Brockhampton – Iridescence

While 2017 was undoubtedly Brockhampton’s year, things were much more difficult for them this year. All the drama surrounding Ameer’s departure from the band surely has left its mark on the band members, but they’ve handled the situation really well. And now, after signing a deal with RCA, cancelling three records and releasing a couple of non-album singles, the world’s best boyband is finally back with new material. And Iridescence is a bold statement.

First warning: unlike the Saturation records, Iridescence is not an album that you’ll love at first listen. A more experimental approach and a lack of evident hooks make for a record that takes a few good listens to be fully appreciated. It’s bold, chaotic and somewhat abrasive at times, but it makes for a very rewarding experience.

The opening track, New Orleans sets up the tone immediately. It’s an intense, industrial banger, and the punchy production brilliantly compliments the aggressive rapping on this track. New Orleans transitions smoothly into the melancholic balladry of Thug Life. It’s an interesting change of pace, and one of many times when the album effortlessly switches between being violent and introspective. Number 3 on the tracklist is Berlin – another fierce, industrial-driven song. Meanwhile, both Something About Him and Where the Cash At are fun, but they seem a bit too short and underdeveloped – there’s a lot of potential in both of these songs, but they feel barely like sketches.

Weight is the emotional core of the record, both lyrically (Kevin’s verse!) and musically – those vocal harmonies just before the track explodes with cascading drums is a thing of beauty. District and J’ouvert are two undpredictable bangers filled with great ideas. Those two tracks perfecly embody the spirit of Iridescence – hard-hitting, energetic and fueled by all sorts of emotions – Joba’s verse on J’ouvert is so fierce it’s scary. The following Honey seems sweet and innocent by comparison, it’s probably the most radio-friendly song here.

The final three tracks provide for a very intimate ending. Tonya is probably the best of the three, with vocal contributions from all members and enough ideas and direction changes to fill a small EP – all combined into one song, that seems perfectly balanced. I’m not completely sold on San Marcos because of its kinda cheesy outro. The build-up to this feels really personal though. Fabric is not the best track here, but it works great as a moody closer.

While the band members were always wearing their emotions on their sleeves, Iridescence takes that lyrical honesty to an even higher level, and their musical palette is expanding, too. I’m really glad that Bearface features more prominently on this record. His singing is not as one-dimensional as it used to be, and makes for many really exciting verses from him. Joba and Kevin are as versatile as ever, playing around with their vocals and delivery with some unpredictable results. One more thing I have to credit – the production. It has always been Brockhampton’s strong side, but it seems like the access to the Abbey Road studios has given them new possibilities, and they made the most of it. The songs sound fantasic all the way through, but it’s the small details like the hypnotic ending of Honey or that awesome little bridge before Merlyn’s verse on J’ouvert that prove the fact they can rival anyone in the buisness in terms of production skills.

Brockhampton show once again that they’re risk-takers. Iridescence is their most radical album to date, a colorful and experimental artistic statement. It’s not their best album, but it may be their most important one – the one that cements their status as one of the best groups of the decade.

8/10

Paul McCartney – Egypt Station

Let’s be clear – Paul McCartney doesn’t really have to do anything. We’re talking about a man who basically invented pop music back in the 60s and had almost 50 years of spectacular solo career. If anyone deserves a nice retirement on a tropical island, it’s this man. And yet, at 76 years of age, Paul still tours around the enitre world, plays shows that last way over 3 hours and continues to make new music. And just like 2013’s NEW, Egypt Station is another proof that he still has what it takes to make a great record.

From intimate and personal ballads like I Don’t Know or Confidante to catchy pop rock with modernised sound (Come on to Me), Egypt Station is not really an album that will surprise everyone. Macca has his own unique style of songwriting and performing, and it’s clear to see that recording this album was a joyous process – you can hear it in every sound. The album manages to produce some really catchy melodies – Dominoes and Back to Brazil are my personal favourites. But it’s not just hits – the last two tracks are 7 minutes-long suites, that are really creative and ambitious (with Despite Repeated Warnings being the better of the two). I wasn’t really expecting these kind of songs to appear on this record, but I’m so glad they did.

