferg, but for now, I'll just have to chalk this album up as a disappointment that I hope Rocky can rebound from.
