Tag: Quickspin

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Music Quickspins

Fever Ray – Plunge

Fever Ray – Plunge (Rabid/Mute, 2017)

Plunge sees Karin Elisabeth Dreijer stretching the contours of her elastic voice in unpredictable ways. More than in her past efforts with The Knife, there is something aggressively experimental, perplexing and equally thrilling that bubbles underneath these electro-pop tunes. Her voice no longer depends on the alien pitch-shifting she established with The Knife; instead, she utilizes her affinity for transporting dissonant dance sounds into bulletproof, club-ready pop. Her voice burns like fire as it explores the electrifying and varied field of electronic music that defines her stylistic palette. With the romping rave jolt of “Wanna Sip” and the sharp violin screeches in “Red Trail,” Plunge is an uptempo mesh of shimmering sounds that crushes notions of classification. More fundamentally, it exemplifies a continuation of the chilling, progressive and cutting-edge pop The Knife achieved on their 2006 opus, Silent Shout. And, on this recent effort, Dreijer is profoundly and unabashedly herself.

Rating: 8.2/10

Trial Track: “Wanna Sip”

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Music Quickspins

Margo Price – All American Made

Margo Price – All American Made (Third Man Records, 2017)

Country singer-songwriter Margo Price has returned with a valiant second album, All American Made. The instrumentation is tight, featuring crisp guitar and classic fiddle. Yet the album never tries to get experimental or inventive with the country template, which was a bit disappointing. However, the lyrics are progressive and descriptive. In “Pay Gap,” Price sings about institutional sexism and the gender wage gap. Country music does an impeccable job with direct and descriptive lyrics; Price dives straight into the issues, holding nothing back. On the title track, she paints a bleak image of America. Price seems to have genuine concern in her voice. The image of driving through America, seeing the rust and decay of the small towns, resonated with me to a surprising degree.

Sample track: “All American Made”

Rating: 8.2/10

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Music Quickspins

King Krule – The OOZ

King Krule – The OOZ (True Panther, 2017)

Archy Marshall has released his second album under the moniker King Krule, revealing his maturation as a musician and producer. Marshall melds elements of jazz, punk, dark wave and trip hop together into an immersive and isolating soundscape. The OOZ ricochets from murmuring streams of consciousness and jazzy hooks to howling vocals and grimy punk riffs, all of which are most prominent in the dark “Dum Surfer.” King Krule has crafted a more polished and brooding sound with this new project, though the album’s lengthy tracklist of 19 songs is a bit self-indulgent. A few tracks enter into repetitive, sleepy jazz noodling without much variation in between. Marshall seems acquainted with and self-aware of his darkness, and when successful, the lingering soundscapes replicate both the mundaneness and dissociation of isolation. The OOZ is a hypnotic soundscape of an idiosyncratic psyche worth diving into, if patient enough for its track length.

7.5/10
Trial track: “Dum Surfer”

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Music Quickspins

Kelela – Take Me Apart

Kelela – Take Me Apart (Warp)

Kelela’s stunning debut is among the most technically proficient albums of the year. She flexes her muscles in uncharted musical realms, while etching a corner in the canons of R&B and pop. The tracks on Take Me Apart survey an entire generation’s worth of club music, dipping its feet in 90s IDM all the way to sultry, new-age pop. Throughout the album, Kelela continues to display her exceptionally realized songwriting, canvassing past relationships with rhythmic, galaxy-expanding pop that cherishes but rivals its contemporaries. The singer’s vocals never strain or lose their trajectory, gradually reflecting the contours and magnetism of her range. Within the space of these tracks, Kelela’s artistic vision flourishes, showcasing a precise knack for songwriting and musicality. Ultimately, what makes Take Me Apart such a fruitful listen is its extraordinary instrumental breadth and structural variation. Just as the album reveals strong dynamics the first time around, it unearths a whole universe of possibilities with every other listen.

Rating: 8.4

Trial Track: “Frontline”

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Music Quickspins

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION (Loma Vista, 2017)

St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, has redeveloped her singular stylings in new and interesting ways on MASSEDUCTION, her most recent album. The sound of this album is new, but at the same time, retains St. Vincent’s charm. The guitars are still crunchy and percussive and her voice is as dynamic as ever, while the electronic sounds are satisfyingly punchy. “Fear The Future” has a tight electronic beat alongside St. Vincent’s strange vocal melody, which constantly fluctuates from high to low. “Smoking Section” is a slower piano ballad, but when she shifts to her falsetto, the song becomes more grandiose and emotional. My only grievance is with some of the lyrics. The lyrics of “Pills” feel kind of edgy and simultaneously attempt humour and seriousness, but I don’t think it works. Nonetheless, this album is an absolute joy.

Sample track: “Smoking Section”

Rating: 8/10

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Quickspins

Ariel Pink – Dedicated To Bobby Jameson (2017, Mexican Summer)

Ariel Pink – Dedicated To Bobby Jameson (2017, Mexican Summer)

Ariel Pink’s new album is dedicated to Bobby Jameson, an outlandish 60s pop figure who released music under strange disguises to trick consumers into thinking he was a freshly-emerging talent. Pink works under a similar artistic concept, forming a pseudonym that complements the warped demeanor of his music. Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is Pink’s sharpest, most profound effort in years, and manages to conserve the inherent charisma that kept his intentionally unappealing persona so enticing. The record’s intimate ambience channels David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust—a cautionary anecdote about wasted potential, materialized through gothic pop songs about the bitter trappings of fame. After the glam-infused glitter-bomb that was his last album, Pom Pom—an album teeming with infomercial jingles, millennial-obsessed balladry and a healthy appreciation for 80s VCR culture—Bobby Jameson feels like an artist retreating from the pains of everyday life, waiting to emerge anew.