Now, let’s adress the elephant in the room: the song Fuh You is a mistake that shouldn’t have happened. This overproduced pop mess doesn’t fit well with the warm sound of the rest of the album. Let’s just hope it was a one-off experiment that didn’t go very well (even though it’s catchy as hell). There are also a few tracks that are simply not good enough, and make the album unnesessarily long. Like, seriously, 57 minutes is a bit too much, and ditching a few of those weaker cuts would make this record even more enjoyable.

But despite its flaws, Egypt Station is pretty fun. It’s an album where McCartney does what he does best. It’s a warm, classy and charming pop record. Nothing but respect for this man – staying cool even in his seventies.

7/10

Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance.

Last year’s Brutalism was one of the breakout debut albums of 2017 and it’s not hard to see why: a bold, loud, in-your-face record that there’s still plenty of room for politically charged hardcore punk in the modern landscape of music. A little over a year has passed, and with their secord album Idles prove that they really are one of the most exciting bands of the decade.

While the base of Idles’ sound still remains a blend of art punk and post-hardcore, there are many differences between Joy and Brutalism. They still sound angry and ferocious, but there’s much more melodies in these new tracks. There are some seriously catchy choruses here, some of them take the form of pub sing-a-longs (Danny Nedelko, Great).

The core of the album are energetic 3-minutes-or-less tracks like Television or Gram Rock, and they’re brilliant, but it gets more interesting when Idles decide to change it up a little, like on the creeping opener Colossus that builds the tension slowly before exploding in the end, or the truly heartbreaking June.

Another thing that makes this band so great are the lyrics. Much more sarcastic and sometimes humorous than on Brutalism, Joe Talbot tackles the issues of racism, toxic masculinity and elitism. It’s really worth your time to dig deeper into the lyrics here, and I have the feeling that in a few decades’ time we will be looking at this record as one of those that really have captured the spirit of the times.

I don’t really have much more to say about this album, honestly. It really delivers from the start to finish (okay, Rottweiler is a bit of a letdown, but still…). One of the finest punk releases of recent years, on par with their excellent debut (or maybe even slightly better).

8/10

Interpol – Marauder

A stellar debut album can be both a blessing and a curse. When Interpol released Turn On The Bright Lights back in 2002 they were instantly elevated into the rank of alternative rock heavyweights. But apart from the critical acclaim and commercial success, TOTBL did one more thing: it set the bar for the following Interpol releases incredibly high. And while it’s clear that all of their post-Antics albums were pretty good, they never really met the fans’ excessive expectations.

Perhaps the band is partially responsible for the lukewarm reviews of their most recent efforts – while other groups, such like Arctic Monkeys tried (and succeeded) to distance themselves from the pressure of a great debut by drastically altering their style, Interpol’s music hasn’t really changed that much over the past 15 years. All the main ingredients are still here: deep, hypnotic basslines, Daniel Kessler’s signature guitar “needles” and Paul Banks’ melancholic vocals. That being said, Marauder isn’t a 100% repetition of 2014’s El Pintor. It is much more energetic and dense, and the band sounds like they have a very clear idea of where they want to go with this sound.

The opening If You Really Love Nothing is Interpol at its soaring best: brilliant melodies all the way through, and dreamy sounds combined with a unique rhythm. The lead single, The Rover features a fantastic riff and is driven by an intense, urgent drum beat. See, after these tracks I was sure that Marauder will be a triumphant return, but after that the quality kinda drops. It’s not a straight nosedive though, as the following songs are pretty enjoyable and rather good, but none of them really stick with me. The middle part of the album sort of blends into one, although it’s not like they all sound the same – the mood ranges from anxious (Complications) to melancholic (Stay in Touch) with plenty of melodic choruses like that in Mountain Child or NYSMAW. Yet I can’t escape the feeling that it’s that middle part that drags the album down. From Surveillance though, the band really picks up the intensity and delivers some great moments like the rhythmically intricate Party’s Over and the hypnotic closer It Probably Matters.

