One of the most polarizing, controversial & popular artists in hip hop today Sexyy Red coming straight outta St. Louis, Missouri ringing in Memorial Day Weekend by releasing her 3rd mixtape following her appearance on the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s developmental brand NXT. Getting her footing in penning a diss track towards an ex-boyfriend who cheated on her, she subsequently dropped her debut single “1,000 Jugs” in 2018 & eventually her debut mixtape Ghetto Superstar on Christmas Eve 2021 to subpar reception. Last summer however was when she went viral as a result of her gamma.-backed sophomore tape Hood Hottest Princess, which received more mixed responses in the public eye including from myself on the contrary to Anthony Fantano giving it an 8. My interest peaked after learning couple months back that Tay Keith was fully producing her upcoming debut album since he & Sexyy Red have always brought the best out of one another much like Future & Metro Boomin’ since Tay laced some of her biggest hits such as “SkeeYee”, but is preluding it in the form of In Sexyy We Trust.
After the “Tim Talking” intro, the first song “She’s Back” is this admittedly obnoxious trunk-rattling opener about her return whereas “Boss Me Up” produced by Tay Keith really gets the tape started from the piano-driven instrumental to Sexyy’s boisterous lyrics. “U My Everything” featuring Drake uses the exact same sample Metro Boomin’ used for “BBL DRIZZY BPM 150.mp3” earlier this month further validating Kendrick Lamar’s line on “euphoria” where he said “When I see you stand by Sexyy Red, I believe you see 2 bad bitches” leading into the synth-laced strip club anthem “Ova Bad”.
“Get It Sexyy” was a fun single mixing trap, crunk, Memphis rap & snap together so she can energetically do her dance while “Fake Jammin’” has a rubbery quality to the beat calling out everyone who ain’t jammin’ shit like they say they are. “Outside” hooks up some vibraphones & hi-hats courtesy of Mike WiLL Made-It not shying away from making it clear that she stays out here, but then VonOff1700’s verse on “Sexyy Love Money” is almost as laughable as Drake’s despite the ominous piano chords throughout & the lyrics breaking down everything that Sexyy Red herself loves.
Meanwhile on “Sport”, we have Sexyy talking about killing these hoes over one of the weaker instrumentals on the entire tape even with the weak reference to former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed that is until “TTG (Go)” bounces back eerily dropping braggadocio. The song “Lick Me” featuring Lil Baby richly talks about cunnilingus while the penultimate track “Awesome Jawsome” turns the bass up a bit more encouraging to shake your dreads between her legs. Funny enough, “It’s My Birthday” ends In Sexyy We Trust with what “Ratchet Happy Birthday” by Drake off Scorpion should’ve been.
People online tend to clown on Fantano for giving Hood Hottest Princess an 8 all these months later & even I myself would tell you that it’s a strong 5 to a light 6 on it’s best day, but I also find it ironic that literally every single redeemable quality he saw in that previous tape is EXACTLY what I see in this new one right here. If you wanna get into Sexyy Red, In Sexyy We Trust completely outshines her earlier work. Once you get past a few underwhelming guest performances, rhetorical production mostly handled by Tay Keith is a lot more detailed than what she’s done before & she can be humorous at times.
This is the sophomore effort from Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica singer/songwriter & deejay Shenseea. Putting out a handful of singles since 2015 like the Vybz Kartel-assisted “Loodi” or “Run Run”, she then signed to Interscope Records prior to the pandemic & got her biggest push yet after appearing on the “Ok Ok” remix off Ye formerly known as Kanye West’s final Def Jam album DONDA. Her own debut Alpha further solidified Shenyeng as dancehall’s most exciting new artist & had a feeling Never Gets Late Here was going to improve on the departments in which Alpha lacked.
“Face Lift” starts by signing over a cloudy trap beat from London on da Track & FNZ about continuing to keep going wherever life leads her whereas “Hit & Run” featuring Masicka goes straight dancehall explaining that you couldn’t get them to settle down. “Tap Out” brings a hypnotic groove to the table instrumentally trying to find out how long you can last with her, but then “Neva Neva” goes for a pop reggae vibe refusing to say never & not wanting to feel any pressure.
