Review: Chance the Rapper- Coloring Book

I was really impressed by Acid Rap when I first heard it, and have been anticipating a follow up for quite some time. His contributions to Surf and his collaborative mixtape with Lil B did little to meet my Chance the Rapper quota, but 'Ultralight Beam' really got me excited for his next project, and when he announced his next mixtape, I was definitely excited. And I was not disappointed.

Coloring Book expands upon Chance's offbeat style, while being something entirely different. Cahnce definitely has matured a lot since Acid Rap, and his wildly erratic flow patterns are replaced for the most part with more thoughtful and introspective lyricism. There is also a very strong gospel influence here that is absolutely undeniable. I feel like this is what The Life of Pablo wanted to be, but ultimately failed to achieve. I kind of wonder ho much of Kanye's vision was borrowed from Chance, since he did contribute heavily to that album.

The features on the whole were enjoyable too (Jay Electronica and Noname killed it), and even artists that I'm not too fond of don't manage to diminish the enjoy-ability of the album too much. Even artists I find insufferable like Young Thug and Future didn't do too bad (I took that 'I got designer galore' as 'Desiigner galore' on 'Smoke Break', referencing how Desiigner is totally biting his sound, but perhaps I'm giving Future too much credit). Lil Wayne, however, totally killed the momentum on 'No Problem' for me with some really weak bars. When you're on a track with 2 Chainz and his verse is better than yours, you have a problem. Also, Kanye's badly recorded autotune warble on the first track was pretty distracting. It seemed like the bigger features on the project delivered the least, but did little to curb my overall enjoyment of the album.

All in all, Chance the Rapper delivered a project that was more consistent, thoughtful and heartfelt this time around, and really gave you a glimpse into his reaction to fame and new fatherhood. I'm glad he's decided to stay independent, which means everything he releases will be just the way he wants it, and having such personal, unsullied artistic statements in the days of major record company interference is a blessing of its own. A really solid project and one of the greater hip hop releases of the year for me.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

What did you think of Coloring Book? What do you think I should review next? What albums are you interested in listening to in the coming months? Check back in later for more reviews.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Review: Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool

So, first of all I'd like to start of saying that I do appreciate Radiohead and enjoy a good deal of their music, but I wouldn't go on record as a Radiohead obsessive. That being said, I haven't really enjoyed their direction over the past few albums, as they dived even more into the electronic sounds they had only flirted with previously. With The King of Limbs and then Thom Yorke's even more electronic sound on Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, I wasn't exactly looking forward to this album. I've always enjoyed Radiohead on their more bombastic, emotional side, and these records just seemed too cold to me. Luckily, I can say they have turned a bit of  corner on A Moon Shaped Pool. 

At first, I can say I didn't really like what I was hearing the first time I heard it. It all just seemed too slow, atmospheric and depressing. Though these are hardly new things for Radiohead, that more emotive or even rock element to them was pretty much non existent. I do like the Jonny Greenwood string arrangements and the more organic instrumentation, which compliments the electronics and looping nicely. It all kind of came together for me around 'Ful Stop', which really got me going back to listen to the album all over again, which reminds me a lot of Beck's Sea Change. It's a slow paced, depressing album partially inspired by a break up (Thom Yorke and his partner of 23 years had separated around the time of recording), produced by Nigel Godrich with string arrangements that sound very similar (listen to 'Paper Tiger' or 'Lonesome Tears' and then this album to see what I'm talking about). They even incorporate songs that both had been holding onto for some time (Beck had 'It's All In Your Mind' and Radiohead had 'True Love Waits'). 'True Love Waits' is easily my favorite song on the album, and really delves into that heart break Radiohead has always been so good at cultivating.

All in all, I'm not as hot on this album as everybody else, but I definitely prefer it to The King of Limbs for its more organic and emotive qualities. Maybe I haven't really been in the mood for an album like this for a while (I can rarely listen to Sea Change; I have to be in the right mood). So the next time I'm feeling like wallowing, I'll try this thing out. I doubt I'll be disappointed.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

I apologize for this coming out so late. I hope I can get my Coloring Book review out faster. Stay tuned for more reviews, and feel free to share your opinions on this record, or to share any music you're really getting into.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Review: Death Grips- Bottomless Pit

Though I do enjoy a lot of material from Death Grips, I cannot say I've ever enjoyed a full album in its entirety. This is probably not that unusual for an experimental group, as some experiments are bound to disappoint at some point. There's always that one or two tracks that just bother me due to their somewhat annoying qualities, that take the "it's not made to be enjoyed" aspect of industrial music a little too far; 'Blood Creepin' and 'Up My Sleeves' come to mind. I feel like the closest Death Grips ever came to a thoroughly enjoyable album was The Money Store, due to its more direct but still radically experimental and abrasive nature, though ExMilitary is still my favorite, in spite of 'Blood Creepin' (most likely due to the freedom to use more sampling because it was a free mixtape. Sampling artists as diverse as Pink Floyd, the Beastie Boys, and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown won them major points). Well, move over ExMilitary, because Bottomless Pit is their most direct, consistent and overall enjoyable album to me.