Even though some of the songs may be lacking something, one thing remains great throughout the record: the production. It’s pretty minimalistic and drowned in a ton of reverb, and that’s the kind of style that suits Interpol best. This album SOUNDS fantastic.

So yeah, I enjoyed Marauder a lot. But even though the album is a joy to listen to, there are plenty of flaws to it. In the end, you have to ask yourself one question: how does this album compare to the rest of Interpol’s discography? It doesn’t reallt bring anything new to the table, and feels a bit insignificant. Sadly, it seems like the ghost of their debut will haunt them forever.

7/10

Mitski – Be The Cowboy

Let’s make one thing clear: Be The Cowboy is not a bad record. I would even say it’s a pretty decent one. That being said, I expected a stunning, heartbreaking creative masterpiece, but what I got was an album that just left me feeling kinda… meh.

And I don’t really know what’s the reason for that, because at her best, Mitski is capable of making truly wonderful songs: the opening Geyser builds up slowly and has so much emotion in it. The glossy production fits the ethereal vocals perfecly, and at that point I felt so much excitement. That excitement only grew with the following track, Why Didn’t You Stop Me? with its hypnotic bassline being surrounded by so many great elements. The moment when the brass section comes in near the end is pure bliss. I seriously can’t remember hearing a better opening sequence this year.

But after these two songs… it becomes really difficult to pinpoint such brilliant moments, not to mention entire songs that could be considered highlights. I guess Nobody, Washing Machine Heart and Blue Light are standouts from this part of the album, but I doubt I’ll be coming back to these songs in a few months’ time.

Another thing that drags the record down is the fact that the tracks are really short (most of them orbit around 2 minutes). Because of that, they seem more like sketches and whenever there’s a glimpse of some interesting idea, it’s not allowed to fulfill its potential. Tracks like Me and My Husband as well as Lonesome Love really suffer from it.

There’s a very thin line between “subtle” and “bland”, and I’m afraid Mitski crosses that line a little too much during the record’s runtime (it’s just 32 minutes, but it feels much longer). Pink in the Night and the following A Horse Named Cold Air wander around aimlessly without having anything special to offer in the first place.

For all its flaws, Be The Cowboy has some seriously impressive moments, so you don’t want to miss out this record – it deserves a try. But for all the hype it has been getting so far, it really feels a bit dissappointing.

6/10

Miles Kane – Coup De Grace

The biggest issue I had with Miles’ two previous solo records was the fact that the singles have been great, it was hard for Kane to keep a steady level of songwriting for an entire album. Both Colour of the Trap and Don’t Forget Who You Are featured some extremely memorable hits, but there was also quite a lot of filler on these albums. Luckily, Coup De Grace changes that – standing at just 32 minutes, it’s the most cohesive collection of songs in Kane’s discography.

While it’s not radically different, Coup De Grace has a slightly changed sonic approach. Most notably, there’s a shift to a more glam-inspired sound (Cry On My Guitar is pure Marc Bolan), as well as some more punkier undertones. The opening Too Little Too Late is a galloping, fast-paced start to the record. The tempo is a little bit dizzying, but there’s plenty of sweet vocal hooks and melodies along the way. It’s fast, catchy and attention-grabbing: a peferct choice for and opener. A thunderflash of a song, Cold Light of The Day and Silverscreen both follow the same path. But that doesn’t mean that the album is all about tempo and energy. There are a few more emotional songs, and while Killing the Joke feels a little bit like the weakest cut on the record, Loaded definitely is a highlight. A stunning mid-tempo track is perfect from start to finish, and it features one of the more charming choruses I’ve heard all year (the backing vocals by Lana Del Rey and Jamie T are a nice touch too). The album is really well-balanced and while the explosive sequence of the four first tracks is brilliant, Kane does save his best melodies for the end – both Wrong Side of Life and Something To Rely On are among his best songs to date.