Meanwhile on “Die for You”, we have Shenyeng returning to the dancehall sound talking about dying for her lover just before “Keep a Place” brings a traditional reggae flare thanks to Supah Mario hoping her exes’ memories of her aren’t fading. “Dolla” once again turns back into bashment turf explaining that money is better than sex itself prior to “Loyalty” talking about her new man being a real O.G. atmospherically stripping down roots reggae with an increased emphasis on pure rhythm.
Coi Leray pops up for the funky “Flava” so both of them can talk spicy while “NaNa” takes the anthemic route aesthetically singing about someone waiting all his life for her & shining like the summertime every single day of the year. “Red Flag” featuring Anitta is this dancehall/Latin pop crossover explaining that men who don’t have it being a turnoff for them while “Stars” passionately encourages to leave them in the sky.
As the conclusion of Never Gets Late Here gets closer, the penultimate track “Heaven on Earth” asks where her paradise is over a warm trap instrumental produced by Cubeatz that is until “Work Me Out” featuring Wizkid officially ties up the LP mixing dancehall with afrobeats talking about only being here for 1 night only getting 1 invite to give sexercise & burn them out.
Couple years after we get a proper introduction to Shenseea, she’s celebrating summer early & following up Alpha to complete her Interscope contract making a vibrant fusion of rhythms & genres including dancehall, contemporary R&B, pop music, pop reggae & Afrobeats further demonstrating her songwriting prowess & knack for crafting infectious melodies that make Never Gets Late Here an equally solid album.
Insane E is a 39 year old MC & graphic designer from East Palestine, Ohio starting out as 1/4 of the No Clue Crew in the early 2000s before branching out in favor of a solo career releasing The Fine Line at the very end of that decade. Subsequently, he became the Head of Graphic Design for Majik Ninja Entertainment & a graphic designer for the label’s founders Twiztid in November 2013 only 11 months after the demented duo had departed from Psychopathic Records to do it themselves. And to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of E’s sophomore effort The Art of Blaowww, I was eagerly waiting for the Astronomicon graphic designer’s 3rd album.
“In the Balance” kicks off the LP on some rap rock shit produced by Fritz the Cat opening your mind & taking a look inside whereas “Tell Me Do You Really Care?” heinously talks about hoping everyone’s paying attention to him since the end is near. “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me 2099” is a remix version of a highlight track off E’s solo debut The Fine Line, but then “Limitless” moves forward passionately talking about keeping your head up & giving it all you got.
The trap metal vibes on “Alien” suit the lyrical content of not fitting in or not belonging just before the anthemic “Chambers” featuring Zodiac MPrint finds Blaze Ya Dead Homie & The R.O.C. assisting E in running around circles chasing after what they’re looking for. “Get a Clue” takes an ominous trap route hoping that someone out there can hearing him crying leading into “Excedrin” marking a turn into boom bap territory talking about passing the over-the-counter medication to him.
“Welcome to My Gallery” fuses trap with metal once again coming to terms that he’s simply an artist searching for his inner self while “Brainwashed 2099” is another remix, this time of a Gemini Projekt track off the duo’s only album Experiment 17. “Scapegoat” brings a futuristic flare to the beat from Godsynth not giving a fuck about who hates him since he’s only moving faster up the ladder that he’s been climbing while “Bury It” featuring Jamie Madrox goes full-blown rap rock feeling like they’re losing their sanities.
We get more guitars & hi-hats on “Time” so E can ask how long will it take until Father Time starts crumbling down on us all while psychedelic “Life by Design” wants to know if everyone is living by default or design. “Let It Burn (No Return)” grimly talks about being past the point of no return while “Next Level” featuring Mr. Grey has this morbid trap groove to it discussing that they’ve been waiting too long to move up & move on.
“Homesick” nears the climax of balancing the Scales working in a stripped-back sound altogether with some acoustics courtesy of Stir Crazy talking about how there will always be a part of him back home & that the family he’s started meaning the world to him ahead of “Shift” properly concluding the album fusing electronic music & trap asking if you can feel him now.
Over a decade since we last heard from him on The Art of Blaowww & roughly 15 years that he began carving a path for himself as a solo artist, Insane E has returned to provide what I consider to be my new favorite solo effort of the 3 in his entire discography. It’s more well-produced than his last couple LPs were, he sounds focused addressing more personal subject matter & we get stronger feature performances on top of it.
