Week 5: Writing About Seven Albums a Week (JAN 29 — FEB 4)

No major label debut frustrated me as much as 2017’s Teenage Emotions by Lil Yachty. I viewed him as a future trailblazer in the Atlanta rap scene when he was dropping music on SoundCloud. He had the most distinct sound among his contemporaries. His first mixtape Lil Boat wasn’t refined, but it was weirdly enthralling.

I wish he remained on that particular path because it made him different. Things headed for the worst when he sighed to Quality Control. QC label was a rising and respected force in hip-hop during this time, but I was worried they might tamper with his ideas.

That is exactly what happened. Teenage Emotions was one of the worst albums of 2016. It sounded like many other trap albums, but this was accompanied by horrible rapping. It felt empty and soulless, which didn’t fairly reflect his carefree personality. His future LPs were better. However, he built upon what made him accessible, but not what made him weird.

His career was easy to ignore until he dropped Let’s Start Here. This new album is a psychedelic foray that no one saw coming. Aside from the leaks, there were few signs of this even happening. This is especially the case with his hit “Poland” being the last solo record he releases before Let’s Start Here.

His latest work is his best at all levels. Yachty produced most if not all of these songs with notable alternatives names such as Patrick Wimberly and Justin Raisen. “the BLACK seminole” is the best intro to an album I’ve heard since “A Lot’s Gonna Change” from Weyes Blood’s Titanic Rising. Yachty makes the smart decision to place similar vocal effects that his other albums have. He is still the same Yachty, just in the realm of something new. His lyrics haven’t gotten inexplicably wittier or anything, either.

Yachty does the bulk of the vocal work, hence being his album. However, there are plenty of features on this album that do not miss the mark, at all. The way he implemented other artists’ vocals is very Tyler, the Creator-esque. First-time listeners may relate this to Tyler’s IGOR, being that both he and Yachty are not the best singers. The way he utilized Diana Gordon and Teezo Touchdown on the first two tracks were impeccable. The best part of “The Ride” was when Yachty masterfully backed Touchdown’s climatic vocal near the end.

The drums and distorted guitars a beautiful throughout. They’re a highlight of “The Zone” for me. I feel like this song has the most Tame Impala influence. It’s the track that takes its time. The hi-hats are so damn clear, and the riffs are brolic. The echoes of Yachty’s voices put you in a trance. I think it gets the loudest on this track. At one moment, it reminded me of early Trippie Redd. Justine Skye’s feature ends the song off well by adding to the mystery of this truly being “home.”

I cannot help but think about the album cover while listening to the intro of “I’ve Officially Lost Vision!!!!.” It’s like the most eery corporate elevator music ever. This song is the point where Yachty’s vocals touched me emotionally. He cries, “I’ve been forced to make some terribly bad decisions. All these voices in my head, I need an incision.” The piano before the climax and Gordon’s vocal run are a heaven-sent blessing.

We reach rock bliss on “The Alchemist.” There is a superb connection of moods on this one. Yachty’s part has much energy and settles gorgeously into Fousheé’s vocal embrace. It does this a couple of times. The quiet falsetto from her at the end is one of my favorite moments. It’s an appropriate appetizer for the next track, “REACH THE SUNSHINE.”

Along with Gordon’s lovely contributions, Daniel Caesar has one of the best features as well. Along with the powerful synths, there is a hint of Latin flare on the guitar. The laughing behind the synths, which I assume to be Yachty’s adds to the madness.

Let’s Start Here. is fantastic work throughout. When paired with music like this, Yachty’s vocals may be offputting to some. I’m happy that he trusted that his voice would fuse beautifully with the backing production. I’m also glad to know that Yachty had ideas behind all of the music.

Stove God Cooks — Reasonable Drought

Quotables. There is an endless amount of quotables on this album. Cooks mainly raps about his past actions of cooking dope. The way he speaks about it is vivid, rivaling the likes of Pusha T. He has outstanding control of his voice. He conveys emotion convincingly. There is a wealth of impact behind nearly every line that's said.