Trail track: “Feels Like Heaven”

8.7/10

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Quickspins

The National – Sleep Well Beast

The National – Sleep Well Beast (2017, 4AD)

Four years since their last album release, indie-rock band The National is back with their seventh and most progressive album yet, Sleep Well Beast. While there are tinges of optimism weaved throughout much of the tracks, The National stays true to its signature gloomy vibe, due in part to lead singer Matt Berninger’s smooth, baritone voice. Aside from the group’s usual use of sleek guitar riffs and steady drum beats, Sleep Well Beast dabbles in electronic experimentation, adding to Berninger’s despairing lyrics of fear and anxiety. “I’ll Still Destroy You” explores much of this new electronic sound, while “Day I Die” displays the uncompromising nature of the band. The complexity and cutting honesty flowing from the LP creates a stone-cold yet soulful concoction of pleads and hopes for the future.

Trial Track: “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”

8.2/10

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Quickspins

LCD Soundsystem – American Dream

LCD Soundsystem – American Dream (2017, DFA Records/Columbia)

LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy entered the indie-rock pantheon 15 years ago with “Losing My Edge,” a song that both mocked and heralded the ephemerality of underground music. When Murphy decided to retire the project in 2011, he promised to never make a new LCD album again. But as much as the band’s great album, American Dream, breathes new life into the championed indie veterans, it’s an effort marked by lost opportunities and stringent self-rumination. For a project that essentially started as an ironic caricature of indie-rock’s propensity for ego-stroking, Murphy’s trajectory feels unassured. His formula remains unaltered, combining an affinity for synths with the potent dance-punk sounds of the 70s and 80s. It’s the sound of tradition stricken by trouble and confusion—a critique of the American dream itself. Like his debut, “Losing My Edge,” much of American Dream’s 70 minutes feel plagued by the persisting disappearance of history. Only now, it has become more and more prevalent to Murphy.

Trial Track: “tonite”

8.6/10

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Quickspins

Anna of the North – Lovers

Anna of the North – Lovers (Different Recordings, 2017)

On Anna Lotterud’s debut album, Lovers, she harkens back to an era of pop music she couldn’t possibly remember, given her young age. Still, the singer’s acute admiration for the genre allows her to form her own chapter in its history. The soft sounds from the soul-bearing, electro-pop singer-songwriter emanate a nostalgia of the 80s and 90s that has been badly reproduced as of late. Nothing on Lovers truly disappoints or feels out of place. “Baby” is haunting and simple, setting the record up perfectly. The soft sounds and synth pleasure of this unmissable debut offers just enough for Ibiza-ready remixes, successfully bringing the 80s to 2017. “Someone” is the track to focus on, combining the disco melody of Boy Meets Girl’s “Waiting for a Star to Fall” and the drum beats of what could be an M83 track. It perfectly marries the two and gives a glimpse at Lotterud’s artistry.

Trial Track: “Someone”

8/10

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Music Quickspins

Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine

Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine (RCA Records, 2017)

Modern society, mental health and the ever-growing navigation of the political landscape blend together in this outstanding second album from Nothing But Thieves. As a huge fan of this band, my expectations were high for their second record. Their newest album, Broken Machine, exceeded my expectations. Having already heard an eclectic mix of early-released tracks, from the head-pounding “Amsterdam” to the sorrow-filled vocals of “Sorry,” I was sold. The record is filled with political contempt and thoughts preoccupying restless minds. The vocals are raw, and with every performance, the band wears their hearts on their sleeve. The album is filled with a career-defining soul. Instant classic “Particles,” explores the many wonders of Conor Mason’s voice, only to be sent into a whirlwind with the closing tracks “Get Better” and “Number 13.” The album flows effortlessly and only edges Nothing But Thieves closer to world domination with their passionate guitar-based rock.

Trial Track: “Particles”

9.5/10

 

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Quickspins

Brockhampton – Saturation II

Brockhampton – Saturation II (Empire, 2017)

Earlier this year, rap collective Brockhampton dropped, in my opinion, one of the best hip-hop projects of the year, Saturation. A few months later, the group, led by Kevin Abstract, is back with another set of songs that range from grimey bangers to R&B slow jams. Songs like “SUMMER” offer a softer side to the tracklist, with beautiful vocals and smooth production. All the while, songs like “JUNKY” show off a more braggadocious side to the group’s members. The beat is strong and heavy, while the lyrics hit you like a sledgehammer. Compared to Saturation, Saturation II has better R&B tunes, but the bangers don’t hit as hard as I would have hoped. Nonetheless, Saturation II just goes to show how much range this group has. With these two albums, Brockhampton have established themselves as the best rap collective out right now.

Trial Track: “JUNKY”

Score: 8.5/10

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Quickspins

Wiki – No Mountains in Manhattan

Wiki – No Mountains in Manhattan (XL Recordings)

After first breaking onto the scene as one-third of the New York-based alternative hip-hop group Ratking, Wiki finally released his debut solo album, No Mountains in Manhattan. The album is, in a few words, a love letter to Wiki’s hometown, New York City. This is captured in a sound that is both completely unique to Wiki and in line with New York hip-hop conventions. No Mountains in Manhattan is full of highlights, starting with the tone-setting opener “Islander.” The song sees Wiki displaying his skills over two fantastic instrumentals in under two minutes. “Mayor” finds Wiki boasting about his music being for his hometown, not for the commercialism of radio or the pop charts. “Baby Girl” is an ode to the woman in Wiki’s life and the love they share, placed over some beautiful production  work from Montreal’s own Kaytranada. The album is among the year’s best hip-hop releases, with Wiki continuing to show growth while remaining one of the genre’s most unique voices.

Trial Track: “Mayor”

8.5/10

 

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