Compton, California rapper, singer/songwriter & actor Vince Staples is back with his 5th LP. Emerging as a close affiliate of the now defunct Odd Future collective, he would go on to release 4 mixtapes before signing a joint deal with Blacksmith Records & even No I.D.’s very own Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. My personal favorite of which being Stolen Youth, which was entirely produced by the late Mac Miller. His first major label outing Hell Can Wait was a dope little EP preluding the full-length debut Summertime ‘06, which became one of the best double disc albums of the previous decade. Vince later detailed the pitfalls that came with his success on the next EP Prima Donna & the dude’s sophomore effort Big Fish Theory was unquestionably his most experimental work yet. He later teamed up with Kenny Beats for his 3rd EP FM! & his eponymous 3rd album but coming off Ramona Park Broke My Heart from a couple years ago, Vince is fulfilling his Def James contract on Dark Times.
After the “Close Your Eyes & Swing” intro, the first song “Black&Blue” is this vigorous kickstarter talking about still being on some n***a shit whereas the boom bap driven “Government Cheese” encourages the listeners to smile & not to lose their inner child. “Children’s Song” goes for a twangier trap vibe instrumentally telling y’all to stop playing with his crib & play with your kids instead ahead of “Shame on the Devil” going for a conscious west coast hip hop vibe talking about God making him special.
Jay Versace‘s production on “Étouffée” takes the atmospheric route & Vince paying homage to the New Orleans hip hop scene during the hook & after the “Liars” skit, “Justin” returns to the boom bap telling the story of a woman who’s already in a relationship. “Radio” gives off a solemn trap flare to the beat from Cardo so he can turn up his hustle while “Nothing Matters” brings back the kicks & snares asking why she told him that she loves him when she doesn’t.
“Little Homies” begins the encore of Dark Times by hopping over a funky instrumental telling all his lil homies out there listening to be blessed & keep their heads on a swivel when they stop while the last song “Freeman” prior to the “Why Won’t the Sun Come Out?” outro fulfills Vince’s contract with Def Jam talks about everything being all good.
Even I thought that Vince had already left Def Jam since he’s been releasing his last couple projects through Motown Records, but at least he officially went out by finding the clarity that he was looking for when he initially signed his first major label deal over a decade ago. It has a prominently conscious west coast hip hop sound to it with additional neo-soul, neo-psychedelia, jazz rap & experimental hip hop undertones sprinkled in & you can truly hear his growth after all this time.
Varg Vikernes or professionally known as Burzum is a 51 year old musician, author & convict from Bergen, Norway whose 3rd album Hvis lyset tar oss & more specifically it’s follow-up Filosofem are regarded as some of the most essential black metal in the subgenre’s history even now. Dauði Baldrs & Hliðskjálf went for more of a dungeon synth direction since both of them were recorded while he was in prison for arson & the murder of founding Mayhem guitarist Euronymous. Over a decade later, Belus marked a return to Burzum’s black metal roots & Fallen personally is the last LP of Varg’s that I personally found myself enjoying especially as a result of beginning to incorporate his nationalist far-right beliefs onto the 4 full-lengths he’s released since. Ye formerly known as Kanye West cited him as an inspiration for ¥$’ ongoing Vultures trilogy to the point where Burzum’s coming out of his 4-year retirement to put out his 13th & final album.
Varg Vikernes eller profesjonelt kjent som Burzum er en 51 år gammel musiker, forfatter og straffedømt fra Bergen, Norge hvis tredje album Hvis lyset tar oss og mer spesifikt dets oppfølging Filosofem blir sett på som noe av det mest essensielle black metal i undersjangerens historie. selv nå. Dauði Baldrs & Hliðskjálf gikk for mer en dungeon-synth-retning siden begge ble spilt inn mens han satt i fengsel for brannstiftelse og drapet på grunnleggeren av Mayhem-gitaristen Euronymous. Over et tiår senere markerte Belus en retur til Burzums black metal-røtter og Fallen personlig er den siste LP-en av Varg’s som jeg personlig fant meg selv glede av, spesielt som et resultat av at han begynte å inkorporere hans nasjonalistiske ytre-høyre-tro i de 4 fullengdere han er utgitt siden. Ye eller tidigare känd som Kanye West citerade honom som en inspiration för ¥$’ pågående Vultures trilogi till den punkt där Burzum kommer ut efter sin fyraåriga pensionering för att ge ut sitt 13:e och sista album.
