VOLUME EIGHT
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
FLARA K _________ REDIISIN ROOVIE ___________ HENRIETTE SENNENVALDT BABY FUZZ
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE VOLUME EIGHT - QUARTER FOUR
FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMPELLED TO WEAR THEMSELVES DOWN TO THE FLESH & BONE IN ORDER TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THEIR HEART.
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE C R E AT I V E T E A M
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Brandynn L Pope DESIGN
Brandynn L Pope WRITERS
J a m e s L i a m Wa rd PHOTOGRAPHERS Brandynn L Pope
Cassie Deadmond Sean O’Day
W W W. O B S E S S I V E C O M P U L S I V E M A G . C O M E M A I L fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com I N S TA @obsessivecompulsivemag
INDEX 06 10 14 20 26 32
BABY FUZZ MUSICIAN REDIISIN MUSICIAN ROOVIE I L L U S T R AT O R H E N R I E I T T E S E N N E N VA L D T MUSICIAN FLARA K MUSICIANS ALBUMS OF THE YEAR W RT N B Y J A M E S L I A M WA R D
BABY FUZZ Having written music for and with other artists, what made you decide to focus on your own specific project? What were some of the main ideas that you originally wanted to incorporate into Baby Fuzz?
It was a natural progression for me. At a certain point, the songs I was writing for other people just started getting too personal and weird. I think that was the first indicator that maybe it was time to explore releasing them myself. I think the second red flag for me was that a lot of the demos I was starting to do would end up feeling more sincere and real than the finished versions that the artists were releasing. The production quality was a lot lower, but I started to feel as if something was getting lost in translation from demo to master. I think these were some of the reasons I ended up steering myself in the direction of releasing my own music and starting Baby FuzZ. Talk with us a bit on your colourful design choices throughout your work. How do you come up with these visuals to accompany the music that you have created?
Baby FuzZ has always been about lowbrow humor or playful approaches visually. Each song is different, but I generally like to go for bright colors to contrast some of the darker themes I’m playing with lyrically. I find the contrast to be fun. So I could have a song about depression, and it could look like a Disney character. That’s kind of the idea in general for Baby FuzZ. It also plays with the idea of emotional immaturity and childishness. I’m emotionally kind of stunted, so I think the visuals are a subtle nod to that.
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When it comes to your music, what are the main themes that you are pursuing?
I’m looking at myself a lot in certain songs as it relates to emotional availability, toxic masculinity, and depression. When I focus on the outside world I’m usually talking about absurdity, social issues, climate change etc, and how those things make me feel on a personal level. Sometimes the song is less complicated, but I’ll extrapolate a context for it with a music video to give it more meaning. Being in Montreal over the last 4 years, how have you found that the city has influenced your work? I actually was only in Montreal in 2017. Since 2018 I’ve been in the States bouncing around city to city. I will say that being in Montreal at the infancy of the project, though, really inspired me. I was going to lots of concerts, the MTL Jazz Festival, etc. A lot of the music scene there is really anti corporate and “art for art’s sake”, so I think that really led me down a path where I wanted to make Baby FuzZ not feel as “try hard” as past music I had done. I really just wanted to have fun and explore things with the project and see what happens without any expectations.
With music videos, do you have a strong hand in what goes into them? Do you find that the music videos are a direct reference to the song or are they more as their own separate piece of art?
The music videos are almost always their own universe. Most of them interpret the song in a different way and add a context that you wouldn’t think of just by listening to the song by itself. It’s almost like making another song that goes along with the original song if that makes sense. For instance “What You Gonna Do For Love” is a song about getting hurt by falling for someone, but the music video is an infomercial parody about mindless consumerism. I have a really heavy hand in the videos, as any of my collaborators will annoyingly tell you haha. My most frequent collaborator has been my friend nesto. We finished our 5th music video this year, so that is something we are really proud of. I think the music will continue to develop and get better. I’m still figuring myself out musically. But I find that at least with the music videos, I’m able to more fully convey the ideas that maybe fell a little short in some of my songwriting. Specifically with “Acid Night,” how did the concept come to be and how did you go about the execution?
The video for “Acid Night”... I have this crazy digital projection mask that I was going to use for my live shows this year. The pandemic happened, though, so I wanted to find a way to use this thing somehow. Nesto put together the idea of a time traveling archeologist who is scouring the planet for clues of a past existence. It’s a search for context in seemingly meaningless objects. We shot the video in the desert with just 3 people, so it was a more improvisational type shoot than we normally do. There are so many layers of meaning in this video, that it’s difficult to explain them all in a few sentences. To me there is a fun double entendre of the archeologist representing me as a songwriter looking for emotional clues from my past to put in my work. Generally, though, the vibe is futuristic nostalgia for an America that collapsed.
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As someone who is vocal on politics, how have you advised and enabled more people to have interest in the global affairs?
Well, I guess you could say I moved to Canada after the 2016 election. There were so many threats to do that from US citizens, but I did it. I really was going to move forward with renouncing my citizenship and trying to become a Canadian citizen, but the music lifestyle and touring kind of prohibitively effected that the last few years. I guess I wanted to reengage with the United States culturally also, and fight for ideas I believe in after I returned. There has always been an amazing cultural back and forth between Canada and the US. I think now, more than ever, the US is actually looking to Canada for example on how to move forward, both culturally and politically. For instance, you are going to see a really diverse Cabinet for the incoming President-Elect Biden. That is something that Trudeau did to make people feel included in the government and how it feels representative of society. Is there anything else that people should be on the lookout for when it comes to your work?
I’m dropping an album in early January. It’s called Welcome To The Future (Season 1). Make sure to be on the lookout!
REDIISIN Tell us a bit about your venture in the Toronto and surrounding area’s music scene? Originally performing as a drummer, how did you get yourself involved and how did that involvement influence you to create your own solo project? I started out performing very young in the vietnamese community as a drummer, then doing the whole nine yards in marching bands and symphonies. In my teens I started playing in different bands for just a few shows, but then I found Low Kites and that’s where I started to get more involved. I used to feel distant from the music scene because I would show up and drum. With them, I was business oriented trying to live out the dream of travelling with a band.
Unfortunately, we had a falling out two years in and I just set out on my own, I couldn’t get enough! Now with covid, I’m doing all I can to make some good songs and launch my name into the music scene.
