G.O.O.D. Music- Cruel Summer Review


Album: Cruel Summer
Artist: Many, many, many artists
Genre: Hip-hop

6.2/10






G.O.O.D Music?  More like O.K.A.Y. music amirite?

I’m so sorry.

     In all seriousness, this collaborative album from the members of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music label has been highly anticipated, treating us to some fantastic singles.  With a whopping 20 producers and over 20 artists appearing on the 54 minute record, one would think it would be too big to fail, but that’s exactly where this album falls short.  With some standout tracks, some mediocre tracks, and one disgustingly awful track, Cruel Summer reveals its greatest weakness, cohesiveness.

     The album starts out with the grandiose and triumphant “To the World” featuring famous urinator R. Kelly on a fantastic hook and verse.  The production is powerful, with booming drums and symphonic tones throughout.  Kanye West busts out some rhymes about his wealth: “I’m just trying to protect my stacks/Mitt Romney don’t pay no tax/MITT ROMNEY DON’T PAY NO TAX”.  The song acts as a pretty great intro to an album that is essentially just a celebration of success.  Up next is the jam of the fucking summer, “Clique”.  Hit-Boy takes on production, keeping the bass high and the synths dark.  Big Sean busts out the best work of his entire career, writing the hook and first verse.  His rhymes and flows fluctuate and is filled with humor.  Jay-Z and Kanye kill it as well.  The third track is the one we all know and love: “Mercy”.  With a cryptic intro and staggering amount of verses, “Mercy” stands out by highlighting each rapper’s unique style.  Big Sean has puns galore: “Make that ass drop/That’s an ass-quake”.  2 Chainz lazily busts out rhymes about being crossed.  And Kanye underwhelms, probably choosing to take the back seat in order to not embarrass his apprentices.  “New God Flow” features Pusha T is aggressive and powerful: “I believe there’s a God above me/I’m just the god of everything else”.  GHOSTFACE FUCKING KILLAH is on the track: “I got soccer moms paying for cock/Asians get it from behind while they cleanin’ they wok”.  The hook leaves something to be desired though, and Kanye breaks out a military chant.  At this point in the album, the tracks drop in quality considerably.  “The Morning” suffers from some sloppy production and some out-of-place vocoder.  “Cold” utilizes a club-beat and some more DJ Khaled dance-rap bullshit.  “Higher” [icks up a little with some great syncopated hits and soulful hooks.  “Sin City“ is hugely dissonant, coming together only for Cyhi’s verse.  “The One” rehashes the same type of hook used throughout this album.  The pop-soul aesthetic gets old fast, and especially on this track the hooks and verses are just too different.  Trap rap like Big Sean and 2 Chainz shouldn’t be backed up by an sorrowful hook.  “Bliss” goes into half-time and John Legend gets a chance to show off his crazy vocal chops.  “Don’t Like” is forgettable due to its dirty production, frequent drop-outs, and lack of memorable lines or flows.

     And then there’s “Creepers”.  Jesus fucking Christ Kid Cudi what the fuck are you doing?  Kanye gave Kid Cudi a track all by himself, and it does not pay off at all.  The drums are much much too loud and his flow is messy.  The lyrics sound like they were made up on the spot by a guy who can’t freestyle: “If I had one wish it would be for more wishes/Fuck trying to make it rhyme”.  Wow.

    Overall this album started off strong.  Great hooks, glossy production, some interesting flows, but it soon got old.  The same type of hook, the same string backup, the hit-or-miss verses all hurt the album.  There were just too many people with too much say in how this album was to be executed.  I would listen to everything except Creepers and Don’t Like, because every other song has certain redeeming qualities and different people may appreciate it more than I can. 6.2 cruel summers out of 10

The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence Mixtape Review

It's a face, a dark dark face

Album: Echoes of Silence
Artist: The Weeknd
Genre: Downtempo R&B

7.4/10

   
“Echoes of Silence”, but wait, silence can’t echo!  How surreal.