“The Magic of the Grave” is a nonstarter intro because while I appreciate the fact that Varg gives a calmer delivery, the atmospherically depressive black metal/dungeon synth instrumentation with post-punk undertones is on some cutrate GarageBand shit. “The Hidden Name” decently works in more atmo-black influences although the vocals get drowned out whereas “The Nature of the Gods” pointlessly goes spoken-word for 3 minutes over a piano. “The Call of the Kraken” has to be my favorite track here so far feeling like a throwback to the Belus/Fallen days of my early adolescence, but then “Beyond the Gate” comes off as cheaply composed as the opener.
«The Magic of the Grave» er en ikke-starter-intro, for selv om jeg setter pris på det faktum at Varg gir en roligere levering, er den atmosfærisk depressive black metal-/dungeon-synth-instrumenteringen med post-punk-undertoner på noe kurant GarageBand-dritt. «The Hidden Name» fungerer anstendig i mer atmosorte påvirkninger, selv om vokalen overdøves, mens «The Nature of the Gods» meningsløst går i tale i 3 minutter over et piano. «The Call of the Kraken» må være favorittsporet mitt her så langt, og føles som et tilbakeblikk til Belus/Fallen dagene i min tidlige ungdomstid, men så blir «Beyond the Gate» like billig komponert som åpningen.
Burzum does an ok job of evoking epic soundscapes commonly associated with fantasy & medieval settings through the usage of synthesizers, keyboards & drum machines on the 15 minute “Winds of the Vanished Realm” that is until “Memories in the Mist” microwaves a longwinded post-minimalism leftover from the Thulêan Mysteries sessions, Varg’s previous full-length prominently centered around dungeon synth alongside dark folk & ritual ambient music.
Burzum gjør en ok jobb med å fremkalle episke lydlandskap som vanligvis er assosiert med fantasi- og middelalderinnstillinger gjennom bruk av synthesizere, keyboard og trommemaskiner på den 15 minutter lange «Winds of the Vanished Realm» det er til «Memories in the Mist» mikrobølger en langvarig post-minimalisme-rest fra Thulêan Mysteries -øktene, Vargs forrige fullengder sentrert fremtredende rundt dungeon-synth sammen med mørk folkemusikk og rituell ambient-musikk.
“What Will Come” makes up for the mediocrity of “Memories in the Mist” which an atmospheric black metal/funeral doom metal hybrid that I enjoy except for Varg delivering what could possibly be the absolute worst vocal performances on the entire thing while “Elfland” surprisingly is my favorite so far putting a post-punk spin on atmospheric black metal. Can’t say the same for “Beneath the Barrow” or “The Mound of Fire”, both replacing the secondary post-punk elements with spoken word for uninspired atmospheric black metal while the bonus cut “The Reincarnation of Ódinn” has to be right behind “The Call of the Kraken” & I’ll even say amongst the best dungeon synth/spoken word tracks that Burzum ever put out as someone who isn’t a big fan of Dauði Badlrs or Hliðskjálf personally.
«What Will Come» gjør opp for middelmådigheten i «Memories in the Mist» som er en atmosfærisk black metal/funeral doom metal-hybrid som jeg liker, bortsett fra at Varg leverer det som muligens er den absolutt dårligste vokalprestasjonen på hele skiva, mens «Elfland» er overraskende nok min favoritt så langt, og setter en post-punk vri på atmosfærisk black metal. Kan ikke si det samme om «Beneath the Barrow» eller «The Mound of Fire», som begge erstatter de sekundære post-punk elementene med spoken word for uinspirert atmosfærisk black metal, mens bonuskuttet «The Reincarnation of Ódinn» må være rett bak «The Call of the Kraken» og jeg vil til og med si at det er blant de beste dungeon synth/spoken word sporene Burzum noensinne har gitt ut, som en som ikke er en stor fan av Dauði Badlrs eller Hliðskjálf personlig.