And yeah, it’s not perfect – Killing The Joke is really forgettable, Silverscreen feels a bit aimless, and the stomping funk of the title track really caught me by surprise and feels pretty odd. But these tracks don’t diminish the fact that it’s an extremely fun and catchy album. This is pretty much a record you would expect from Miles at this point of his career – a shamelessly joyous, old-fashioned rock’n’roll album.

8/10

 

Mac Miller – Swimming

While I did enjoy some of Mac’s songs before the release of Swimming, I never really thought of him as an artist that is able to record an album that will blow me away. Now, suddenly he’s released one of the most compelling collection of songs I’ve heard in a while. Even though Swimming has its flaws, it’s still a great listen.

The breakup-fuelled album comes much closer to R&B, soul or funk than anything has ever done, and it fits the bittersweet tone of the record perfectly. Mac’s singing voice may not be the most dynamic or interesting, but the sheer emotion behind these tracks make them so captivating. Come Back To Earth is a moody opener that starts out slowly with guitar strumming and some piano chords, before Hurt Feelings comes in with its gentle bass and beautiful melodies. You can really feel the heartbreak here, and this is one of the album’s strongest tracks, both emotionally and musically. What’s The Use explores an even more funky territory, while still retaining that bittersweet feel.

Some might say that the album is monotonous, but that’s not true. Sure, the pace is quite slow, and the songs flow kinda peacefully, but that doesn’t mean they’re not diverse. Ladders has a bit of a jazzy flavour, while Jet Fuel has parts that sound like taken straight of a Brockhampton album. The playful Small Worlds feels a bit gimmicky, but it does offer some pretty insightful lyrics about fame.

It’s not a perfect record, as there is a noticeable drop of quality at the second half of the album, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most pleasantly surprising records this year. An hour of  mellow, warm and chilled out R&B/rap/whatever may just be the best way to deal with a tough breakup.

8/10

Travis Scott – Astroworld

After the release of the acclaimed Rodeo back in 2015, it seemed like Travis Scott was the on his way to become one of the best in the buisness. Three years and two albums later, it looks a bit different. Neither one of those follow-up releases came even close to matching his debut. Astroworld was meant to be different: the big, ambitious album that proves that Rodeo wasn’t a fluke, and establishes Travis as a major player on the scene. Well, it did one of those things.

The biggest flaw of Astroworld is that it sits on the fence between artistic credibility and the desire to top the charts. Travis took the Drake route: the album has 17 tracks, is almost an hour long and features a ton of features (Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Quavo and Takeoff… and the list goes on and on). It looks kind of exciting on paper, but in reality the album offers very little to justify such a long runtime. The best tracks here are the two opening and two closing tracks (especially Houstonfornication). But among 13 tracks inbetween these, it’s really hard to find anything compelling. Skeletons and 5% Tint are pretty dope, and so is Stop Trying To Be God (a James Blake feature automatically makes a song 100% better), but the rest is mostly filler (Butterfly Effect or NC-17). Luckily, there are almost no songs that are complete trash, with the exception of Wake Up. So yeah, you can say that Astroworld keeps a somewhat steady level. But the same thing could be said about Drake’s Scorpion, so I guess that’s not really a compliment.

There are some cuts here that could potentially make a decent 6-7 song EP, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that there’s a shitload of filler on Astroworld. Listening to it in its entirety feels like an exhausting chore. It’s a shame really, because I still think that Travis Scott is an extremely talented rapper. I would love to hear him do a focused, short but sweet album in the vein of Kanye’s most recent efforts. Meanwhile, Astroworld could very well be Travis’ most commercially succesful album, but that bloated mess of a record feels like an artistic flop.

5/10

Denzel Curry – TA13OO

There was a lot of pressure on Denzel before the release of his new album – after all, it’s really hard to follow an album like Imperial with something equally brilliant. The bar was set really high, but Curry met all the expectations – TA13OO is among the best releases of the year, and showcases an artist fully aware of his potential (and making the most of it).