Cooks also shows that he can write a good hook as well. The problem is that the beats do him no favors most of the time. The beats are good by themselves. Nothing produced by Roc Marciano can be terrible, but it’s clear that Cooks has a knack for being unpredictable and outside the box. These instrumentals do not allow for that. Whenever his next project comes out, I just how the beats mesh more with his unique style.

Aretha Franklin — Aretha Franklin

The goddess of soul was recently and rightfully ranked first on Rolling Stone’s controversial 200 Best Singers of All Time list. Man, this was such a brisk and easy listen. Let me just say here first, no spruced-up cover that anyone does of “I Say a Little Prayer” will outclass the original. It’s a pure moment of soul genius. Franklin’s voice plays the role of a guiding light leading you to a place of warmth and comfort.

The panning in the album is outstanding. The drums are constantly panned to the right, but I can appreciate that you can hear Franklin’s voice all over the place. Franklin was raised in a Black Church and sang there as well. It’s not a coincidence that many singers who performed in the church have some of the most impressive vocals. There’s a bigger conversation to be had about how the Black church being less prevalent in singers’ lives, has led to less dynamic singers in this day in age.

Excuse my phrasing but if you can’t smell soul food while listening to this, you may be missing a key part of what makes this so unique. “Night Time is The Right Time” offers the complete package of what early soul music has to offer. The horns are packed with so much personality. The consistent bass guitar holds the record firm. Franklin’s performance is as dynamic as ever, and I did not want this song to end.

There are no words I can use to describe Franklin’s vocals. Aretha Now is one of the best vocal showcases of all time. It should be impossible to listen to this and not have genuine moments of awe.

Amerie — Touch

Amerie may be most remembered for her smash hit “1 Thing” which is the first track on Touch. I recall seeing people on Twitter thinking that this song was by Beyonce. The wrong kind of people, apparently. Though, they do indeed have an excuse to believe that. It’s because Rich Harrison, the man who produced 2003’S “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce, is all over Touch. Interestingly enough, Harrison worked with Amerie on her 2002 debut, All I Have.

Amerie likes to keep things fast-paced. She has a fun voice, but sometimes it feels like the beats hit too hard for her. It was evident from the following two tracks. “All I Need” sounds like Harrison made an honest Kanye West impression.

Her personality really shines on “Like It Used To Be” which also contains her best vocal performance. She really reminded me of Mary J. Blige in this song. She sounds so better when it feels like she isn't going to war against the production. I really like her when she has space to work.

I don't like much of the production for the most part. The blaring fake horns on “Talkin’ Bout” is kind of annoying. After a while, it stopped sounding like a horn. The needed spaciousness returns on the next track, “Come With Me.” The revered synth adds some nice character. Amerie’s great delivery plays well.

The saxophone-embellished “Rolling Down My Face” may be my favorite production track on here. The beat is very satisfying. This really should have been a single. It’s a sad song framed as a dance record that works very well. Shit, it should have had a remix with a rap feature.

The production certainly meshes well at the later half of the record. I think many of the first tracks try to emulate the magic of “1 Thing.” The rest of the record is R&B bliss and the simple and traditional methods work in favor.

One of her best performances shows on the ballad “Just Like Me.” The fucking bridge man. That shit really took me somewhere. Like, really. Sometimes it’s all about the fundamentals.

Talking Heads — Remain In Light

Short Review: This is an incredibly unique piece of work. David Byrne projects a hypnotic vocal, especially when layered. I don’t think anyone was doing vocal patterns like this during this era. The music is creative and the lyrical content is conscious.

The rhythms are so infectious. It was noted that Talking Heads utilized African rhythms throughout this whole project. It is most apparent in “The Great Curve.” The bongos swirl around you and the background vocals imitate familiar African-style chanting.

John Coltrane — Blue Train

This certainly deserves a longer description but I'm exhausted from this week. Few Jazz musicians sound as fearless as Coltrane. He was a true trailblazer whose work has been heralded for decades. Under his direction, I heard flawless Jazz instrumentation.

Earl Sweatshirt — Sick!

He hasn't sounded this clear and focused since Doris. The Odd Future legend spiced it up on this LP by rapping in various production styles. There's even a great Lucki impression on the title track. Most of the songs are fairly personal and he's as lyrically adept.