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Your stage name is compounded between your given name, your father’s nickname, as well as your Vietnamese name. Tell us a little bit more about the duality that you are exploring both by choosing to compound your name like this but also if you explore these topics in your music or in your visuals. Rediisin comes from Red the Second Sin, me being Sin the second Red, but that became too confusing haha, so I summed my name into Rediisin. Being biracial and bisexual, I feel split down the middle in my personal life. I’ve learn to enjoy my opposites rather than feel like I needed to commit to one look, but fuck it. Since I like a wide variety of music as well, I felt torn to commit to one sound and look but again, fuck it. The duality in my name shows how oppositional I’m going with my music, I want to combine more things together to create a new wave of music. What themes do you find yourself exploring in your music? Is there any particular topic that you often find yourself gravitating towards? For some reason, I always like to write about music in my music. -The Vision- is about exploring music as a songwriter and challenges that come with it, some songs more literal than others. But in the music itself, I write with rhythm, I use what I know as a drummer to keep the music percussive beyond the drums. I want the listener to feel like they’re being pushed forward and travel with the music.
Give us a little insight on the parts of drag culture that you are pulling from and influenced by. I love drag, honestly everything about it. Drag queens just are exactly what they want to be and I strive for that confidence. I use elements of drag into my looks exploring with makeup and fashion and there’s a level of energy I get at drag shows I can’t get anywhere else. I want to find my own form of drag and use it with my music. Tell us a little bit about your design choices as an artist. What kind of imagery do you seek out to have be a part of your branding?
My design is a combination of many things I still need to find the balance for. I use nature as literal imagery but I want to portray indie rock, glam, punk with a bit of popstar. I want my audience to see my opposites and always feel their style can fit in with mine. Moving forward I want to continue to develop my look to something more drastic, when in doubt, freak them out. With your EP, The Vision, releases what do you hope that people experience from the full catalogue of your songs?
I want people to experience what it is like inside my head. For years, I couldn’t get music out of my head and I couldn’t figure out how to make it tangible. The busyness of these songs are to show how much sound comes at you everyday and how much sound goes through my head eveyrday. Added, the last song is the most emotional song I ever wrote, making it to the end would show myself in my most vulnerable state. Is there anything else that people should be on the look out for from you?
Absolutely, I have been doing music for almost my entire life and I am not going to stop working on musical projects. After this, I have singles on the way, but I want to focus on producing more. I’m currently working on music for podcast intros, a short film, some tracks for businesses, and a friend’s passion project, so feel free to hit me up and stay tuned for the singles!
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ROOVIE Recently, you have worked on fords.’ Album, The Colour of Nothing. Tell us a bit about how this experience came to be and how you approached the project beginning to end. Initially, it was Luc who asked about my prints in an Instagram DM. Later he told me that he was working on a new EP project and asked if I would be willing to make artwork for the cover. I let him know, I’m down to do it if I like the music. He introduced me to his previous work and I liked it, so it began like that. The EP turned out to be a full length album and I did four pieces of artwork altogether. Working with Luc was a bit different from other musicians/bands. It kinda reminded me of my experience from working with brands. The brief was thorough and detailed with moodboards, color choices, themes and some references from my previous works. I had this sense that he strongly knew what he wanted from the start. His comprehension of my work made the brief a flourishing common ground that maintained freedom of creativity for me. So I took it more as a collaborative work. Mainly the artworks are trying to capture the feeling of lightness, some kind of floating feeling and a state of being in the water. I listened to all of the tracks on repeat during the process, hoping that could influence the feeling in some way. At the time it was created, it hadn’t been decided yet which artwork would be for each single, so my goal was to try and capture the feeling of the whole album in a short visual series. With this work specifically, you have these beautiful spaces of nature that somehow still maintain a human element within them. Tell us a bit about this particular designchoice? Nature and human relationship’s are something that I’ve been doing for quite a while, luckily it shared the same theme with Luc’s vision for the artworks. No doubt that this is the choice for the design. Mostly I just feel comfortable drawing any forms of nature in my works, probably because I grew up in a rural area. Both of my parents are farmers and I used to help them working when I was a kid. My father would teach me to speak good intentions to the plants when planting, watering and caring for the crops, and hoping for the rain to come, or not to come would be our night talk.
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TAKEN BY SHEVIN D PHOTOS
What themes did you pull from fords.’ album in order to create these different pieces of art? The theme revolves around human and nature relationships, (mostly water in this case) with keywords on changes, growth and selfawareness. When we read the four artworks backwards to their release order, for me it could also tell a transforming/unifying process of a human into nature. [It is] to say that human and nature are inseparable, if that makes sense.
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What were some of the specific things that you knew you needed to incorporate into the work and were there any spontaneous things that you felt particularly excited about upon creating them? The prominent object of the artwork is the body of water, and how sunlight interacts with it. I would find my way to see where the human figure could “sneak in”, and in some pieces this happens spontaneously. The other part that relied on spontaneity was the side layout. The single artworks have this little side layout that must be drawn in continuation with where a line ends on the main artwork frame. This little layout gives some kind of another “window” to see and interpret what happens in the main artwork frame. And it changed many times during the process of sketch, revisions, to final work but yet it still found a way to take shape and imbue meaning into the whole artwork. Of the selection of slides, do you have a personal favourite that you made for the album? “Living, Breathing” the first single. I’d like to imagine this piece as the zenith/final of the sequence. Where the human figure dissolves into water and becomes one with nature.
Explain a little bit about your drawing and journaling practice and how that evolves into some of your larger finalized pieces of work. I have been drawing as a journaling practice for two years. The finalized piece is the journal drawing itself. For me, it is a form of suluk (self mastery practice). The drawing becomes my way of documenting the “footprint” of what I experienced, what I’ve learned, and things that came to my realization. In general, life events. And drawings created during those times becomes one narrative. That’s how my artworks are compiled under certain volumes and themes. How did you first start getting involved with working with artists remotely? It was 2009 during my college year I set up a blogspot website, and joined an online community called emptees.com. I started working with bands and clothing brands abroad, mostly for merch and album covers. Nowadays inquiries come knocking mainly from Instagram DM’s. You have a very specific and beautiful pallet that you choose from in your work. Tell us a bit about the colours that you choose and the materials that go into your work. My drawings are done with pen on paper, then scanned, and then colored digitally with Adobe Photoshop using paint bucket tools and some stipple brushes that I made myself. I think my colors are pretty basic, mostly combinations of reds, greens, blues and yellows. Sometimes when I look at other artists’ works, I wonder to myself how they could come up with these beautiful sets of colors. This is probably something that I would like to experiment in my future artworks, trying different ways to color. How have you felt that living in Indonesia has influenced your work as an artist? My works are derived from my life, and I have lived my whole life here in Indonesia. Among the many cultures that make up Indonesia, I was born in Java. And this Javanese philosophy of life has mainly shaped my intentions and essence, the feeling of my works. But in terms of visual style, I’m wide open to the universe of imageries we can access today. I have found that the colourful pop-art movement has me inspired the most at the moment. When it comes to your artwork in general, is there anything else that people should be on the lookout from you? It is my footprint, a residue from my life. However, I would encourage anyone that encounters my works to feel free to make up their own interpretation.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Miriam Dalsgaard ______ 20
HENRIETTE SENNENVALDT Tell us a bit about your record, Something Wonderful. How long have you been working on and evolving these tracks? Who were the team of people that you wanted to go with for this release while writing and recording?
