Week 4: Listening to Seven Albums a Week and Writing About Them (JAN 22–28)
Tidal — Fiona Apple
Despite being adored by critics, Fiona Apple was very outspoken against the entertainment industry in 1996. She called the system “Bullshit” at the VMA Awards. She was right, but I wanted to know the real reason why she was on that stage at the young age of 19. The reason is simple. She already made her name as one of the most impactful emerging talents the music industry has ever seen.
Tidal is a trailblazer of a debut with feminist messaging. Apple expresses the tolls of womanhood and how she powers through them. The messages are subtle, but the ideas are fully there. In “Sullen Girl,” she sings about her innocence being taken away from her and her emotions being abused. “In the blue of my oblivion. Under the waves. In the blue of my oblivion,” she cried.
“Criminal” is the best song I’ve heard since I began this year-long writing exercise. The trembling piano and haunting woodwind paired with Apple’s vocals are magnificent. It feels that the only thing missing is a church choir on the hook. Although, that may be a tad too much, haha. It’s a triumphant track that has some baggage. She feels like she needs to free herself. She echoes, “And I need to be redeemed. To the one, I’ve sinned against. Because he’s all I ever knew of love.”
She impressed me vocally on “Slow Like Honey.” The keys are icier on this track. The vocals are fluttery and magnetic. It didn’t blow me away like the genre clashing “The First Taste.” I wouldn’t be shocked to find out that she was one of the first to try something like this. The drum break feels so modern. I feel like the drums could be sampled on a Drake dancehall song. Rate Your Music categorized this track under Bossa Nova which I don’t have much experience with. It is the easiest song to groove to on this album.
Throughout this album, there is certainly passion, but she’s also calm at many moments. She sounds so observant of her emotions at such a young age. “The skin of my emotions, lies beneath my own,” she sings on “Never is a Promise.” She sings more about losing her innocence in “Child Is Gone.” Apple belts, “So my darling, give me your absence tonight. Take all of your sympathy and leave it outside.” This is a sign that she is no longer dependent on another person. She has become independent and a whole self.
This is a brilliant record. The lyrics are genius and the emotion is conveyed accordingly. The strings and piano throughout are an absolute pleasure to engage with. Apple’s vocals meld beautifully between the instrumentation. She has so much control and feels as if she is floating. Tidal is the preeminent pop record that aided the creation of more recent female pop classics.
Clark — Clark
This record feels cold, freezing even. It feels like there’s not a lot of room to breathe in the one-minute intro, “Ship is Flooding.” It felt like I was on a mountain and piercing icy winds showered my face. The aptly named “Winter Linn” provides a sharp distortion and booming bass.
I like it when each song on an electronic record is transformative. If you read my earlier electronic reviews, I find flow significant on albums such as these. My favorite transition is from tracks 4 to 5. “Strength Through Fragility” acts as a calm before the storm scenario for the following track, “Sodium Trimmers.” The latter half of this track could definitely be played in the intro to the movie Blade. It feels like such a dark and brutal rave record.
The headbanging continues “Banjo.” The beat is incredibly punchy and the lasers are a nice touch. Perhaps this song is called Banjo because there is something reminiscent of cartoonishly fast-paced strumming within the instrumental. Clark always manages to keep things interesting. There hasn't been a dull moment in this project. The first vocal sample appears on the following track, “Snowbird.” With chimes on the back end, this track sounds the most dissimilar to the others at this point in the album.
“Grit in the Pearl” sounds like only a deviation from the standard. It's the least alt-sounding track on the album. It expresses the most similar to popular synth-pop electro music that was popular among DJs in the early-mid 2010s. This is not a knock. It just sounds like Clark’s take on this style of music. But maybe I’m just being a fucking nerd.
Listeners will receive a good mix of everything here. Clark has a dark sound, but there is an occasionally welcomed brightness.
Let the Sun Talk — MAVI
“Never waited for doors, was taught to barge in”— MAVI on “Ghost (In the Shell)”
When I first heard a track from MAVI years ago, I thought he was another Earl Sweatshirt-inspired artist along with MIKE. It was a foolish assertion because he is much more than that. There are a lot of bars on Let the Sun Talk. There is also plenty of emotional depth as well. This album is smartly produced with great touches of jazz.
The hunger and desperation to show his talent are almost tangible in these tracks. It genuinely feels like he is on the edge on the track “Self Love.” He speaks painfully about his relationship with his mother. In his voice, his mom tells him “I see you out here poisoning yourself and want it for you
And I love you better than I love myself, my fruit is spoiled.”