While TA13OO is a concept album, it doesn’t really mean it’s very cohesive. That’s my biggest issue with it – the tracklisting seems a bit chaotic and weird, and I’m not sure it was really necessary to divide the record into three “acts”. Although to be fair, there is a bit of a concept present here, as the songs get more and more dark and agressive deeper into the album. So yeah, it feels a bit chaotic (maybe it was intentional), and that’s really the only problem I have with this record. Because the songs are executed perfectly – it’s one banger after another.

The opening title track features a gorgeously catchy chorus. The beautiful melody is contrasted by the rather disturbing lyrics to create a jaw-dropping effect. It’s one of the best things I’ve heard all year, but it’s not even the best track on this album. That title belongs to Black Balloons. The Kendrick Lamar influence is obvious here (the song would be a perfect fit on TPAB, both in terms of sound and quality), but Denzel has enough personality and character to give the track a unique twist (the features are great as well). Cash Maniac has great vocals delivered by Nyyjerya, while Curry’s verses are perfectly on point. The following Sumo is a track that we’ve known for a while, and it still totally slaps – a model example of a trap banger.

Act Two opens up with another banger, but Super Saiyan Superman might be actually the worst track on the album, as it feels a bit mindless. Luckily, the following streak of three songs is so damn good – especially Switch It Up, where Denzel’s delivery comes close to perfection –  It’s focused, manic and sharp. Clout Cobain is a take on emo rap, and while Denzel does it much better than most of his contemporaries, it still comes off as one of the weakest tracks here.

The third act is the most brutal and disturbing, sometimes it sounds like borderline industiral. Percs is the obvious highlight here, and so is Vegneance, featuring a frantic verse by JPEGMAFIA. On the other hand, The Blackest Balloon is the closest thing this album has to a filler track, and I’m still not quite sold on Black Metal Terrorist (although it works brilliantly as a closer).

Just like Imperial was, TA13OO is a must-listen. In case any of you are still sleeping on Denzel – you’re making a huge mistake. Dude has released two albums that are bound to be future classics, and he’s still only 23! It’s frightening to think just how good he’s gonna be in a few years’ time.

8/10

Gorillaz – The Now Now

A little over a year has passed since the previous Gorillaz album, and yet The Now Now feels completely different. Humanz was panned for its chaotic tracklisting and the fact that it didn’t really sound like a Gorillaz record – much more like a compilation of songs by various artists tied together by Albarn’s production. This new album here fixes that mistake – the list of guest features is surprisingly short, and that allows the listener to focus more on the shiny instrumentals and Damon’s melancholic vocals.

The openig track Humility has a very vintage, feel-good vibe that evokes images of a really lazy, sunny afternoon (the music video fits here brilliantly). It also has a psychedelic funk sound, that pretty much carries through the entire album, like on the infectious Tranz or the fantastic, mostly instrumental Lake Zurich. Hollywood is probably the closest the album gets to Humanz, and it’s executed brilliantly – great chorus and a superb Snoop Dogg make it one of the strongest points on the tracklist. But to be honest – it’s hard to find any weak points, too.

It’s definitely the least eclectic of Gorillaz albums – The Now Now has its spectific, unique sound, and it sticks to it right to the end. And that’s a good thing – at just 40 minutes, the album feels perfectly balanced and is extremely cohesive. Tracks like Sorcererz or Fire Flies are probably among the finest in the group’s back catalogue. But cohesiveness doesn’t mean sameness – the band slows down the pace a bit with Idaho, there’s also a very sweet Magic City (the way Albarn sings the line Look, there’s a billboard on the Moon is just so… pure, incredible stuff). Oh, and the way the closer – Souk Eye – slowly builds up is perfection, those sweeping synths at the very end sound gorgeous.

While not as ambitious as Demon Days or Plastic Beach, this new Gorillaz record is definitely  a good one. A great collection of upbeat, yet melancholic songs, The Now Now is destined to be a perfect soundtrack for the summer.

8/10