    But in all honesty the name ‘Echoes of Silence’ is an apt one for The Weeknd’s third mixtape.  The tones and themes percolate and ripple through the lyrics, vocal delivery, and production.

    Admittedly, there’s not much going on in this mixtape, but that’s precisely the point.  By cutting out flashy synths, textbook drum beats, and rehashed R&B vocal tactics, The Weeknd pulls off some truly harrowing and interesting songs, while leaving some others to be consumed by the weaknesses of downtempo music.  The record opens up with “D.D.”, a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”, and it doesn’t fail to impress.  With atmospheric winds swirl, The Weeknd begins his signature sorrowful vocal delivery.  The drums come in loud with an almost tribal quality.  These production elements will continue to show up throughout the record.  “Motreal” introduces another prevalent element, group vocals.  The Weeknd will sing multiple parts to be overdubbed throughout the album, allowing the vocals to become a powerful force.  The track transitions into the xylophone-heavy “Outside”.  ‘XO/The Host” begins with what sounds eerily similar to the string overture of A Clockwork Orange.  The drums continue to employ the same technique, forgoing a “groove” in order to implement and more jagged style.  “Initiation” features some awesome production, meddling with the pitches of The Weeknd’s voice to create a terrifying and harrowing atmosphere.  That combined with a more straightforward, groove-oriented beat equates to a killer song.  “Same Old Song” returns to downtempo, allowing a quiet bass line to lead the song.  “The Fall” continues with this aestheic.  The closer “Echoes of Silence” features a solitary piano and an ever-so-slightly sadder delivery, perhaps to signify the direction The Weeknd is taking musically.

     When an album chooses the more reserved musical route, more focus is diverted to the lyrics.  “Montreal” has The Weeknd shouting out to his native land in his native tongue.  “Outside” tells the story of a man so sexually frustrated that he’ll be some girl’s rebound fuck, and make sure she never rebound fucks again: “I’ll let you show me his moves/Let you do what he taught you/Let you reminisce how you used to do”.  On most of these tracks The Weeknd forgets about poetry to just get a message across, not dropping any “sick rhymes”.  However, “XO/The Host” features a standout lyric: “Waken up with most of ya side wet/Another room, you hear your mom cryin’/Cuz she found your bag stuffed in the laundry/And the Bacardi from the last party”.  “Same Old Song” features a very excited Juciy J yelling about throwing around 30,000 dollars away at a strip club, a very strong contrast to the tones presented in the rest of the record.  “Echoes of Silence” ends the album with a regretful “No.  No.  No.  No.  No.”

    Overall there’s still some awesome vocal work here.  The Weeknd is a more than capable singer, and the less-is-more songwriting/production style pays off for a good amount of the album.  Some parts had me wondering if anything was going to happen however, and there isn’t much diversity in terms of sound.  It’s still solid.  7.4 Echoes out of 10.

FAVE SONGS: D.D., XO/The Host, Initiation, Echoes of Silence

TNGHT: EP Review


EP: TNGHT
Artist: TNGHT
Genre: Bass/Instrumental Hip-hop

8.9/10

     Electronic Dance Music.  It demands respect.  Well, maybe “begs” would be a better word.  When an entire genre of music is based on the singular goal of getting you to shake your hips, how can a “patrician” with “superior” music taste take it seriously.  Well dammit if TNGHT, the collaboration between producers Hudson Mohawk and Lunice, isn’t going to try and make them.  The new duo’s EP is a bright, danceable, scary, and musically interesting group of songs that cram a whole lot of shit in 15 minutes.