The album came out of a period in my life where I had given up on music somewhat. There was a feeling that I had to change my life, including my relationship to music. But I couldn’t really stop myself from writing stuff. So I had to reinvent what music was to me. It took a long time – years – because all of my habits kept lurking around and a lot of the work was really about getting them out of the house, note by note. Another reason that I worked on this album for such a long time was that life kept interrupting the work, the way life does, but in a very real and time consuming manner. So I did several attempts to record the songs, before I had the opportunity to finish the work ... in Copenhagen, with a sort of patchwork of some of the recordings I had done along the way, and new sessions. This also means that the team evolved ad hoc. I’m honoured that so many really gifted people have been a part of this process, all of them important, even though some recordings weren’t used in the end, because of the chaotic process that happened to be the way this album made its way into being.
How was it working on music on your own terms, versus working collaboratively with a band like you have in the past?
It was difficult and necessary. Having the sole responsibility is both tedious and thrilling. Being faced with one’s own will is not the same as having the power to do whatever one would like to, obviously. But I don’t think I could have invented a way into sound again if I hadn’t been working by myself for long stretches. And the link between one’s limitations and one’s expression is the same whether or not you work as a collective. Also, it’s important to emphasize that the album is a function of everyone who has been part of the process. One major and interesting difference for me was that in Under Byen someone else would always write the melody for my lyrics, which gifted my relationship with my own words with a helpful distance. Working on my own I had to engage such a distance very willfully myself in order to open up the field of meaning that lies between sentence and phrasing – which to me is at the core of song versus written text. When working with words and voice there’s an open area of vibrating possibilities between the word or sentence on the one hand, and the way in which it is said on the other hand. That field trip is such a field trip, you know – first hand observations! Your work has this particular self-aware artistry to it. Particularly with “New Skill” your explanation for the track completely aligns with the music video you put forward with it. What made you decide to create this very literal visualization?
The video is directed by Kim Richard Adler Mejdahl, who is an artist I admire a lot. In our collaboration he would say it was a meeting between his maximalist and my minimalist visual sensibilities. I was looking for a minimalist take on the visual expression in order to make space for the song and because I am interested in what happens when a given receiver/spectator/ listener of an expression is handed a lot of responsibility or agency. It is a privilege I myself enjoy when experiencing music and art. I do take some pride in the role of being a receiver, a listener, a fan; in making a work of art work – for me, with me, in me. And when such minimalistic urges are in the hands of a maximalist artist such as Kim you might end with a bag of Cheetos that suddenly seem wild and multivalent. To me the literalness of it is both silly and serious. It’s a way of insisting – and also of facing the problems and gifts of metaphor or imagery. A way of emphasizing that any inventory in art is something to both look at and look through.
Both in regards to it being your personal choice but one that would make its way into the music video, what was it that attracted you to putting up yellow curtains specifically?
You must be referring to the Track by Track in which I tell the story about moving into a new apartment and putting up yellow curtains and not leaving the place except for buying fast food at the gas station at night. It was a period of quietness and ecstasy in which light, and colour and air became alive for me and this period initiated the new skill that the song is about - the skill of being interested. Maybe curtains are helpful in a process of demarcation between self and other? And maybe such a demarcation is needed in order to be interested, to be reaching outside of yourself? Maybe they’re just pretty, the way cloth is somehow just so good at showing us beauty by way of making air and gravity visible. Think for instance of ancient Greek sculpture with that draped cloth around the body and how that cloth and its soft shape is often a very moving part of that work? I have a childhood memory of a room with yellow curtains and how the sunlight would come through them in the morning and how I would sit in that yellow light and feel like colour and light was just serving me the best show ‌
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What is it about these real world themes and personal stories that you like to embellish and evolve into music?
Music, to me, is a way of thinking. It might be a way of thinking that doesn’t distinguish between thinking and feeling. To me the category of real world could encompass everything and with that I wouldn’t hesitate to put any personal fantasy or collective mythology in there. Real world themes are in a way all there is and music is a practise or a method in which anything can be discussed, I hope. Things that were important to me when making this music were: desire in a wider sense and desire as tradition; the desire for knowledge and with that the existence of not knowing, of uncertainty and of difficulty. Also, amorous desire as opposed to or aligned with intellectual desire. Also, music in itself – music as a way of thinking, as knowledge happening – its possibility and its precariousness, the space between random sound and groove/ melody/harmony. This points back to my interest in the role of the listener and myself as a listener. When it comes to other visuals, such as the album art, what did you want to achieve with it and what was the deciding factor with going the minimalist route?
The cover design was made by Studio Jetz-immer, whose blend of delicate and grounded sensibility spoke to me, as I was looking for something that – as with the videos – would leave a lot of space for the music, a frame that was sparse and strong. I wanted it to make transparent the references to tradition that the music makes use of, and I wanted it to be somewhat conservative and template like. At the same time it was important to me that it didn’t allow for a lot of narrative possibility, since the songs make such an effort of questioning the traditional narrative of songs. Is there anything else that you are working on now that Something Wonderful has been released? I am working on new songs and new obsessions.
FLARA K When involved in any local community activity you learn to realize how small the world really is. Especially in music, there always seems to be someone who knows someone that you had once known, and that community branches out across the entire country. Forget about the individual communities in their separate cities. One musical duo that has experienced that more than ever in the last few months is Flara K. Collin and Sam are husband and wife duo who took on the open road with their dog, Fred conducting interviews with different artists in each city they visited. We were able to catch up with them about their experience on this journey as well as their most recent EP release, Anxious, Irrational, Fashionable. __ Let’s talk about your Cruiser Conversations around Canada. This is a beautiful way to get around the inability to tour. How did it come to be? Collin: We were cooped up in our apartment and Sam had never seen the country before so we thought it would be a cool thing to see the country during a pandemic, staying isolated in our RV. Luckily, Sam’s parents had one that they weren’t using. Sam: I think it was an opportunity for us, so that the pandemic wasn’t affecting our career like it has with other music industry professionals. Because of COVID you can’t go out and meet people like you had before. It was a new and creative way that was safe, helping us while coping with this new landscape.
