Tag: KNOWER

Genevieve Artadi – “Forever Forever” review

Los Angeles, California musician, singer/songwriter & video producer Genevieve Artadi following up her Brainfeeder Records debut with her 3rd studio album. Known for being the vocalist of the duo KNOWER with producer Louis Cole, she would go on to make her solo debut with Genevieve Lalala in the spring of 2015 a couple months prior to my high school graduation. Flying Lotus would eventually sign her to Brainfeeder distributed by Ninja Tune & the sophomore effort Dizzy Strange Summer would become more positively received, following it up a few years later with Forever Forever.

After the “A Romantic Interlude Will Soon Come Your Way” intro, the first song “Visionary” begins by crossing over elements of art pop, psychedelic pop, progressive pop, jazz pop & jazz fusion for a celebration of love whereas the title track embraces a Stereolab vibe singing about how her mind stays chasing. “I Know”brings in a mini-moog & a guitar telling this person she went so far & changed herself for them leading into “Message to Self” takes inspiration from Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson making an audio voice memo for herself.

“Nice” ends the 1st half of Forever Forever singing about self-assurance over throwing it back to the days of 80s pop music just before “Black Shirts” by KNOWER addresses a person who’s absence is her malfunction blending house & jazz music. “To Tell How I Adore” has it’s moments reminiscent of Gentle Giant promising this person to express the way she cherishes them while “Plate” brings some incredible drumming to the picture singing about making some meaning out of her night.

The song ‘From Avalanche’ uses metaphors to depict the struggles & challenges that come with a relationship to wind down the album’s final moments while “Change Stays” sings about embracing the inevitable. “Watch for the View” however spends the final 3 minutes finding the inner strength to overcome all the challenges of her life, instrumentally feeling like a cross between Stereolab as well as Joni Mitchell & the late Frank Zappa.

Listening to jazz’s great from the late Duke Ellington to the late Gil Evans & the late Miles Davis in pursuit of a creative spark, Genevieve Artadi returns after expressing who she is outside of her side projects during the COVID-19 lockdowns minimizing the progressive pop influences of her previous full-length to expand her art pop style successfully exploring jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz pop & psychedelic pop to express the love she has for all the people who’re in her life.

Score: 4/5

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Louis Cole – “Quality Over Opinion” review

This is the 4th studio LP from Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & video producer Louis Cole. Known for being 1/2 of KNOWER with Genevieve Artadi, he would eventually make his eponymous solo debut in 2010 & followed it up with the sophomore effort Album 2 preceding Flying Lotus signing him to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune. His debut for the label Time has become the most celebrated entry of his individual discography & Quality Over Opinion looks to raise the stakes.

After the spoken word title track, the 4th & final single “Dead Inside Shuffle”combines funktronica & synth-funk with sophisti-pop singing about feeling content hearing nothing calling his name whereas the 3rd single “Not Needed Anymore” goes for a more indie folk vibe describing the feeling of alienation. “Shallow Laughter” works in some strings singing about hearing the echoes of this person who’s no longer in his life while “Bitches” comes through with this jazz-rock intermission.

“Message” feels like a cross between Earth, Wind & Fire alongside 1234-era Clown Core continuing to pen more depressive lyricism that’ll cut you up leading into the minimalistic “Failing in a Cool Way” singing about taking Ls yet making himself look good doing it somehow someway. “Disappear” turns the folkier elements back up acknowledging that many don’t value what they have until it’s lost just before “I’m Tight” blends synth-funk, funktronica & neo-soul to sing about the result of doing something different with his music.

To end the 1st half, “True Love” goes for a mellower approach explaining what genuine affection is from his perspective while “Planet X” gets the other leg going with a poppy yet funky ballad he wrote to coincide with Grand Theft Auto V’s Cayo Perico Heist DLC asking to name the uninhabited world after him. After the “Let Me Snack” interlude, “Forgetting” throws it back to his earlier material for a couple minutes losing track of where he’s been while “Park Your Car on My Face” brings back the funk getting sexual topically.

“Don’t Care” by KNOWER embraces the funkiness even more singing that nothing’s meant to stay while “Laughing in Her Sleep” tenderly describes what Louis considers to be his favorite mystery. After the “Outer Moat Behavior” interlude, “When” combines some synths & guitars singing about thinking of an ex-girlfriend of his while “Let It Happen” ahead of the “Little Piano Thing” outro ends with an art pop, dream pop, ambient pop, progressive pop, alternative R&B & neo-soul lead single.

Desiring to make the most powerful representation of who he is as an artist, Quality Over Opinion surpasses Time to become Louis Cole’s magnum opus & one of the greatest releases under the Brainfeeder catalog this decade. His production eclectically draws inspiration from synth-funk, art pop, funktronica, synthpop, jazz-funk, jazz pop, neo-soul, chamber pop, jazzstep, dream pop, ambient, alternative R&B, neo-soul, indie folk & sophisti-pop for over an hour of witty songwriting.

Score: 4/5

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