      The EP opens up with “Top Floor”, a brooding intro.  Dark synths meld with what sounds like Bollywood in Hell.  The beat is strong, but not overwhelming.  The most important part about this track is that there’s NO DROP.  Fans of Skrillex-type bass music need not apply.  The next track “Goooo” is louder, with a descending synth line and snare hits.  The name of the track comes from the vocal samples that run rampant, almost like hooks, in the track.  The snare hits are reinforced with the vocal sample that keep the track interesting and “slappin’”.  The next track is the apex of the EP, smack dab in the middle.  It doesn’t hesitate, repeating a loud and powerful “REACHIN’ FO’ HIGH-REACHIN’ FO’ HIGH” hook that suddenly cuts out to let some heavy brass come in.  The vocals return, in both the original and lower octaves.  The real fun is in the drum programming though, with samples, fills, and beats all overlapping to provide some danceable chaos.  “Bugg’n” introduces some even cooler samples: a baby squealing and a bubble popping, on the off-beats as a strong four-on-the-floor beat keeps the track grounded.  It’s both laid back and funky, and is probably the most down-to-earth track.  The EP ends with the cacophony of “Easy Easy”.  The track begins with a strong ‘GOGOGOGO” before introducing a backwards synth hook that will return in different keys and octaves throughout the track.  The last minute and a half seem to combine all the elements introduced in previous tracks: crazy drums, samples, and bass lines, in this organized mess/collision.

      Separate these tracks make for some awesome dance tracks.  They work to serve that surface-level job EDM has.  However, what really makes this EP great is that it’s well-crafted and MUSICAL.  New ideas and sounds are introduced.  This is not just some “OMIGOD THAT DROP WAS SO FILTHY OMFMDAFDSJK” EP.  This is not just some simple drum program with a couple synths layered over it, it truly is musical.  I challenge anyone who says “real music is made with instruments” to listen to this EP, with all its complexities and layers and musicality, and try to say that statement once again.  8.9 out of 10.

FAVE TRACKS:  Gooo, Higher Ground, Buggin', Easy Easy

Animal Collective: Centipede Hz Review

It's a mouth... I think

Album: Centipede Hz

Artist: Animal Collective

Genre: Experimental/Neopsychadelia 

       9.5/10

     Merriweather Post Pavilion was a great album.  I’ll admit that.  But the shitstorm that erupted from music blogs and websites surprised me.  I thought that it was a cool direction from the band, and a definite change in pace, but there were far less memorable moments than in Spirit They’ve Gone or Feels for me.  It wasn’t so much a disappointment as an album that just left me wanting more.  But I didn’t know what.  Then Centipede Hz leaked, and I finally understood: MPP was missing the “weird” factor.

     Centipede Hz is somewhat of a concept album, and it’s a fucking awesome idea.  For four weeks before Animal Collective, they would have a “radio broadcast” of different songs that inspired the writing and production of the record each week, put on by each member of the band.  In interviews with the band, we learned that there was a central idea to the record, that it was akin to an alien race hearing these radio transmissions and playing their own interpretations of it.  The result is a highly dense and fluid album that employs some crazy percussion, electronic wonkery, and some seriously insanely catchy hooks.

