Tumbleweed

MINI REVIEW:

Artist: Todd Terje

Album: Its the Arps EP (2012)

Genre: Nu-Disco / Space Disco

Chillwave, a genre (or trend, whichever way you look at it) built around revisiting the hooks and synth-laden leads of the 80’s through a fuzz box, isn’t alone in using its retro sensibilities to captivate its listeners. Indeed, before there was Chillwave, there was Nu-Disco, a combo of late-70’s/early 80’s disco and the modern stylings of house music. You could also say that Todd Terje, Norwegian DJ, is a big contributor to this growing phenomena. That being said, Its the Arps, his first EP in nearly a year, promises more than just a new trend. Opening with the biggest and catchiest hook, Terje knows exactly how to lure his listeners in and keep a firm grasp on them. It’s following this track that Terje lets his other, wilder side run amok. From the psychedlic and otherworldly elements of “Myggsommer” and the spacey drum ‘n’ bass inspired “Swing Star” suite, it’s apparent that Terje has his eyes firmly set on more than simply crafting glossy, thumping house tracks (not that there’s anything wrong with that either). What that future is remains to be seen but that shouldn’t stop anyone from hearing the joyous and endlessly replayable groove that is Its the Arps. I wish this modest offering were a tad beefier but in the end, I remain mostly satisfied. I foresee great things from this one…

8/10

ALBUM REVIEW:

Artist: Common

Album: The Dreamer/The Believer (2011)

Genre: Conscious Hip-Hop

Rappers sure seem to believe in acting. In the past 2 decades, we’ve seen some of the most prominent and/or important figures in the game trade in their mics for a chair next to the biggest names in Hollywood, at least for the time being. Whether it was for a bigger paycheck or as a means of truly expressing themselves before a larger public (rarely the case) is simply irrelevant now; we’ve reached a point where it’s expected for musicians of virtually any commercial genre to eventually transition into spewing thuggish melodrama or trying to overact Meryl Streep. Sure, some have made it, many haven’t, but the real challenge comes later; the eventual return to the studio. This is especially the case for rappers, who tend to either suffer a form of identity crisis or simply refuse to evolve and adapt. Just look at Ice Cube for crying out loud. Between doing an equal share of sub-par (at best) thug films and mind-numbing family films, Cube returned to the mic to squeeze out a few records, delivering the same “Pro-West Coast” anthems he had a decade earlier. The fundamental question here: does anybody care enough anymore?

I’m saying this while listening to the latest release from the well-respected and generally successful rapper-turned-actor Common, The Dreamer/The Believer. Let’s backtrack a bit. Whereas Ice Cube’s recurring (and seemingly only) theme of East vs. West begs for innovation among other things, Common’s had a generally breezy time, releasing relaxing and introspective records that aren’t too far apart both thematically and tonally. This was Common and people liked it. Then came 2008’s Universal Mind Control, a polarizing (though generally panned) departure which saw our beloved nice guy turn into a despicable mess to the sound of electro beats, all in an effort to prove himself as a “thug”. People were not happy and Common sensed this. It was then that our deeply-wounded friend wisely went on hiatus and starred in a handful of moderately successful films (along with Gap ads, but let’s not get into that…).

It’s been 3 years now. Most have put UMC behind them and outright refused to look back (as they rightfully should). Even Common himself seemed ready to move on, describing his sophomore release as a “return to roots”. Seeing as his prior releases had been consistent for the most part, this was great news for fans. However, the pressure was on and the hype was rather high, thus awakening the fears within; had it been too long? Would it truly be a return? What if Common had truly lost it? Yet from the The Dreamer’s opening kick drum, all of these fears are rapidly extinguished. Indeed, The Dreamer/The Believer is the truest kind of return to form, one that continues right where Be left off. Producer No I.D. takes us by the hand, brings us to a soulful world brimming with intensity and excitement and reminds us why we all loved Common. That being said, a few issues hold it back from greatness.