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This was all done through Instagram Live? Collin: It’s all instagram live. We just finished one 10 minutes ago. People are pretty into it, and even today we had an A&R from Universal to come in and chat about stuff. It’s been nice to connect with the community and chat. Sam: Yeah, and to pick their brains about what member of the community is feeling and doing to navigate this new landscape and changes. We can still stay connected even when you’re isolated. How did you go about finding the people to have these conversations with? Collin: We cold call through email. Sam: We knew some of them, where we were fans of or knew already. Other’s we were hoping to hook up with and see what other’s recommendations would be. For festivals and stuff we dug into the festivals that are close to our hearts and are important in those main Canadian music scenes as well.
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Collin: The more we reached out to festivals and people we hadn’t interacted with much before, the more people we found we knew. When we reached out to Manitoba music, the woman that was in charge of the artists trajectory, she had played in a band that I had booked in Montreal 10 years ago. It was cool to find those old connections. That’s such a beautiful thing about the music industry, I love that. What do you think are your biggest take aways from this experience? Collin: I think the coolest take away was we have lived in Montreal our whole lives and always thought how it would be cool to live somewhere else, and always discredited ourselves for not living somewhere else in that awkward position of showing up and figuring things out. We are very involved in the Montreal community and i think we felt really grateful to be a member of that scene. The more we travelled the more we realized we missed the community. How it compared to be in different scenes across the country.
Sam: I feel like it’s a part of being an independent artist. We don’t have this whole scene to take care of styling, makeup and visuals. We had to learn to do these things ourselves. I taught myself how to do video editing on YouTube. It’s cool to have multiple facets of being artistic. Sam: The take away from traveling is just that the country is so beautiful and to take it all in especially in these trying times. It’s nice to get that warm sense that this is home. Collin: Especially when you’ve been driving through the prairies for 9 hours ... [Laughs] Speaking to your community, tell me a bit about how Montreal has influenced you, both as musicians as well as the community itself? Sam: We are very much community based. Once we started having the mentality of meeting people and being involved in the community in a genuine way, everything changed for us. Not just, did we get inspired by other people’s music. We were inspired by human beings who were working so hard to do what they love. We made incredible friends from doing this. Collin: Sam and I realized we are not in competition with anyone. We can be a part of everyone’s stories, a part of their success, then it will open doors with us as well. Sam is a beautiful musician but she edits videos, also an incredible stylist. The more she put herself out there the more people wanted to work with her. And when they worked with her, she just started growing exponentially. When you’re sitting at home and doing it this one way. You are robbing yourself of the experience.
Collin: The one thing I found was just bringing those visions in yourself to life ... I’m like the worst supporter of that. She does stuff I don’t get and I’m like ‘That’s probably not going to look nice,’ [Collin and Sam start talking over each other laughing] And every time I don’t say anything because I’m always wrong. It always turns out pretty awesome. That might be a husband thing, a grumpy husband. She brings it up at 7:30 in the morning and I tell her to go to sleep. Amazing! I wanted to ask a bit about the branding and design choices. I noticed a lot of 90s and early 2000s influence. What made you go in this direction? Sam: I love that this came across. That was the vibe we wanted to go with. We worked hand in hand with one of our friends who is a graphic designer. I came up with this concept of being pastel. For me the idea stuck because it was what i was into at the time and was getting really inspired by a lot of artists at the time like Dua Lipa that were bringing cool 90s vibes. How can we do this in a way that’s comfortable to us? Collin: We were resourceful. We didn’t have thousands of dollars. We bought the backdrop and the stands and got our friend’s camera and shot it. It cost us like 250$ to do all of that. You’re so good at being resourceful at things.
Sam: I don’t think about it because I just see it and I do it. It’s something that we have been forced for so many years to be resourceful with what we had. It’s been in my head, in the background, of how can we stand out with this tiny little budget. We love all of these high fashion things, to be really glam, and I love to dabble in things like hair and makeup. How can we bring that across on a tight budget. It’s been interesting to navigate through that.
Sam: [With] “For A Minute”, I’m someone who has struggled with anxiety disorder my whole life. Collin and I as human beings in this life together have to navigate what that’s like for us, because he also struggles with anxiety. It kind of represented social media and how it gets to us sometimes. It has that negative side of Collin: It’s always going to be an adventure and comparing yourself to every body and how your something out of our comfort zone. The more we life is less interesting than everyone else’s. So we were thinking about that anxiety we literally have grown in this music scene and expanded, go and take a drive and stop by the river and the more we have felt uncomfortable, and we stay still together. That song came out of that got comfortable being uncomfortable. We were able to expand in a bunch of different directions. for us. It happens all the time. It touches on that anxiety aspect on how we feel on a daily basis. I wanted to hear a bit about your EP, the themes and what you wanted to showcase?
Sam: I think for this EP we didn’t want to put any rules on ourselves. We didn’t want any restrictions of what we were going going to sound like. It was a natural process for us. There were so many songs that were very disco like and we had been listening to the Bee Gees for weeks prior to writing this song. We just went for it like, “Let’s write disco tunes.” For One More Minutes it just ended up happening where it was really groovy.
Collin: If I Can’t Have You was written in Sam’s perspective in how I was dealing with my dad’s death. It’s an upbeat positive version of it. Sam: These moments that you go through, no matter who it is. We could so easily make these songs that feel dark as well but for us it was important to touch on these topics that feel bad but have an upbeat feel to them because you always come out the other song. We wanted to focus on that.
Collin: Yeah, even though that song is on a darker topic she helped me get through Collin: We spoke with a Vancouver artist something that was super hard for her to be yesterday asking how they came across their sound and they were saying how they don’t put there for me. At the end of it we were stronger any limits on it. We had put so much pressure on together. It was me appreciating all of the things ourselves in the past to put a specific sound on she did for me. And then we made a disco song out of it because why not. and all that really ended up doing was making us write soul-less music that were weren’t It’s almost prophetic for how you feel at the end. particularly proud of. Now we just let ourselves experiment. It was cool to let it all go and make Sam: Yeah, exactly! the stuff we really wanted to hear.
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Outside of the themes, I wanted to ask a bit about the roll-out plan and the process of it all. Sam: We love all of it and we record all of it from our home studio, in an apartment room. Collin: I try making these beats on a computer and I’m like, “Sam come look at this beat!” We sit together and we have this green velvet sofa and on the carpet and we just throw ideas until something sticks. It’s my favourite process. Some of our friends think that we work with producers to build it up from the start. I’m really proud of the fact that we need a producer because production styling isn’t where I’d like it to be but by the time that we hand it off, it’s already such a big piece of us that by the time we send it to a producer or a mixing engineer that they just add a little extra flavour and it’s an extension of our story. It keeps the whole process fresh. How I had never thought about doing it that way. I am that kind of guy where I have this idea for what I want and ii want to be perfect on the first try. If it takes 5 or 6 tries I’m scared it will never get there. That’s what I have to go through with the mixing process. What’s better than perfect? Is done. If that isn’t the truth! Well, now you’re about to have the last Cruiser Conversation, right? Sam: On the schedule it was supposed to be tomorrow but we have had requests form other artists and we are going to continue doing these conversations as we drive back home. Wow, that’s amazing! So what else should people be expecting from you? Collin: We had this idea for when we get home to continue these conversations. Sam: We are talking with people while on the road and we are dealing with this for the rest of however long, we don’t know how long. It’s been fun getting into everyone’s mind state on how they stay creative.
