Thursday, July 7, 2016

Mini Reviews Summer 2016: Deerhoof, Nails, & Desiigner

Back to share some opinions on some records that have come out recently. Trying to get caught up, as I've been pretty busy recently, but I've been listening along for the most part.


Deerhoof: The Magic
Deerhoof have come back with another set of really quirky, yet amazingly catchy and experimental pop gems, following their 2013 album La Isla Bonita up with another great, but perhaps more varied album. I was not expecting a cover of the Ink Spots track 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire', but it went over really well with me, and some of the bass grooves Satomi lays down on this thing are super funky and catchy. I also noted Greg Saunier's increased vocal presence on the album, alongside his always entertaining drumming, giving the record a kind of male/female perspective you might expect from a really twisted version of Sonic Youth (if Kim were replaced by Yoko Ono singing pop songs about her latest trip to the doctor's office). A really excellent record and a perfect addition to Deerhoof's already sizable list of great albums.


Image result for nails you will never be one of usNails: You Will Never Be One of Us
Nails is a band that can pack the punishment of other metal acts' full discographies into a single one minute onslaught. So, on their longest record (at a lean 22 minutes), they bring the pain. The songs are blisteringly fast, the aggression at 11, and there is nowhere to hide. I really loved the versatility of the drumming here, as the band takes great pains to not have just blast beats throughout, and the guitars mix it up a lot as well, trading between heavy chugging rhythms and searing Slayer influenced shred fests. It's a direct main line of unadulterated hatred and anger, and does the best thing an album can do; keep the listener wanting more.


Desiigner: New English
With the last sentence of my opinion of the previous record in mind, let's look at a record that, despite its brief run time, far overstays its welcome. Desiigner, who has stated explicitly that he's not biting Future, continues to be even more of a shameless Future rip off, with even less intelligibility and substance than the genuine article. I'm not a Future fan, but even I can admit that was his thing first. The songs are boring and mind numbingly repetitive (I would count how many hundred times his 'rrrrrrrrrah' ad lib was used, but then I would have to listen to this mixtape again. I don't know what Kanye could have possibly seen in this guy, but put me down as thoroughly unimpressed.


Check back soon for more reviews. What did you think of these projects? Are there any other recent albums you're really excited about, or just couldn't stand?



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