Last outing, their debut CLPNG, I found myself at odds with the swift articulation of Daveed Diggs and his Avant-Guard instrumental backing. Rapping to the sound of an alarm clock is certainly different but for all their merits and experiments, not a lot of the music clicked emotionally, despite the impressive lyricism. On the groups second, Splendor & Misery, the inventive approach to sound design seems aptly steered towards atmosphere and electronic industrial details that reinforce the emergent theme set down from the very opening.
Fuzzes, drones, deep rumbling bases and ambiguous swells of sound among the buzzing of electricity gives one the sense of interstellar travel marked by the mention of a ship in the opening verse, which hurls words rapidly from the perspective of a mothership observing a cargo ship. Its puzzling and thought provoking but following this narrative feels like a tangle of observation and emotion that becomes a blur in trying to understand the meaning of this tale from spaces cold abyss. Its like a puzzle, one I couldn't quite get my head around.
From its cold mechanical bleeps and bloops churning over like an 80s computer, radio static injects and transitions to bluesy music, a choral of burdensome vocals etched with a great pain sing their sorrows. Although these occurrences are brief, they add a further complexity to this mysterious story. Rapping over the sounds of old printer technology, True Believer brings about tension with convention, driving a regular percussive groove and uniting these contrasts for a brief moment. More convention arises again on Air em Out, a party track vibe resonates from Daveed's flow with minimal instrumental reinforcement.
Whats remarkable on this outing is how well the lack of convention works. A relatable anchor is unnecessary as the theme comes together cohesively. The opening raps are entrancing, a rapid mechanical monotone expression. As the album progresses I seem to loose sense of the narrative but there is no lack of appreciation for all remarkable that follows. Much like on their debut I find myself in great appreciation of the art but not finding a strong emotional bond with it. I will continue with this trio though, their music is deeply intriguing and this spacey outing is a big step up!
Rating: 6/10