By the time this has come out, Flara K has finished their journey across Canada. Much of their adventure has been captured on their instagram for people to take a look at. As well as, their EP, Anxious, Irrational, Fashionable is available on all platforms to check out!
A
LBUMS OF THE YEAR
WRITTEN & CURATED BY JAMES LIAM WARD 2020 was a tumultuous but magnificent year for music and selecting just a handful of highlights was no easy task. Before I begin, I would love to mention Duckwrth and Tame Impala as honorable mentions for the “Albums of the Year” segment. I’d also love to shout out my musical comrades in AVOID, Year Over Year, Cloaker, Pollyanna, Stasis and 86love for putting out great projects this year as well.
EP RELEASES OF THE YEAR
JOCKSTRAP 06.19.2020
05
Wicked City Warp Records
ESSENTIALS: “Robert” “Acid” “Yellow in Green” “The City”
SERPENTWITHFEET 04.29.2020
04
Apparition
Secretly Canadian
ESSENTIALS: “A Comma” “This Hill “Psychic”
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Wicked City is the Warp Records debut from experimental electronic duo, Jockstrap. Pairing Georgia Ellery’s dainty vocals with Taylor Skye’s mind-melting production, Wicked City is a psychedelic dive that is equal parts divine and demented. From the industrial madness of “Robert” to the wavering pianos and creeping synthesis of “Yellow in Green”, Wicked City effortlessly carries the listener from one extreme to another. “The City” begins as a tender piano ballad until Ellery’s breathy vocals are looped into a sinister, thumping beat with glitching synthesizers and abstract rushes of manipulated vocals. By comparison, “Acid” is a soaring ballad in ¾ time, layered with lively string arrangements and colorful electronics. The tumultuous and kaleidoscopic finale of Wicked City makes the EP a triumphantly uncanny display of the duo’s beautiful breadth of sound. Apparition is a brief and captivating set of tracks from Baltimore singer/songwriter Josiah Wise, also known as serpentwithfeet. Throughout this EP, the singer’s strikingly distinctive vocal timbre glides over a contemporary canvas of sparkling pianos, subterranean bass and strong percussive elements, giving Apparition a distinctly slick and modern aesthetic. “A Comma” is an intoxicating and immersive introduction that sees serpentwithfeet praying for redemption in the wake of heartbreak. His hopes are realized on the harmonious “This Hill”, whose sunny instrumental and jubilant mantra prove that Josiah is slowly but surely moving past the events that affected him so profoundly on his last LP, Soil. The final track pushes this concept further as serpentwithfeet begins to romanticize his medium in the quirky and direct “Psychic”. Josiah sounds significantly happier in this conclusion, and the sentimental lyrics of idyllic newfound love leave Apparition feeling brighter and more hopeful than when it began.
VANSIRE 10.16.2020
03
After Fillmore County Spirit Goth Records
ESSENTIALS:
“Every Time Around” “Central Time” “Fillmore County”
DENZEL CURRY & KENNY BEATS 02.07.2020
02
UNLOCKED
PH/LOMA VISTA RECORDS
ESSENTIALS: “Take_it_Back_v2” “ Pyro (leak 2019)” “DIET_” “Track 07” “‘Cosmic’.m4a”
GIVĒON
06.19.2020
01
TAKE TIME Warp Records
ESSENTIALS: “THE BEACH” “WORLD WE CREATED” “FAVORITE MISTAKE” “HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY” “LIKE I WANT YOU” “VANISH”
After Fillmore County is the superb second EP from Minnesota dream pop duo, Vansire. Simply put, I adore the sound of this band. The woozy, easygoing vibe of this project never fails to put me in a good mood, especially when the danceable “Every Time Around” flaunts its audaciously essential cowbell. After Fillmore County is padded with meditative instrumental vignettes, twinkling guitars and lush synthesizers to maintain a blissful vibe and consistently sweet tone throughout the track list. Vansire is excellent at picking and placing guests on this project as well, whether it is Mick Jenkins’ fantastic baritone breakdown in “Central Time” or FLOOR CRY’s dreary presence on the forlorn and melancholic “Fillmore County” -- every feature on this EP is essential. Florida rapper Denzel Curry and American producer Kenny Beats join forces to bring us the incomparable UNLOCKED, an imaginative set of hip-hop tracks with a distinctly dystopian edge. The raw talent on this record was more than enough to make it good, but Denzel’s energetic performances and Kenny’s zany production push UNLOCKED over the edge. There is a strong Madvillain influence on this project, but Kenny Beats’ instrumentals are never too flashy or cluttered -- always leaving more than enough room for Denzel Curry to deliver his consistently clever and memorable bars. UNLOCKED never lacks for variety either, as it moves from the jabbing synthesizers of “Take_it_Back_v2” to the jangling percussion of “DIET_”, the project remains consistent in tone as it explores multiple sonic directions. It is worth emphasizing that this project is not just a run-of-the-mill showcase of Denzel Curry’s abilities; Kenny’s detailed, sample-heavy introduction and retro interlude sections give UNLOCKED a defined pace and allow the record to shine as a unique collaborative project. GIVĒON’s debut EP is a stunning showcase of the R&B singer’s strong songwriting chops and luxurious vocal tone. From the ascending hook of “THE BEACH”, to the staccato melodies of “FAVORITE MISTAKE” and the soaring chorus of “LIKE I WANT YOU”, GIVĒON proves that he has a knack for penning incredibly memorable, satisfying refrains. Even the detours on TAKE TIME are impressive displays of vocal dexterity, most notably GIVEON’s exclusively acapella interlude. The falsetto flows and driving drums of “THIS AINT LOVE” maintain a refreshing momentum before the project slows things down, saving the best for songs last. TAKE TIME’s second half is a prodigious plunge into some of the most stunning R&B ballads I have heard all year. HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY’s clever concept and fantastic falsettos guide the listener through the soaring LIKE I WANT YOU, to the stark VANISH, where GIVĒON’s breathtaking vocal performance trades off with vivid and psychedelic guitar passages to conclude this extraordinarily impressive debut.
ALBUM RELEASES OF THE YEAR
GORILLAZ 10.23.2020
15
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez Parlophone Records
ESSENTIALS: “The Lost Chord” “Pac-Man” “Dead Butterflies” “Opium” “MLS” “How Far?”