To say Common is back is a sheer understatement: everybody’s favorite nice guy absolutely tears up the mic here in a resoundingly successful attempt at redeeming himself. Rarely has Common been as intense and (dare I say it) as real as he is on The Dreamer/The Believer. This is in part due to producer and long-time collaborator No I.D.’s glossy, hard-hitting production. Together, the pair simply ignite and provide a number of head-bobbing tracks. Deeply rooted in R&B, the album makes great use of its collaborators (including John Legend) and truly delivers some infectiously catchy and equally memorable choruses across its 12 tracks. It’s been a while and Common knows this, having crafted an immediately appealing album that makes no stops for experimentation or any of that electro-hop crap that crawled into his repertoire (I’ll never get over it). Featuring an outro track by none other than Common’s father, Lonnie “Pops” Lynn, this is a veritable, tried and true Common album brimming with life…sometimes a bit TOO much.

Now let’s face it; Common has never been known for his ventures into hardcore hip-hop, nor for his authoritative persona. On the contrary, Common’s strengths lie in his ability to make everything seem ok; his relaxing, instantly recognizable voice evokes a calming, comforting vibe. When he’s rapping about simply celebrating with close friends and enjoying life, Common is unstoppable. It’s when he ventures into being “hard” that things start to fall apart. The album’s first single, Ghetto Dreams, a track featuring Queens-native Nas, while enjoyable in its own right, isn’t exactly one of the album’s high points. However, the main offender here is the Drake diss-track Sweet; to say it’s merely in the wrong hands is simply being too kind. Common has built a career out of being a smooth-talking, almost fatherly figure in hip-hop. To hear him aimlessly attack one of pop rap’s current poster children just feels awkward and childish. I’m by no means a Drake fan (I’ve never enjoyed his stuff) but let’s face it; he’s BARELY a rapper anymore. It just seems infantile, pointless and horribly misguided. Leave this persona behind, Common. Just leave it.

Thankfully, as painstakingly dull as the dissing gets, it isn’t very prominent on the album; what’s left is some good, old fashioned Common, celebrating his return to the game. His strengths truly lie in his ability to gather everyone and indulge in some harmless storytelling. Lovin’ I Lost and the extremely catchy anthem Celebrate work on these grounds, especially the latter. As an ode to his return, what we get is an instantly memorable and uplifting track akin to a big family cookout. However, the album’s real shining point comes in the form of the penultimate track, The Believer. John Legend is as good a guest as always here, delivering a soulful chorus to what is easily the album’s most politically and introspectively conscious track. It’s a reminder as to why Common is considered one of the best in the game and a real throwback to some of the best songs off Like Water for Chocolate. What follows is the always-pleasing conclusion by “Pops”.

Common fans rejoice; this is a truer return than most rappers dream of ever making without feeling dated or recycled. What holds it back from greatness are the missteps taken to assert his place as a legend, the results of which make him look more like a cranky grandfather. The truth is, despite the GAP ads, Universal Mind Control and the seeming confusion regarding Common’s path near the end of the last decade, he really hasn’t suffered all that much. Artists make mistakes every now and then and these were Common’s growing years. Most people were able to look past these and still hold Common up as one of the best lyricists in hip-hop. This need to prove himself just feels unquantified and just barely holds The Dreamer/The Believer back from being what it wants to be: a true celebratory album and one of Common’s best. I have high hopes for what the future holds in store.

7.5/10

The wait is over. The time is now. 2011 has been a fairly exciting year in music and a definite improvement in virtually all genres over the lackluster year that was 2010. Many delivered rock solid new material while some straight up reinvented their selective genres. While I most likely missed out on a few of 2011’s most revered albums (if you have any recommendations, send em to meh!), I’ve carefully selected the following records out of a fairly large pool. Without further ado, the top 25 of 2011 are:

1. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

2. Gridlink - Orphan

3. Madlib & Freddie Gibbs - Thuggin’

4. John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

5. Burial - Street Halo

6. Tom Waits - Bad As Me

7. Sea Oleena - Sleeplessness

8. Light Bearer - Lapsus

9. The Roots - undun

10. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

11. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo

12. Devin Townsend - Ghost

13. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise

14. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

15. Rustie - Glass Swords

16. Björk - Biophilia

17. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

18. Thursday - No Devolución

19. TesseracT - One

20. Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island

21. Trap Them - Darker Handcraft

22. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - We’re New Here

23. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage

24. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

25. Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine

ALBUM REVIEW:

Artist: Shabazz Palaces

Album: Black Up (2011)

Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop / Abstract Hip-Hop

2011 has been rather lackluster as far as ambitious, original hip-hop goes. Sure, CunninLynguists released one of their better albums, Pharoahe Monch remained as solid as ever and the Beastie Boys finally released the long awaited Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2, but none of these provided many enticing looks into the future. As solid as they were, all of them played it rather safe, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Let’s just say I was hoping for more ambitious/conceptual releases post-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy but it clearly didn’t leave much of a mark aside from a wave of hype. And don’t even bring up the overrated mediocrity that was Goblin. I found Tyler the Creator’s debut Bastard pretty solid overall but Goblin was simply too uneven to be deserving of high praise. Besides, if he and OFWGKTA wish to stay relevant, they’ll need to grow up a bit. Just sayin’.

That’s all about to change now. A few years back, an interesting little duo called Shabazz Palaces surfaced in the hip-hop scene, presenting a deconstructed and minimal approach to the genre. Made up of Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler (of jazz-rap trio Digable Planets fame) and multi-instrumentalist Tendai Maraire (the son of Mbira master Dumisani Maraire), the duo garnered quite a few nods and approvals for their EPs thanks to a wholly original sound and smooth wordplay. 2 years have passed since their last EP and Shabazz Palaces have struck back with their debut album, Black Up. Not only does it deliver on the group’s promise of original, experimental tracks but it also happens to be the best hip-hop release I’ve heard all year.

The first thing that hit me upon hearing Shabazz Palaces was the way in which this duo shakes up genre conventions. Forget the glossy, densely-layered beats that make up most of today’s hip-hop; here we have a wildly deconstructed and minimal rhythm section that often sounds straight off of a Kode9 & The Spaceape release. It adds a layer of grimy surrealism to the entire atmosphere, as evidenced on the album’s second track, An Echo from the Hosts that Profess Infinitum. It’s at once highly unique and extremely satisfying. Black Up doesn’t hide behind a never ending list of identifiable samples and costly cameos; sparse, trippy beats populate this record and man are they effective! While the grimy electronic/tribal percussion combo may raise a few question marks on paper, it works amazingly in context and provides a refreshing, constantly engrossing background for Butler’s relaxed delivery.

While the production is easily the most bizarre and wildly unique element on Black Up, the lyrics and rapping truly shine through. The minimal production works hand in hand with Butler’s smooth flow to guide his lyrics and paint an intricate picture onto a spacey backdrop. To say it works is a huge understatement. The album’s opener, Free Press and Curl, kicks things off perfectly with an absolutely incredible build-up and chorus. Guided by a thumping bass beat, Butler maneuvers through the first half without breaking a sweat before unleashing a bombastic chorus backed by effects-laden singers. It’s a spine-tingling affair and one that immediately warrants multiple listens. From there, Shabazz Palaces only take their experimenting to higher levels. Are You…Can You…Were You? (Felt) provides one of the album’s greatest moments by presenting a stripped down, piano-driven beat that only expands at the midpoint by including muted horns and a snappy drum beat. It feels great to hear Butler back on mic, this time diving into more abstract territory while still preserving the conscious elements that made him shine in Digable Planets. Here, he simply sounds untouchable and with reason. It’s rare you’ll find an emcee so confident and laid back on the mic; one who doesn’t revel in his own ego or simply rant about every facet of the music industry. Thank you, Butterfly.

Will everyone get into Black Up? Probably not. Some will probably give it one listen and write it off as being too weird and trippy (FOR SHAME!!!). While it has received a fair amount of praise from various publications, many have avoided it altogether because of how unique it is; at times, it can barely be considered hip-hop. What it lacks in glossy, sample-heavy beats it makes up tenfold in originality and replay value. It’s a breath of fresh air in a genre largely devoid of any real experimenting, at least as far as 2011 goes. It also carries a flair unlike anything I’ve heard all year; a kind of self-conscious attitude, with Butler at the captain’s chair asking everyone to just chill out and kick back. Combine that with great production and you’ve got yourself a winner. Black Up is easily the greatest hip-hop release I’ve heard all year and a worthy contender for Album of the Year. It’s a feelin’.

9/10