From the first track, I knew this was going to be something special. I'm kind of just listening to the female vocal line, and then....are those blast beats? Death Grips hinted a little bit at their knowledge of black metal (check out the Mayhem references on 'Centuries of Damn'. Shout out to Myke C Town for pointing that out in his review of Jenny Death), but here they fully go for it with the blast beats and furious guitars. I really enjoy the guitars they've been incorporating since their last album. I know they're experimental hip hop, but I've always enjoyed guitars as opposed to synthetic instruments. 

I also really enjoyed 'Eh', MC Ride's ode to being totally over everything. That is definitely not the approach he takes to his lyrics or performances here. He's still intense and aggressive here, but I can appreciate that he's mixing in some of the more subdued vocals from the first disc of The Powers That B, so that's not all screamed, giving the album some breathing room. And shout out to Flatlander and Zach Hill for some of the group's most raucous, detailed and layered beats yet. They are so weird and confounding at points, but always get your blood pumping. They even bend typical trap production techniques to their will in 'Bubbles Buried in this Jungle', among other songs. It's pretty hard to make sub bass, snares and high hats interesting in this day and age, but they pull it off.

All in all, I think this is Death Grips' most accessible and direct offering, but is still extremely experimental and rewards multiple listens. I feel like The Money Store really established the group's sound, and this album perfected it.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

What did you think of the album? Stop back in later, as I'll be sharing my opinions on Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool, as well as Chance the Rapper's newest mixtape, Coloring Book.



"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Review: Drake- Views

I've been sitting with this for a week, and I'm still confused. Drake has never been one of my favorite artists, but I've been following his rise, and he's got a few tracks I can admit to enjoying. People always point to his introspective tracks as a strong point, but to me those are very few and far between. Hooking up with a girl, leaving her to have sex with countless other women, and then moaning about it years later when you come back and (gasp) she moved on without you does not count as introspection; it's being a whiny douche. Drake seems to mix those types of tracks, really unflattering and boring boasting tracks about how he's "hard" (apparently Snow was ahead of his time if Drake is considered hard now. Snow could've been a massive hit), and genuine moments of introspection throughout his projects, with frustrating results. I really disliked his last project, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late, but even that had 'You & the 6', which I thought was a very interesting dive into Drake's personal life besides money and women. All in all, if you took all of the Drake tracks I like, you might be able to make an album out of it. Then there's Views.

Views seems to take all of my least favorite elements of Drake's persona, ramps them up to 11, discards with any introspection, or even pop appeal or lively (or lively for Drake) bangers, and stretches it out for nearly an hour and a half. It felt like there was very little rapping on this album, the the singing that dominates is so one note, so monotonous and lazy that it fails to make up for it. Production is decent to good (actually the only worthwhile thing to listen to), though the hazy, downtempo beats hardly sync up with Drake's obnoxious bragging (Chaining Tatum? Dude,No). I feel like arrogant brag raps can't be backed by this kind of codeine drenched sound. Production has a little bit of variation fro previous albums with some dancehall vibes (again, Snow should make a comeback), but overall, this just sounds like 'Marvin's Room: The Album' with little bits of If You're Reading This, It's Too Late sprinkled throughout.

If you're a fan of Drake's more R&B balladry, you might enjoy this a little bit, though if you're more in line with his rap stuff, this will not be enough to hold you (his previous outings were hardly bar fests, but still). I actually prefer If You're Reading This, It's Too Late to this, and this may be my least favorite Drake project. It's just too slow, bloated, consistently boring, and delivers really nothing but failed hype. The build up for this album was years in the making, and once the album drops, you're like, 'Really?'. To Drake Stans, this album will either be a classic, or it'll be devastating. To me, it's auditory Ambien.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

What did you think of Views? Check back in later for more reviews. Planning on tackling Death Grips' latest, Bottomless Pit.




"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Review: Lush- Blind Spot EP

It seems like every group is getting back together in recent years. Even groups such as Guns N' Roses, who said they would never reunite, are teaming up for reunion shows. A lot of these reformations have also resulted in new material, to mixed results. We've seen successes (MBV), failures (Indie Cindy), and frustrating mixed results (Anthems for Doomed Youth). I am happy to report that the new EP from the newly reformed Lush is as successful as I could have hoped.

As shoegaze bands go, Lush are one of my favorites. They are more subdued than My Bloody Valentine and other noise driven shoegaze acts, eschewing ear shatteringly loud guitar fuzz for jangly, reverb washed chords and greater emphasis on lyrics, though still obscured in a dreamy haze. Near the end of their initial run, Lush also experimented with Britpop, giving up some of their dream pop leanings for a punkier edge and even more lyrical maturity. I feel like Blind Spot marries these eras beautifully, producing a bouncy and dreamy 12 string guitar driven record reminiscent of their early material, but boasting the more introspective and thoughtful lyrics of Lovelife era Lush.