TOUCHÉ AMORÉ 10.09.2020
14
Lament Epitaph
ESSENTIALS: “Come Heroine” “Lament” “Reminders” “Limelight” “Savoring” “Deflector”
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Gorillaz announced earlier this year that they would be taking their music in a new conceptual direction with an emphasis on singles instead of albums. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez is a compilation of remarkably unique songs that the British band released during these truly Strange Timez. What makes this project special are the bold pairings of vocal guests and collaborators, the best example of which is “The Pink Phantom”. This extravagant piano ballad pairs Elton John’s dramatic singing with 6LACK’s understated auto-crooning in a courageous collision that could only work in the Gorillaz’ supremely strange universe. Slowthai takes the spotlight for “Momentary Bliss”, a completely insane post-genre mashup of bombastic bass and punk-rock. Gorillaz are taking wild risks on many of these songs, but they still take the time to satisfy die-hard fans; the sequenced drums and quirky synthesizers of “Pac Man” have a satisfyingly familiar timbre, reminiscent of Gorillaz’ legendary album, Plastic Beach. Strange Timez’ bonus tracks are astoundingly great as well. EARTHGANG’s performance is purely electric on the ambitious “Opium” and Skepta’s feature on “How Far?” makes for an epic conclusion to this bold collection of singles.
With over a decade of great albums under their belt, California’s Touché Amoré have established themselves as one of the most consistent posthardcore bands in the genre. Lament is Touché Amoré’s boldest record to date and a brazen step forward in the band’s discography. My typical issue with Touché Amoré albums is the lack of variety, an issue that Lament remedies with an expanded sonic palette and two subtle yet essential singing guests. Julien Baker’s delicately layered vocals on the upbeat “Reminders” add a charmingly anthemic touch to the song’s refrain. Andy Hull’s impactful performance on the following “Limelight” builds with Jeremy Bolm’s screaming to momentous heights, resulting in the most intense and climactic moment on the album. Producer Ross Robinson pushes the auditory envelope for the band with the incorporation of heavy delay, chorus and other modulating effects to give songs like “Exit Row” and the title-track a satisfyingly shoegaze feel. The album’s latter half includes beautiful pedal and lap steel guitars to evoke lonesome, desolate feelings on songs such as “A Broadcast”. These mournful tones complement the band’s sound perfectly and I hope Touché Amoré continues to successfully explore new directions and expand their sonic palette.
clipping.
10.23.2020
13
Visions of Bodies Being Burned Sub Pop
ESSENTIALS:
“Say the Name” “‘96 Neve Campbell” “Something Underneath” “Check the Lock” “Looking Like Meat” “Body for the Pile”
DRAIN
04.10.2020
12
California Cursed Revelation Records
ESSENTIALS:
“Feel the Pressure” “Hyper Vigilance” “Army of One” “White Coat Syndrome” “The Process of Weeding Out”
clipping.’s latest LP is the haunting follow-up to 2019’s There Existed an Addiction to Blood, a phenomenal album of what the group describes as “Scary stories disguised as rap songs”. Horror sequels almost always suck, but on Visions of Bodies Being Burned, clipping. are able to deliver a satisfying sequel full of blisteringly harsh instrumentals, clever horror homage and Daveed Digg’s awe-inspiring storytelling. The experimental hip-hop trio show a lot more range on this project, bouncing from the bombastically infectious “Check the Lock” to the creaking samples and despondent soundscapes of “She Bad” without missing a beat. The ominous and heart-pounding “Something Underneath” has a stronger focus on narrative, as rapper Daveed Diggs delivers a thrilling vocal performance over a paranoid and glitchy instrumental. I also love the ode to horror heroines on “’96 Neve Campbell”, an absolute banger of a track featuring bloodthirsty performances from fantastic female guests, Cam & China. I found myself appreciating the fun interludes on this project as well, smoothly guiding the listener through this macabre album; “Wytchboard” is a spookily satisfying transition early in the record and the animal drones of “Drove” never fail to creep me out. Much like all of clipping.’s rather cinematic discography, Visions of Bodies Being Burned succeeds in being an abrasive and artful listening experience.
DRAIN’s California Cursed is an unrelenting record of metallic-hardcore mayhem full of memorable riffs, mosh-worthy breakdowns and balls-to-the-wall energy. The blend of old-school and contemporary influences coming together on this project sound great; thunderously chugging breakdowns will transition into wailing thrash guitar solos, yet some of the grooves can also feel downright danceable. “Hyper Vigilance” and “White Coat Syndrome” are blistering barnburners with break-neck transitions, savage screams and immense riffs around every sharp turn. These songs are supremely crushing and exhilarating, but it’s the sunny details between the tracks -- the distant samples of waves crashing, or the distinct timbre of retro surf music -- that give these heavy passages context and make these songs more of an experience. This is a hardcore album with a good sense of personality, and outside of the great riffs and performances, it’s the balmy vibe of California Cursed that helps make all these songs special.
ALBUM RELEASES OF THE YEAR
MAC MILLER 01.17.2020
11
Circles
Remember Music / Warner Records
ESSENTIALS: “Complicated” “Blue World” “Good News” “I Can See” “Woods” “Hand Me Downs”
PHOEBE BRIDGERS 06.18.2020
10
Punisher
Dead Oceans
ESSENTIALS: “Garden Song” “Kyoto” “Punisher” “Savior Complex” “ICU” “Graceland Too”
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Mac Miller’s posthumous album is a bittersweet goodbye from the American rapper and singer, featuring some of his most mature and consistent material to date. The range of influences on Circles extends far beyond hip-hop as it boldly combines elements of funk, jazz, alternative, synth-pop and even indie into a record that sounds remarkably cohesive and focused. The overwhelmingly breezy tone throughout Circles makes the entire album a very amiable listen; “Woods” and the laid-back “Hand Me Downs” both push five minutes in length, but they are such pleasant and tasteful tunes that neither of them ever get tedious. I also love the buzzing synthesizers and simple sentiments of “Complicated”, as well as the warped harmonies on “Blue World” that make for a vibrant and sticky instrumental -- there is such an admirably great balance of different sounds, emotions and ideas throughout this album. Circles is far and away Mac Miller’s best work, and it’s truly tragic that we will never get to see him continue to grow and flourish as an artist. Rest in peace.
