Notable Albums
James Blake – Assume Form
The opening track of this therapeutic and euphoric album frames both the amazing highs and slow lows for this project. Sonically, James Blake is a chameleon in his ability to provide life to a record through a unique vibe. Blake’s decision to feature moody sci-fi beats both fuels and dampens his medium of emotional explanation. The instrumentals never climax to the emotion James presents lyrically.
Now, back to the opening track. As the title track, reaching into this it should give us an insight into the direction emotionally for Blake. That direction gets its distinction in the chorus, as he references the “ether” (physicists once posed as the space between objects) and his need to be “reachable” for his significant other.
Through these words, he illustrates his willingness to emotionally return to the real world. Throughout the project you see him analyze and assess real-world situations impacting him. With songs like “In The Red” and “Barefoot in the Park,” he surveys the strength of a good relationship. That rawness is glassed over instrumentally, but it’s the consistent vibe and great writing that makes this album good. Some tracks do seem to lose themselves in the production though, as either the vocals become lighter or they just last too long. That does lead to some pacing issues in some segments.
Favorite Tracks: “Where’s The Catch?”and “Are You In Love?”
8/10
Malibu Ken – Self-Titled
Malibu Ken’s self-titled project is a collaboration between rapper Aesop Rock and producer TOBACCO. Both lesser-known artists, Aesop Rock relies on his dense wordplay and wittiness, while TOBACCO is an experimental artist that’s been malleable to multiple genres. With these two styles in mind, Malibu Ken delivers a witty and slickly gritty sound that provides funny storytelling. Throughout the project, the verses are vivid pictures of Aesop Rock’s perspective on multiple topics, while the choruses
The honesty from Aesop is obvious, but instead of outright admitting his flaws or directing you to his purpose, he’d rather hide it behind vivid lyrics. That choice adds to the wiry, electric production to make a kind of off-putting project.
With a track like “Tuesday,” it’s like Aesop wanted to squeeze as many skin crawling images he could put in a verse. It’s the weirdo vibe of the project that definitely makes it a snowflake of a project in a conveyor belt rap era. It isn’t an album that you can just bang in the car, but its artistry is undeniable. Its lack of real diversity prevents it from being some amazing piece of work, but it’s a fun listen if you want something really different.
Favorite Tracks – “Corn Maze” and “Acid King”
7/10
Boogie – Everything’s For Sale
Signed to Shady Records, Boogie delivers a project dedicated to insecurity and fear. Those emotions are expressed unilaterally and somewhat predictably, yet it’s still in an interesting enough fashion to prove Boogie’s abilities. His sunken tone is placed on very moody R&B beats, which is what becomes predictable about the project. The instrumentals are often stagnant, and his pace rarely peaks at climactic levels. This makes some of the songs (“Skydive” for example) feel like unnecessary explorations musically. Yet, what resurrects this album is Boogie himself.
He shows a high level of self-awareness. His slightly raspy voice displays the emotion he’s trying to reach for quite well, and this is what drives the album. The Eminem track “Rainy Days” stands out as one of the worst tracks if you contextualize it. Eminem has the opportunity to address insecurity (that’s what a lot of this project is about), but instead, we get an aggressive verse that simply feels like it should be anywhere but on this project. Most of the features could’ve been ditched, as they often give nothing to the track. Boogie carries the chorus well on most tracks and gives strong verses throughout the whole album. He has plenty of
Favorite Tracks – “Self Destruction” and “Silent Ride”
6/10
Quick Fire Reviews
Offset – Father of 4
This album proves Offset is the best member of the Migos, but it still lacks some serious direction. Would’ve rather had “Without Warning 2.”
6/10
Czarface and Ghostface – Czarface Meets Ghostface
Kind of expected given the extreme lyrical talent on display here. Beats are pretty stellar though.
7/10
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