Umskiptar up until this point was my least favorite black metal album in the Burzum canon & fast forward a dozen years, The Land of Thulê has now sadly taken over Umskiptar’s spot since he usually thrives the most there. I’ll always defend Burzum’s first 4 albums including Belus & Fallen for being enjoyable black metal, but does that mean I agree with & support Varg’s views? In absolutely no way shape or form! My issues with this LP are the cheap GarageBand production & his take on the same style of extreme metal that would literally go on to influence countless other acts simply isn’t as innovative as it was when he first emerged in the Norwegian black metal scene during the late 80s/early 90s.
Umskiptar frem til dette tidspunktet var mitt minst favoritt-black metal-album i Burzum-kanonen og spol frem et dusin år, The Land of Thulê har nå dessverre overtatt Umskiptars plass siden han vanligvis trives best der. Jeg vil alltid forsvare Burzums første 4 album, inkludert Belus og Fallen for å være morsom black metal, men betyr det at jeg er enig med og støtter Vargs synspunkter? På absolutt ingen måte form eller form! Problemene mine med denne LP-en er den billige GarageBand-produksjonen og hans oppfatning av den samme stilen av ekstrem metal som bokstavelig talt ville fortsette å påvirke utallige andre handlinger, er rett og slett ikke så nyskapende som det var da han først dukket opp i den norske black metal-scenen under slutten av 80-tallet/begynnelsen av 90-tallet.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada instrumental band & production team BADBADNOTGOOD consisting of drummer/vibraphonist Alex Sowinski, bassist/keyboardist Chester Hansen & multi-instrumentalist Leland Whitty following up Mid Spiral: Chaos from last Wednesday by releasing their 3rd EP. Forming in 2010 over their shared appreciation for the late MF DOOM & of course Odd Future, their first 2 full-lengths BBNG & BBNG2 further gained traction for blending original material & covers until III fully won me over near the end of my junior year of high school after Tyler, The Creator introduced me to them through shouting the band out on “Lone” off his sophomore effort Wolf. They also produced what I consider to be Ghostface Killah’s most underrated album Sour Soul approximately 9 months later & Leland was promoted from touring member to official member the next summer on IV. Matthew Tavares departed in 2019 & their XL Recordings debut Talk Memory subsequently came out couple years later. However, the odd trio are looking to continue the Mid Spiral trilogy on Order.
To get us started, “Playgroup” is this warm 7-minute composition crossing over jazz & funk from the EP they gave us only the previous week whereas “Juan’s World” experiments with samba jazz in a way I find to be as essential as Stan Getz & João Gilberto’s eponymous collaborative album Getz/Gilberto that turned 60 earlier this spring. “Taco Taco” speaks about walking around Los Angeles stoned on top of a Latin jazz instrumental prior to “Sétima Regra” showing more of a Arthur Verocaiinfluence bringing an MPM flare to the table. “Sunday Afternoon’s Dream” is a vibe perfect for the concluding weekend with it’s horns & saxophones, but then “Rewind Your Mind” concludes Mid Spiral 2: Order with a meditative 5-minute piece.
I have to be honest with myself & admit I was the impression that Mid Spiral: Chaos being a teaser to BADBADNOTGOOD’s upcoming 6th album only 7 days ago when we first got it. Now it’s been made clear as day Mid Spiral will span out as a whole trilogy of EPs similarly to how the EARTHGANG is splitting EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm into 3 separate EPs beginning with R.I.P. Human Art last fall & Robophobia few months ago, it’s certainly matches the bar set by the predecessor last week. The jazz fusion & jazz-funk sounds very much so carry themselves over except they’re replacing the jazz-rock undertones with samba-jazz as well as Latin jazz.
This is the 7th full-length solo LP from Memphis rapper, songwriter, producer & record executive Juicy J. Rising to stardom in the 90s as the co-founder of the seminal Three 6 Mafia alongside his Tear Da Club Up Thugs cohorts DJ Paul & the late Lord Infamous, he’s also had the most successful solo career out of everyone in the Mafia whether it be the Taylor Gang Entertainment/Columbia Records-backed Stay Trippy & Rubba Band Business: The Album or more recently Crypto Business & Mental Trillness. The latter noticeably taking on a more serious tone than some of Juicy’s latest material, taking a good chunk of it’s time coping with Gangsta Boo’s untimely passing & was wondering if the sequel here would address personal themes once more.