     “Moonjock” begins this LP with a robot tranmission countdown: “5432 1! 1! 1!” and some surprisingly heavy hits come in on the off beats.  Panda Bear brings ferocity behind the drum set, or his version of a drum set.  There’s a lot of dynamics on this track.  Distorted synths swell with a weird descending vocals, and the wonderful harmonies add a touch of softness to an other wise demented track.  The song ends with a solid 45 seconds of Geologist going crazy with samples before seamlessly transitioning into “Today’s Supernatural”, the lead single.  The most iconic moment lies in the opening line.  Avey Tare screams “COME ON LELELELELELELELELELET GOOOOOO” before jumping straight into a high energy, latin-influenced groove with many freak-out moments.  The chorus features an actual straight-up rock technique, coordinating hits between the drums, guitar, and synthesizer.  Avey’s lyrics are still weird, but some sort of point is evident on this track.  The song’s about how even ordinary day-to-day situations and things can seem giant and powerful and magical:  “Cause your own is the sweetest thing inside of you/And our home is bigger than a mountain view/You’ll find something you believe that you should do/Sometimes it won’t come so easy/But sometimes you gotta go get mad.”  The track flows into the sublte and quiet “Rosie Oh”.  Deakin’s guitar takes the helm, is this actual guitar picking I’m hearing?  The track features a scary melody, and while it’s still quiet it still retains the craziness promised by Geologist.  Emotions run wild on this track: “As I left my home I cried/And a substituted figure tried/To reconcile the things I’d left behind”.  The album then takes a turn, breaking out into one of the most gorgeously terrifying songs Animal Collective has ever done: “Applesauce”.  Avey Tare’s voice hits all the right places, soft yet intense, passionate yet subtle.  He punches the melody in at certain key moments, highlighted with hits from the instruments, screaming “I DON’T HAVE A POSE FOR APPLESAUCE ON CLOTHES!”  “Wide Eyed”, a song written and performed by lead guitarist Deakin, is an interesting and welcome change of pace.  His voice is much more rooted in traditional rock.  The percussion on this track takes a page from the Middle Eastern handbook.  It was the perfect place for the track.  “Father Time” is about exactly what its title describes, a personification of time, and one that is the “founder”.  It begins with the sound of tape rewinding backwards, reinforcing this “time travel” theme.  Guitar lines mirror the synth lines, and Avey breaks out one of the most memorable lines of the album: “Imagination shows you what only time is supposed to tell you/Time’s got real big hands and bigger plans from a long time ago.  The tame aestheic presented in “Wide Eyed” continues throughout the next song, a track from the illustrious drummer Panda Bear called “New Town Burnout”.  It’s a simple lullaby with intricate musicianship.  Filtered, jittery synthesizers clash against an intricate beat before swirling into an emotion-filled repetitive outro that smoothly transitions into “Monkey Riches”.  Raw-sounding clacks on a snare drum rim keep time on quarter notes while a melody that sounds like its being fed through a printer plays.  (That was supposed to be a compliment).  The lyrics seem to be directed at all the MPP-core fans, the ones who hoped for MPP to be handed back to them with different packaging: “But why am I still looking for a golden age?...Why does dawn leave everybody home with chance?/It makes me wonder how I even wrote this song/Does this not occur to almost everyone?”  And then there’s the chorus: “I MADE A MONKEY RICH!”  Now that’s open to interpretation, but to me it seems like a pretty clear stab at record executives, but who knows that could just be me.  “Mercury Man” settles from a frantic intro into some sort of groove, highlighted by scary synth arpeggios.  “Pulleys” incorporates an actual piano with a very slow moving melody and the signature wall of noise pushig it.  It’s not the most exciting song on the record, but I personally like it because I invested myself into the melody and lyrics.  The last track, however, ups the intensity a little bit one last time.  An East-Asian style synth line leads while Panda’s hands break out a primal sixteenth note hand percussion part.  As the bridge approaches the intensity once again swells into a crazy and triumphant outro.

     Animal Collective is a band that will always continue to do their own thing, and the fact that they are still so acclaimed by fan and critic alike is a testament to their songwriting ability, but with Centipede Hz we find a dip in critical appeal.  While similar, the things that made Merriweather so popular are missing: the glossy production, the pronounced harmonies, even the danceablity.  However I don’t think Animal Collective wanted those things to be present in Centipede Hz.  They wanted it weird.  They wanted it fuzzy.  They wanted to let the people know that their shit is not gonna be played on a rock/alternative station alongside the most accessible of bands.  The music Animal Collective makes is the bridge between the mainstream and the outcast, taking the best of both.  Both Avey and Panda execute pop smarts with the fantastic hooks they write, but the overall song structure, lyricism, and sound is one that will confuse and scare the casual music listener.  Centipede Hz is kind of a middle finger in that respect.  “Here’s the shit we’re proud of, here is who we are, if you don’t like it then suck it, because there will always be people that can appreciate what we’re trying to do.”  I’m proud to be one of those people.  9.5 Centipede Hurt out of 10.

FAVE TRACKS: Moonjock, Today's Supernatural, Rosie Oh, Applesauce, Wide Eyed, New Town Burnout, Monkey Riches, Amanita