My favorite track here has to be 'Burnham Beaches', with its sing along hook, sugary melody and laid back but driving beat. And also its about a couple that hates being around other people, which I can identify with (probably more than I'd like to admit). 'Lost Boy' is also a great song, which focuses on a break up on its surface, but can also be read into as dealing with the loss of their original drummer Chris Acland to suicide in 1996, leading to the band's original dissolution (Justin Welch of Elastica provides drums here, and does an admirable job).

All in all, I think this is a great EP, and hopefully a sign of more material to come. I really enjoy the songs, the fusion of the sounds Lush were experimenting with in their later days with their more characteristic approach, and the ever strengthening songwriting chops of Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

What did you think of this record? Are there current releases that you're currently really excited about. Stay tuned for more upcoming reviews.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Record Store Day 2016

Record Store Day was on Saturday, and again, I was drawn in by a few records, and left with a lot more. I got to the record store a half an hour early, and the line was already around the block. I'm surprised I actually got pretty much all I set out to get, minus the Ramones demo single. I guess that's what Ebay is for. So, this is what I ended up getting:

13th Floor Elevators- You're Gonna Miss Me Picture Disc
An impulse buy. I saw that this was a regional release, so I didn't think, I'd even have the opportunity to buy it, but when I saw it, I grabbed it. Their first record is great, and this single is a great addition to any psych rock collection.








Bob Dylan- Melancholy Mood EP

A previously Japan only EP of Frank Sinatra covers. Um... Yes? This is also a preview of Dylan's next album, which acts as a sequel to his previous covers record, Shadows in the Night.








Junior Kimbrough- I Gotta Try You, Girl (Daft Punk Remix)
Another impulse buy of mine. The two artists here are so mismatched, I kind of had to. Plus, the etching on the B-side is pretty cool.

Lush- Origami
This is the one I would have been super bummed if I didn't get. After I grabbed it, I could take it easy. This is essentially their entire output, minus the Black Spring EP (it's included on their Chorus CD box set if you're interested), and the new EP. Guess what I'll be reviewing next?







Manic Street Preachers- A Design For Life
I was looking for this as well, and was actually really surprised when I saw the cover. You can't really tell from this photo or the listing from Record Store Day, but this is packaged in a really cool reflective copper sleeve. With all the new Manics reissues for Record Store Day, I'm hoping to expand my collection even further in the following years.








Thelonious Monk- The London Collection Volume 3

I was gifted Volume 2 last year and enjoyed it, so I thought I might pick this up. I'll have to look online to buy volume 1. I'm a completion-ist, what can I say? If you're a jazz fan, you should check this out. Thelonious Monk is one of the better artists in the genre, and played with a lot of great names as well.

The Monkees- Logo Picture Disc
A gift for my girlfriend. She grew up with reruns of the show and with the music. Me, not so much. It's a cool shaped disc, though.









Iggy and the Stooges- Metallic KO
I've listened to the studio albums by the Stooges and seen some live footage, but never heard this live set. Apparently, you can hear beer bottles breaking against guitar strings, so that's awesome. Also, the lore surrounding their final shows of the '70s and this record made this pretty compelling. It also comes of metallic colored vinyl.









The Turtles- Happy Together
This was another gift for my girlfriend, though I also really love this song. This single combines both the mono and stereo mixes on tortoise green vinyl. Not really sure if there's really any distinct difference between the mixes besides what channels emit what, but I guess we'll just have to see.

The White Stripes- The Complete John Peel Sessions
Another gift for my girlfriend. She really enjoys the White Stripes, me a little less so. This will compliment her Get Behind Me, Satan reissue nicely. There are some pretty interesting covers on here, though. If you're a Jack White fan, and want another of his ever increasing live recordings, check this out.








Jack White and the Electric Mayhem- You are the Sunshine of My Life
It's Jack White and the Muppets singing Stevie Wonder. How could I not? I wasn't able to pick this up at the store, so I Ebayed it. I got the black copy, though. The Kermit green copies were going for waaaaay too much. I was intrigued, but not that intrigued.







Frank Zappa- My Guitar b/w Dog Breath


The obligatory Zappa single of Record Store Day. Haven't unpacked it yet to see what color it is, but I'm not really concerned. These are apparently different versions than the album versions, so I'm pretty excited to hear those. The first incarnation of the Mothers up until their disbandment is my favorite Zappa era, so I'm glad that the Zappa family trust is unearthing this material. I'm hoping for some deluxe vinyl reissues of Freak Out! or We're Only in it for the Money.





So those are my acquisitions. Are there any records you were hoping to grab, or are excited you got before they were gone? Check back in for my review of the new Lush EP, Blind Spot.



"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."