I've got to say I was pretty disappointed by this album. Modest Mouse didn't really flex their experimental muscles on this set, which is a shame, because they have proven that they can produce challenging and engaging material. I feel like if the gap between albums was this long, and this is what they had, it could've waited. This is pretty middle of the road dad rock in places, which pains me to say. There is talk that this is one of two albums, with the second to be released very soon. If that is in fact the case, I wish they would have just released one album's worth of material and trimmed the weaker cuts of both albums for a much stronger product.
Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a ButterflyI doubt I'm surprising anyone when I say that this album is completely amazing. With its mix of funk, jazz and hip hop, as well as compelling and thought provoking raps and poetry, Kendrick Lamar has delivered a true artistic statement the likes of which is rarely seen this fully realized. I can see a lot of surface fans being turned off by this album for lack of a real radio friendly single, but this album is more of a cohesive statement that Kendrick's previous albums, though also cinematic in scope. The track 'u' continues to give me chills, and a Tupac interview on the final track? Crazy. It's truly sad to think that the things that Tupac Shakur spoke out against in that over 20 year old interview are still just as relevant today, with racial relations still very much in the mind of the American people. If you're a fan of any musical style, and really enjoy being challenged by your music, this is the album for you. I can definitely see this on a lot of year end lists.
I was a little bit ambivalent to the first part of The Powers That B, which came out last year. It had seemed that Death Grips had lost a little bit of their edge, and the instrumental Fashion Week didn't do much to change my mind. However, MC Ride is back, and the second part of The Powers That B is finally out, and it is a much more direct and intense listen than the first (the instrumentals on 'Why a B*tch Gotta Lie' and 'Pss Pss' are among my favorite of their discography). This disc shows the group incorporating a lot more guitars and guitar based samples into their sound. The lyrics are a lot less abstract here, and since they're being screamed, I feel the bluntness works to this album's benefit. I really see this as a return to form, though the guitars also provide some new avenues, should Death Grips decide to continue (the new tour may allow more content for this formerly broken up group to materialize). My only confusion here is how this fits with the first part of the double album. The parts don't really complement each other all that well, and are pretty different with what they set out to achieve. I feel like the records would have benefited from being billed separately, unless they were going for a In Your Honor or Reckoning/Dead Set kind of thing, which I feel could've been accomplished a lot better, and with less Bjork in the first half.
So those are my thoughts. What did you think about these projects. Do you have any projects you're excited about? I'll share my opinions on Earl Sweatshirt's new album and Godspeed's new record soon.
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