Phoebe Bridger’s Punisher is a dusky and depressive realm all on its own, inhabited by watery guitars, eerie synthesizers and the American singer-songwriter’s hauntingly ethereal voice. I love how immersive and murky Punisher feels, but nothing in the mix sounds vague or unclear – it’s as if the album was recorded completely in the dark but everything still went perfectly. The finger-picked guitars on “Garden Song” and other tracks like “Halloween” have an addictively submerged quality to them, and Phoebe’s lyrics carry a potent sense of nostalgia and honesty that comes through quite powerfully throughout Punisher. The album’s primarily gentle nature results in a number of striking and powerful instrumental moments, such as the soaring horn sections throughout “Kyoto” or the snap of percussion on “ICU”. The album’s most striking moment is saved for last; the colossal “I Know the End” uses cacophonous layers of electric guitars, pounding drums and agonized vocals to bring Punisher to a powerful and satisfying conclusion. 3
IDLES
09.25.2020
09
Ultra Mono Partisan
ESSENTIALS: “Grounds” “Kill Them with Kindness” “Model Village” “Carcinogenic” “Reigns”
PINEGROVE 01.17.2020
08
Marigold
Rough Trade Records
ESSENTIALS: “Dotted Line” “The Alarmist” “Reminders” “Moment” “Phase” “Endless” “Alcove” “Neighbor”
Ultra Mono is an auditory assault of deafening guitars, thunderous drums and a pink-faced punk screaming political lyrics at the top of his lungs. The British punk band’s sound is about as subtle as a massive pink ball flying at your face, but I find IDLES’ primal grooves quite invigorating and Joe Talbot’s gruff demeanor and no-bullshit attitude incredibly charming. Surrounding the pummeling percussion and rowdy performances of the band, Talbot’s unapologetic lyrics drive a potent message through all the madness, whether it be love, unity or kindness. I love the rolling bass and gang chants of “Carcinogenic”, as well as the hilarious ad-libs throughout “Model Village”; it always sounds like the band is having a blast when they play these songs and that energy really comes through on these recordings. The guest appearances on the album are sparing but supremely crucial as well. Jehnny Beth’s vocal trade-offs in “Ne Touche Pas Moi” make for the perfect consent anthem, while Kenny Beats’ hip-hop contributions add colorful electronics and a crushing low end to the mix, making Ultra Mono one of the heaviest sounding albums I have heard this year.
Recorded by the American indie band inside of a small farmhouse in upstate New York, Pinegrove’s fourth LP Marigold sounds like a true labour of love. Taking every aspect of recording into their own hands, Pinegrove were able to craft Marigold into an incredibly fluid and dynamic album. “The Alarmist” is an acoustic waltz that balances these dynamics with tender builds and powerful crescendos – the song really comes to life as the first slide guitar solo swoops into the mix. Shorter cuts such as “Spiral” or “Phase” initially resemble humble vignettes, but the amount of beauty and detail that Pinegrove adds to these songs give them a heftier weight and presence in the track listing. Another superbly strong point of Marigold is the vocal harmonies, which allow Pinegrove’s country and bluegrass influence to shine through prominently. The cascading bliss and layered vocal mantras of “Endless” are emotionally moving and stunningly beautiful, while the harmonies of “Dotted Line” reach a euphoric climax in the song’s final chorus. This whole album feels like a warm pool of morning sunshine, capping off with the penultimate “Neighbours” before the abstract twinkling guitars and reflective tones of “Marigold” conclude this beautiful album.
ALBUM RELEASES OF THE YEAR
MOSES SUMNEY 05.15.2020
07
græ
Jagjaguwa
ESSENTIALS: “In Bloom” “Virile” “Gagarin” “Colouour” “Polly” “Bystanders” “Lucky Me”
FREDDIE GIBBS & THE ALCHEMIST 05.29.2020
06
Alfredo
ESGN/ALC Records
ESSENTIALS:
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“God Is Perfect” “Scottie Beam” “Something to Rap About” “Babies & Fools” “Skinny Suge”
The moment græ is introduced, Moses Sumney transports the listener into a world of his own, an extravagant island that is simply one-of-akind. On his sophomore album, the California singer/songwriter embraces his own multiplicity with twenty ambitious and expansive songs, flaunting unique soundscapes and Sumney’s jubilant falsetto. The heavenly and harmonious instrumentation of “In Bloom” makes me feel like I’m wandering through a peaceful alien jungle, while the dramatic pianos and twittering flutes of “Virile” evoke a stark sense of spectacle and urgency. Moses Sumney teams up with a plethora of talented collaborators to design the sonic tapestry of græ; experimental electronic producer Oneohtrix Point Never does a fantastic job with the album’s foundations, and it’s great to hear Thundercat’s novel basslines winding through a number of tracks here as well. James Blake’s keyboards on the forlorn “Lucky Me” are hauntingly chilling, and before “Colouour” melts into a spacious R&B slow jam, King Shabaka of The Comet is Coming creates a flowing auditory ocean of psychedelic saxophones. Double albums are almost always a slog, but the endless details, outstanding performances and immersive experimentation make græ a satisfying and wellpaced listen. Freddie Gibbs is burning hot on Alfredo, the second collaborative album between the American rapper and legendary producer, The Alchemist. Soaring over luxurious and nostalgic instrumentals, Freddie delivers consistently impressive, complex and rapid-fire flows right from the opening track. His performance on “God is Perfect” is absolutely destructive as he tears up the beat for nearly the entire runtime, flowing effortlessly over a nocturnal piano and meditative drum loop. I love how prominent and varied the guitar playing is on Alfredo; opening with a wailing electric guitar and ending with the mesmerizing and flamenco-inspired lick that loops through “Skinny Suge”. The Alchemist notably does a great job of guiding the listener from track to track with faint samples and obscured conversations; my favorite of these is the spine-chilling transition from “Look at Me” into the icy synthesizers and ominous tones of “Frank Lucas”. Never lacking for variety, the laid-back “Something to Rap About” acts as a literal ray of sunshine in Alfredo’s track listing. Tyler the Creator’s guest verse fits the vibe perfectly as a summery guitar slides through the mix, and I love Freddie Gibb’s hopeful line “I want to live to 93, to see the old me”. There isn’t a weak performance or instrumental on this album – from Uncle Al to Father Freddie, everyone kills it. Even Rick Ross.
THE STROKES 04.10.2020
05
The New Abnormal Cult / RCA Records
ESSENTIALS:
“The Adults Are Talking” “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” “At the Door” “Why Are Sundays So Depressing” “Ode to the Mets”
LAURA MARLING 04.10.2020
04
Song For Our Daughter Chrysalis / Partisan Records
ESSENTIALS: “Alexandra” “Held Down” “Song For Our Daughter” “Fortune” “The End of the Affair” “For You”
After being a rock band for over twenty years, The Strokes have teamed up with legendary producer Rick Rubin to deliver one of the best albums of their careers. The New Abnormal is an adventurous album for The Strokes, but in its opening moments the band’s selling point remains the intricate guitarwork on cheerful tracks like “The Adults are Talking”. The vast array of melodies and effects used by both guitarists compound into a brilliant canvas of sound, and the instrumental detours throughout add a lot of charisma to the track. The Strokes’ use of synthesizers on “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” is notably refreshing, where prominent keyboards stab through an infectiously groovy beat with a distinctly staccato timbre. By contrast, the stark synth loops of “At the Door” sound extremely dark and tense, especially when paired with Julian Casablancas’ forlorn vocal performance. Rick Rubin crafted The New Abnormal to sound like The Strokes are performing their album right in front of you, giving the project a distinctly loose and personable vibe. The incorporation of studio banter between songs and the general rough-around-theedges feel to tracks like “Selfless” and “Ode to the Mets” give the impression that The New Abnormal is less of a fantastic studio album and more of a fantastic jam session.
