AFX: Orphaned Deejay Selek 2006-2008
Richard D. James has been on a roll recently. Ever since Syro was released, the floodgates have opened on his material. From the implication of the title, this is probably some material that's been sitting around for a while, but I still enjoy it, and can say it doesn't seem aged. These tracks are a little more immediate and danceable than those on Syro, though are not any less complex and layered. It's a little less adventurous than Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt. 2 (a recent EP I highly recommend), and doesn't really take James out of his comfort zone, but it's a pretty solid entry in his typical wheelhouse. If you enjoy the more straight forward Aphex Twin material, give this EP a shot.
Chelsea Wolfe: Abyss
I'm pretty new to Chelsea Wolfe, but it didn't take me long to become a fan. I hear a lot of recent Swans material in these songs, and that's definitely a good thing. These songs are large in scale, and they have a darkness in them that just creates such an atmosphere when you listen to them. I really enjoy albums that can produce uncomfortable feelings and darkness from just how creepy and cavernous the sounds. This is probably going to be one of my favorites of the year.
FKA Twigs: M3LLI55X
This kind of cam out of nowhere. Whereas I quite enjoyed LP 1, I felt like there was something missing here. I thought the vocals were good, and the production was stellar, but I really don't think they meshed as well as they did in previous projects. I also find a lack of song topics a little disappointing. Hopefully, Twigs can expand her worldview and move past the sex jams behind industrial trip hop production. I want an instrumental version of this though. The music on this is great.
I might have to switch my answer to my favorite Clan member. Method Man has returned from an extended hiatus with an album that is just as intense as some of his older work. There are some great tracks here, plenty of quotables, great features, and bumping instrumentals. It's definitely the best Wu solo album to come out this year. I found myself a little disappointed with the past few Ghostface albums, but I was pleasantly surprised by Method Man here. I also enjoyed his collaboration with exclusively Staten Island Artists; it was a great way for him to put his area back on the map, put local artists in the spotlight, and lend a sense of cohesion to the album.
The Weeknd: Beauty Behind the Madness
Though there are some great stand out tracks (I pretty much had 'The Hills' on repeat for days), and some moody instrumentals, this album is all over the place sonically. It leads to a less than cohesive whole, and it suffers from the same thing that the FKA Twigs EP did, which would be lack of lyrical diversity. It's been 3 mixtapes and two albums now; I've kind of figured out you like sex (while also being depressed for some reason) and enjoy a more than average chemical intake. Is there anything else to you? It's a little weird that for an album that runs the gamut in terms of backing instrumentals (atmospheric, trap influenced, poppy, etc.), the only lack of diversity appears in your lyrical content.
Lupe Fiasco: Pharoah Height 2/30
This definitely isn't a song mixtape; this is just straight bars. Lupe delivers more dazzling and intricate wordplay, following up the major career comeback he started earlier this year with Tetsuo & Youth. The beats are nothing really stellar, but I don't think people go to a Lupe project for beats, and what they do come for he delivers. My only complaint is that it is a little short and left me wanting. I'll take what I can get I suppose.
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