Mini Album Reviews: Father John Misty, BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah, Drake and Jack U

Hey, so I realize I've been slacking on giving my opinions on recent albums, so I'm trying to tackle a few projects that I've been putting off taking a look at.

Father John Misty- I Love You, Honeybear

This was an album that took me a while to really get into, which is half the reason why it took me so long to comment on it. I couldn't form an opinion for a while. The instrumentation here is pretty much your basic singer songwriter set up with the occasional orchestral flourish, and coming from the ex drummer of Fleet Foxes, there's some decent drumming as well. Harmonies in places sound like Fleet Foxes, but the similarities essentially begin and end there. More similar work from Josh Tillman to Fleet Foxes was made under his own name, but his more lighthearted side can be heard under the name Father John Misty. While his debut, Fear Fun, was more overtly goofy, I Love You, Honeybear is much more subtle, sarcastic and cynical album, and it's all the better for it. This album is hilarious in spots and really showcases Josh Tillman's sense of humor and his knack for intelligent and expert songwriting, and was much more entertaining to me than its predecessor. This album was definitely worth sleeping on, and it took me a little bit to really understand and appreciate the angle Tillman took with this project, and this is one I'll go back to for a pretty long time.

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghosface Killah- Sour Soul
Ghostface Killah and BADBADNOTGOOD do not bring out the best in each other. The collab between the legendary Wu Tang Clan alum and the Canadian jazz fusion group is pretty mediocre, with Ghostface providing some pretty uninspired raps with little in the way of substance. The band is really pushed into the back, playing the role of no name backing band the whole time, and given very little room to experiment. This is essentially a collaboration in name only. It's a collab the same way Highway 61 was between Dylan and the Hawks. That is the only way I'll compare those albums, because there is no comparison in quality. There are some moments though when the guest rappers steal the show. Two noteworthy examples are Danny Brown's welcome cameo on 'Six Degrees' and the always captivating presence of DOOM on 'Ray Gun'.


Drake- If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
I freely admit to enjoying some Drake songs, but I've never fully accepted him as a good artist, and have found all of his projects pretty uneven. That is not the case for this project. It is thoroughly unlistenable to me. His trademark braggadocio is pushed to the nth degree, and given with the most uninterested monotone delivery I've ever heard Drake use. I'm somehow supposed to be pumped up by songs more  drowsy sounding than even 'Marvin's Room'? Yeah, not happening. The worst part is there are very few lines I even remember after listening to it several times. Production is pretty uninspired, and Drake seems to be borrowing a lot stylistically from up and coming rappers. I remember when it used to be the other way around. This is a clear regression in my book.


Skrillex & Diplo- Jack U
Skrillex and Diplo surprised the internet a little while ago by dropping their first collaborative album under the Jack U moniker during a 24 hour long live stream of a performance, which was unfortunately shut down by police in hour 16. The songs here are pretty forgettable, which is a little disappointing considering these are some of the biggest names in electronic music at the moment. It's mostly trap influenced, though hints of other electronic genres slip through on occasion. If you're looking for some fun, harmless dance music, you've come to the right place. If you're looking for heavier, more brostep like material, I'd check out Skrillex's Recess and the remix EPs he's been releasing. If you're looking for more intellectually stimulating electronica, Aphex Twin's Syro and his latest EP are definitely a better option. Also, a Justin Bieber AND and 2 Chainz feature? Wasn't one bad enough?You're better than this, gentlemen.


All in all, I was disappointed by quite a few projects in the past few weeks, but also came out of the listens with one really great and complex album. I'll be taking a look at of Montreal's Aureate Gloom soon, as well as the new Inventions LP, Maze of Woods and the new Modest Mouse. 

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