Many singer/songwriters attempt to add as many layers and textures as possible to ensure an immersive album experience, but the strength of Laura Marling’s voice, guitar-playing and songwriting are more than enough to carry Song for Our Daughter. Driven by the powerful openers “Alexandra” and “Held Down”, Laura Marling introduces the album with exquisite refrains, blossoming harmonies and graceful percussion. Over the course of Song for Our Daughter, the UK singer/ songwriter explores a loose concept surrounding love, motherhood, escapism and even infidelity in a symbolic message to her non-existent daughter. The lack of lil’ Marling’s existence makes no difference, as it takes away nothing from powerful and poignant ballads like “Fortune” and the “End of the Affair”. I love the layers of strings worked into the album as well, including the emotive swells of “Blow by Blow”, or the ethereal arrangements on “Song for Our Daughter”, the crucial and triumphant centerpiece of this delicate and gorgeous album. The sentimental “For You” will always have a special place in my heart and serves perfectly as the album’s warm and loving farewell embrace.
ALBUM RELEASES OF THE YEAR
FLEET FOXES 09.21.2020
03
Shore
Anti-Records
ESSENTIALS: “Jara” “Featherweight” “A Long Way Past the Past” “I’m Not My Season” “Going-to-the-Sun Road”
RUN THE JEWELS 06.03.2020
02
RTJ4
Jewel Runners
ESSENTIALS: “ooh la la” “out of sight” “walking in the snow” “JU$T” “never look back” “pulling the pin” With every consecutive album, Run the Jewels gets just a little bit better. Killer Mike and El-P’s fourth album as hardcore hip-hop’s dynamic duo is an apocalyptic thrill-ride with a larger-than-life sound. The whacky beats and aggressive rapping are cranked up to eleven on “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)”, a riotous opener loaded with rattling snares and whooping synthesizers. This rowdy instrumental serves as the perfect prelude for Killer Mike and El-P
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Fleet Foxes’ fourth studio album is a sprawling acoustic experience that is notably more radiant and explorative than their previously pastoral work. The fluttering vocal manipulations throughout “Jara” and the kaleidoscopic rush of instrumentation on “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman” prove that the Seattle folk band are still refreshing their rustic sound in consistently interesting ways. Fleet Foxes’ deliberate inclusion of strong rhythms and grooves on Shore bring a rich momentum to tracks like “Young Man’s Game” and the triumphant “A Long Way Past the Past”. The band never fails to deliver on the tender moments either. “Featherweight” is a picturesque ballad whose quivering piano evokes images of a light breeze flowing through a small campfire. The hypnotic harpsichord loops and enchanting vocal feature from Brazilian singer Tim Bernardes make “Going-to-the-Sun-Road” a magnificent and strikingly cinematic moment on Shore. I love the effect of the title-track as well, where the instrumental bridge symbolically walks out to sea and submerges the listener into an abstract wash of vocals and tones. Shore’s ambitious arrangements and exciting new risks make it another quality addition to Fleet Foxes’ discography, a luminous ray of light in an otherwise turbulent time. to eloquently re-introduce themselves. The eccentric vocal sample and killer verses of the single “ooh la la” are bursting with cartoonish personality and DJ Premier’s characteristic record scratching gives the track an enjoyably classic feel. The features on RTJ4 also knock it out of the park, Gangsta Boo’s hook throughout “walking in the snow” is appropriately cold-blooded and even 2 Chainz brings his A-game on “out of sight”, delivering a hilarious and memorable guest verse. “JU$T” is about everything I could have hoped for in a collaboration between Run the Jewels and Pharrell. The result is an addictively bouncy and aggressively fun banger with a huge instrumental and unforgettable hook. Of all the great features and songs on RTJ4, the penultimate “pulling the pin” is perhaps the album’s greatest success. Combining Mavis Staples’ soulful performance with Josh Homme’s signature guitar twangs and ghostly backing vocals, Run the Jewels create a cinematic and dystopian masterpiece. Killer Mike’s lyrics throughout RTJ4 are fantastic as well, with particularly striking highlights on the previously mentioned “walking in the snow” and “a few words for the firing squad”. Mike’s conspicuous and direct lyrical response to the horrific events that unfolded in Minnesota make “walking in the snow” and the political context of RTJ4 incredibly impactful and ultimately essential for 2020.
Lianne La Havas 07.27.2020
01
Lianne La Hava Nosuch Records
ESSENTIALS: “Read My Mind” “Can’t Fight” “Weird Fishes” “Please Don’t Make Me Cry” “Courage” “Sour Flower” “Bittersweet”
Lianne La Havas’ self-titled third album is without a doubt my favourite album of 2020. The UK singer/ songwriter and guitar virtuoso truly came into her own with Lianne La Havas, displaying an elegant tapestry of spacious neo-soul and an ambitious conceptual narrative. This is an album about the cycles of love and nature, which ultimately fade away to return even more robust and beautiful. This concept is woven throughout the narrative of Lianne La Havas, beginning with the mystical and groovy “Read My Mind”. Lianne kicks off the album with lovestruck lyrics and a brazen declaration of new love -- joyful emotions that slowly sour and evolve as the project continues. Lianne sounds head-over heels on the intimate “Green Papaya” and the blossoming refrains of “Can’t Fight”, but the romantic energy of the album is quickly plunged into meditative heartbreak on “Paper Thin”. As Lianne La Havas transitions through despair and frustration, the album balances stark vulnerability with powerful ballads, including a surprisingly outstanding cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes”. As the transcendent tones of “Courage” swirl around Lianne’s velvety voice, it sounds as though she is finally finding solace in solitude. This confidence is further realized on the explosive and penultimate “Sour Flower”, where Lianne finds lyrical closure and true acceptance of herself. Lianne La Havas finishes with “Bittersweet”, a triumphant and powerful ballad that is all the more essential in the context of the album; Lianne La Havas has been born again from this experience, and she has returned stronger and more resilient than ever.
W E A L L H AV E T H I S O B S E S S I V E
COMPULSION TO CREATE