“Serenity” starts with a drumless loop Cosh helped put together saying goodbye to Hollywood whereas the self-produced “Bury My Problems” continues by banging out a Memphis tinged 2-parter talking about his pain running deep. “Overseas” works in more minimalistic half-time drum machine programming & droning bass to flex his European guap just before “Desperate Measures” eerily asks why you think he scrapes the bowl tryna get all the extras out.
Hi-hats get mixed with chopped & screwed vocals throughout “4 Life” so Da Juice Man can represent his city until he can’t anymore, but then the decent single “Sukihana” featuring Sukihana herself has more of a cloudier trap flare talking about needing a freaky hoe. “My Hood” throws it back to the classic Three 6 sound advising the newer Memphis artists who been pimpin’ leading into the ominous “He Did” discussing those online claimin’ sets getting checked by goons.
“Fired Up” starts the 2nd leg of the album in the form of a 2-minute smoke break for everyone listening that’s working a 9-5 while “Dig” serves as a playful dedication to hard working bitches. “Cut Back” brings back the signature Memphis sound instrumentally talking about trying to get his life together while “Money Flippa” featuring Project Pat taking a soulful turn to the beat telling everyone to get their grind & shine right.
Nearing the LP’s final quarter, “Switched Up” chops up soul samples once again airing out those who turned on him while “On the Way” featuring both IDontKnowJeffery & Xavier Wulf of the East Memphis Boyz brings 2 generations of the Memphis scene together fondly. Xavier sticks around for the penultimate track “All It Takes” smoothly talking about your girl running to dudes like them & lastly, “Suffering from Realness” concludes Mental Trillness 2 morbidly boasting that he’s too real.
The predecessor last spring was a bit of a breath of fresh air that Juicy’s solo output needed since it was starting to feel repetitive lyrically & the Mental Trillnesssequel plays to the strengths from the album that we got from him over 13 months ago already. He tones down the amount of guests only by a couple notches, it’s mostly self-produced in comparison to producing a little over half last time & addresses further personal issues on the mic.
Here we have the surprise 9th EP from Atlanta, Georgia up-&-comer tana. Beginning in 2018 as a member of the plu2o9 collective under the original moniker BabySantana, he would go on to drop his first 2 EPs Recreation! & Planet Sosa alongside his debut mixtape Quan before signining to Lil Tecca’s very own Republic Records imprint Galactic Records the next fall. tana then preluded his full-length debut album bana by putting out Gaultier as well as London & Dale. Only a month following the main course, Santanaromani has decided to upload Friends Forever on SoundCloud only 24 hours after producing the standout track “Chauncey” off the new Ian EP Valedictorian.
In a surprising turn of events, “Les Fleurs de Belle” kicks off the EP by taking a complete 180° stylistically departing from the trap/pop rap/rage/pluggnb sounds that he became known for in favor of psychedelic rock production from n9ck & robotically sung vocals. Yes, you heard me correctly. “Meisje” continues to delver further down the psych rock rabbit hole to sing about heartbreak while “Charlie” comes through with my favorite vocal performances on the entire EP letting Charlie know what he’s caused continuing the mid-60s style of rock emulating or enhancing the effects of psychedelic drugs. “Let’s Run Far Away” concludes Friends Forever by rejectingly singing about escapism over solemn guitars passages.
Friends Forever isn’t really any different from the new Ouija Macc tape Corruptus or Lil Yachty’s last album Let’s Start Here., of course IGOR and 808s & Heartbreak too. The latter of which he definitely pulls influence from with the amount of heavy auto-tune on his voice during a few points on the EP. But my point is: What you’re gonna get on here is something COMPLETELY & ENTIRELY different from anything that he’s put out previously. When an artist goes into a completely different direction like this, it could go like Rebirth & Supermarket or like those other projects I mentioned. And Friends Forever‘s rock sound makes tana the most versatile signing on Galactic much like maintaining Destroy Lonely happening to be the most versatile signing on Opium.
Scott & Seth Avett aka The Avett Brothers are back for an eponymous 11th full-length studio album of material. Not only is it their first new music in 5 years since Closer Than Together, but it’s also their 6th under American Recordings & to be fully produced by the label’s founder Rick Rubin. Their 6th LP albeit major label debut I & Love & You turning 15 this fall is their crowning achievement in my opinion. The Carpenter as well as Magpie & the Dandelion also got some rotation during half of my high school years. And nevertheless of True Sadness & Closer Than Tougher being the weakest efforts that Seth & Scott have done with Rick, I was still interested in hearing what they’ve been up to after all this time.