There are beautiful moments of self-reflection scattered within this album. The reflection is the clearest on “Chiasma.” The mic and sound quality is the worse on this track, but it’s obviously intentional. It sounds like he is on the brink of tears in the final minute of the track. “Can fail a million ways they still are dumb enough to love me. Or trusting enough to love me, swear I’m so fucking lucky,” he raps.
The songs that are just instrumentals mixed in with voiceovers are a nice touch. These voiceovers connect the dots between tracks. There are themes of loneliness and isolation that I feel like plenty of people in today’s time can relate to.
Dirty Mind — Prince
Dirty Mind is an early statement from Prince. If he wasn’t a household name after his self-titled album, then he certainly was known after this. This album reveals more of Prince’s eccentric personality. In his fullness, one may say he is sex personified. Old folks are wrong about pop music being too sexually explicit nowadays. They have no right to talk when songs like “Head” were buzzing around in 1980.
Prince’s sultry voice and guitar are an iconic duo that shines on Dirty Mind. The rhythms are fresh and the hooks are earwormy. There are a couple of slow-burners here and there, but these songs are bound to keep listeners moving. Prince has never been defined by a specific genre, and this is true in Dirty Mind. “Do It All Night” is a sexy song that uses ambitious funk guitar.
“Uptown” is a synthy funk anthem with a genius drum break at the end. How anyone can sit still to this song is a true mystery. Prince combined multiple elements with hints of disco. The electric guitar is magnificent. I imagine Prince playing one of those keytar instruments on the aforementioned “Head.” The tight bass and the catchy synth are undeniable. The latter half almost took me to heaven with the trippy breakdown.
This album is fun, plain, and simple. It has a style that only an icon can muster. I refuse to talk about “Sister.” I know or hope he isn’t serious, but… yeah.
Enema of the State — blink-182
Short Review: This was the perfect album for teenagers in the late 90s and early 2000s. Most of the material here is about parties and girls. The lead singer Mark Hoppus maintains the same delivery throughout, which is not a knock. His delivery has character and is enjoyable.
I would have a hard time believing that those who loved this album at a young age love this album almost the same way now. It is truly a product of its time.
Ultravisitor — Squarepusher
Short Review: There are very long tracks on this album. It works because every song has its own narrative and body. It’s electronic music that commands your attention. It feels like a personal record for Squarepusher. This somber album is bound to make you feel something.
It’s mainly electronic, but I was surprised by the engaging acoustic guitar performance on “I Fulcrum.” Listeners should expect the unexpected on this LP. These surprises should enhance show you how music is an effective way of communicating emotions and attitudes.
KISS THE RING — Rome Streetz
KISS THE RING is one of the latest albums from the highly touted Griselda camp. Rome Streetz is a 35-year-old emcee with surprisingly youthful energy. I was surprised to learn that he was over 30, but given that the average age of the recording group is likely 37, I shouldn’t be so shocked.
Rome has plenty of skills on the mic, and his persona is vicious. He won’t go a few lines without saying something that has an impact. At times he reminds me of an older Joey Badass, especially on “Armed & Dangerous” where he and Armani Caesar sound akin to a young Joey and T’Nah Apex.
Many of the beats on this album aren’t aggressive like Rome’s delivery. They are pretty laidback for the most part, giving him plenty of space to do what his good at. The headbangers are found near the end. Make no mistake, the signature dusty Griselda-branded drums are there. This is evident in “Long Story Short” where Rome tells an unfortunate story of ended hoop dreams. I could tell without looking it up that the majority of these records were produced by Conductor, Griselda’s in-house producer.
Rome raps like a true rebel. He makes it clear through his lyrics that he follows the “fuck everyone; no one can fuck with me” motto. To say it’s convincing is an understatement. “Fashion Rebel” is hands down the best track on the album. It bangs, and Rome sounds the hungriest on here, which is saying something. It’s aggressive and in your face. He raps, “Been through hell, locked in a cell, jake doing shakedowns. Now I rip stages, see how quickly life change ‘round?”
Not many moments surprised me in this LP. KISS THE RING functions as a standard Griselda record. Many of them don’t go outside the box unless their name is Westside Gunn. This is not a bad thing, however, as their signature sound is why they are as known and respected as they are today. They’re the counterculture in hip-hop as the mainstream sound continues to further itself from hip-hop’s roots.