“Never Apart” is a folk rock opener talking about not having to miss one another because nothing can separate them whereas “Lover of a Girl” kinda gives of a funk rock vibe finding meaning in the every day struggles of their life being over the romantic attraction they have to women. “Cheap Coffee” stands out as the best on the album working in some pianos & electric guitars singing about feel the warmth of their partners’ love light shining on them prior to the blissful “Forever Now” asking how long is now & expresses their desire to live forever now within.
Meanwhile on “Country Kid”, we have The Avett Brothers taking on the contemporary country sound as they discuss growing up in North Carolina leading into “Orion’s Belt” starring the 2nd half with a boring take on country pop. “2020 Regret” sings over pianos about never regretting any time they had with their previous romantic interests. “Same Broken Bones” has a delicate sound to it altogether as they discuss someone waiting for them & “We Are Loved” acoustically finishes by reminding that everyone is loved even when they’re lonely.
It would be amazing if Rick encouraged them step out of their comfort zone stylistically a little, but I’ll still take The Avett Brothers’ self-titled effort over their last couple albums. They respond to those saying they don’t know when to hold back by sticking to their signature sound giving the audience a glimpse of independently studied spirituality; questions & considerations in the interest of the divine unknowable seek the sacred in the commonplace reveling in the fun & surrender of what we cannot understand.
The Inner Realmz are a production duo from the Mojave desert of California consisting of Masta Cypher Devine & Goomson. Since the beginning of the current decade, they’ve been making waves in the west coast underground scene off their first 2 beat tapes SP 1000 and Build & Destroy followed by Low End Wizards as well as it’s sequel & Digital Chains. Goomson so happened to team up with Broke last summer for a collaborative beat tape Heavy Wreck displaying Broke’s talents behind the boards for Side A & of course Goomson on Side B except for Masta Cypher Devine doing the closer. I was however interested in their 6th beat tape since I personally found the cover art to be reminiscent of black metal music.
“Digest Culture” sets the tone of what’s to come with a 47 second spoken word intro accompanied by kicks & snares whereas “Cymatics” works in some pianos whilst keeping it dusty with the drum patterns. “Recognize Absence” mixes funk & boom bap together with a prominent flute also but after the “Therapeutics” skit, “Mighty Healthy” starts by weaving these summery guitar licks ahead of the kicks & snares coming in later on.
After the “Emulators” interlude blending spoken word & keys, “Pantheon” returns to the boom bap keeping the pianos untouched while “Neural Dust” gives off more of a hypnotically raw vibe generally. “Renowned” finishes the first half of the tape with some masterful pianism just before “Aspersion” adds the kicks & snares in the picture again that when I hear, I can’t help imagine a rainy day in Times Square or any other big city.
“Desirous” starts with a vocal intro from Guru from one of the greatest duos in the history of hip hop culture Gang Starr until we get another boom bap beat except the tone of the chords set off a somber atmosphere leading into “Radio Silence!” taking a darker, eerier turn aesthetically as the kicks & snares remain in tact. The keys on “Daily Commute” seem a tidbit peppier ahead of the downbeat/upbeat drums while “Back to Source” turns the jazz influences back up significantly.
After the “Imitators” skit, “Vesica Piscis” is another piano/boom bap crossover while “Ruggedness & Knowledge” has to be one of my favorites on the whole tape. Especially the 4-start count reminiscent of my favorite production duo of all-time The Neptunes, who unfortunately are at the opposite ends of one another over the trademark of the very name Pharrell & Chad Hugo are known as. Even the closing track “3rd Eye Spies” is a standout concluding Omnipotent aggressively.
Said it when I reviewed Stretch Money’s new EP To the West…with Love few weeks ago & I’ll say it again right now: Los Angeles will always be my 2nd homie since I myself am from Detroit & I gotta say that The Inner Realmz have a promising future as an unstoppable production duo in the underground. Each track masterfully selected and arranged jazz samples sends the brain on a mellow, trippy journey down memory lane with each hiss & crackle.
