Showing posts with label 5/10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5/10. Show all posts

Friday 8 March 2024

Applefish "Luminous" (2023)

 

This third of three leaves me with less to remark but Applefish has caught my attention and made it onto my coveted Temporal Focus playlist. Luminous is a lighter companion, less suggestive of its theme despite the track titling signaling intent. Lofty ruminations suspend animation and linger within a sparkling display of apt synths and familiar ambiguities. Each song is a flavor of calm, occasionally drifting into serenity.

 A couple of tracks offer some curiosity and mystique but nothing dramatic. The opening Star Trails is my favorite, taking the slow elongated swell of these synth arrangements and gracing them with a looping melody that drags the soundscape reluctantly over a powerful yet subtly delivered chord arrangement. This level of craft seemed lacking elsewhere but each song works with a different energy.

Rating: 5/10

Monday 4 March 2024

Applefish "Astrosat" (2022)

 

Had I not discovered Pale Blue Dot first, I may have passed up this record. Release prior, Astrosat is milder affair, another set of Cosmic Ambience pieces that dwell on their initial offerings. Soothing, calm and tranquil in nature, its album art suggests a peaceful surrender to the stillness of orbiting a planet. Spacey synths, airy ambiguities and softly droning astral melodies, these arrangements revel in the present and persist with little in the way of dramatics. Snoozey by design, these peaceful ambiences seduce with slumber, a sense of ease and remaining present.

The closing Primordial Soup and Particles both liven up. Mechanical percussive whirls and expansive synth melodies, a hastening of pace that exits this serene setting on an obscure note. Only Into The Aether toyed with unease and tension. Its slight eeriness is a delight, as if on the cusp of curiosity that might suddenly sour. It was my favorite among these stellar temporal tunes. I'm glad I gave this one a go!

Rating: 5/10

Tuesday 13 February 2024

Little Simz "Drop 7" (2024)

 

Simz' output is already steeped in creativity. This EP series serve as a niche place to drop any variety of flavor and this seventh installment arrives in shapely form. Working with producer Jakwob, the pair unleash a hypnotic current of cultural instrumentation, conjuring suggestions of Spanish, Mexican and Latino music with selective percussion sounds. Arrangements flow with sharp rhythm and lean bass thudding, fitting for club vibes. Atmospherically sparse, the music feels open and minimal yet the drums shuffle and snap on dense arrangement of complimenting chromatic textures. Its simply slick.

Fever reinforces this cultured embrace, rapping a verse in Portuguese. Mood Swings affirms the club beat as the songs motif drifts through an exploration of escaping into night life. Other lyrics also hint on a therapeutic angle, the music being a means to vent life's frustrations and difficulties, although I didn't dive to deep into them. Drop 7 represents a lean fifteen minutes, one of fruitful creativity that may be a stepping stone to a fresh chemistry. Sim'z masters this new dynamic tone just wonderfully.

Rating: 5/10

Tuesday 6 February 2024

Wargasm "Explicit: The Mixxxtape" (2022)

 

Despite grinding out familiar roars of disgruntled anger, this rebellious, antagonistic duo known as Wargasm, might be one of the fresher breaths of air circulating in a stale Metal community. Underneath its chaotic veneer, the fundamentals may have more in common with the likes of The Prodigy and Aggro-Tech. A constant barrage of unsettled, gritty noise pummels through lively drum machines, sharp distortion guitars, rabid screams and screeching electronics. A fun jumble of unabashed offerings.

 The opening explanation of an all too obvious pun the name is feels redundant. The following five tracks never let up on its ceaseless energy. Gristly lulls and melodic breaks feel like soft dressing for the next moment of madness. Fiery outbreaks of crammed aesthetic erupt on every track, gratifying ensembles of noisy oddities and groovy riffs to latch upon. Tinged with hints of Rap and Nu Metal, its my cup of tea.

The pair do all production themselves. Either an individuals vision or fruits of bouncing ideas of one another, the chaotic webs of wrangled aesthetics they weave are wonderfully unhinged, yet latch onto something that clicks most of the time.

Matlock provides the consistent barrage of angered shouts. Way is a touch understated as an effeminate yet mischievous counterpart. Her presence is similar to Poppy and when in a melodic passage, offers an under explored dimension of their partnership. Wargasm are exciting, this short release is a decent appetizer.

Rating: 5/10

Sunday 14 January 2024

The Tiberian Sons "Satan's Office Supplies" (2022)

 
Here's a release I overlooked, The Tiberian Sons' first album re-imagining video game music within the Prog Metal format. Anthems Of Liberation was such a blinder, I had to give this a go. Sadly, little joy has arisen from its Paper Mario origins. Once again, I've not heard the originals but one can attest to their thrilling aesthetics and colorful liveliness. Satan's Office Supplies is given a lavish treatment, layered music with punch clarity. Subtle symphonies and jiving synths bustle between the upfront grooves of chomping, snappy drums and Djent rhythm guitar chops. Often stealing the lime light, the lead guitar wails with excitement, delivering key melodies and running away with dazzling solos, vivacious and vibrant, often serving as a voice of expression.

Why this didn't click with me is somewhat mysterious. Perhaps my Prog Metal clock has been run down for the time being. Maybe its the source material not quite matching the intensity. Although this music works, its jovial melodies run counter to a lot of hard hitting rhythm and stints of nostalgic orchestration that melds with a lack of feeling. Origami Castle is a keen example of its ends not quite sticking together.

 King Olly VS Mega Bowser is a similar composition, flutes and airy chorals coalesce around chomping groove and sinister horns, yet the track rides its devilish atmosphere well. The rest of the songs where somewhere in between, its opening five part set of tracks not feeling particularly special. A lot of the record descended into lively rumblings, were a blaze of passing melodies didn't land as they had done last time.

Rating: 5/10

Tuesday 9 January 2024

GGFH "Disease" (1993)

 
Weird, wacky... wonderful? This is a zany descent into dystopian depravity. Cold, sterile, emotionless, Disease plays shrouded by bleak, mechanical aesthetics. Embracing quirky synths, wavy baselines and bustling drum machine abuse, the duo known as Global Genocide Forget Heaven forge unsettled stints of misanthropic commentary. I was turned onto them by Dimmu Borgir's Dead Man Don't Rape and the two bands share little in common besides a grim outlook on humanity and morality.

Much of the records charm stems from passages of rhythm that lock in with its synthetic counterparts. In these strides the grim atmosphere carries some passing joy. Otherwise its an unsettling oddity that rarely feels welcoming, a confrontation slog, forcing one to reflect on the dark subject matter at hand. Snarling, distorted soft shouts bark off through the record with a continual rigorous dissatisfaction.

Its an inescapable grasp, a downwards pull as alien melodies swirl around aimlessly. Vocal snippets from horror movies and the like help paint the music with more strange darkness. The atmosphere is vivid and intentional. Only Plasterchrist detours from its core chemistry. Tense lullaby like bells toy with menace, contrasted over top warm symphonic strings. Its within reach of relief and reprise, yet holds firm to its limbo.

 Overall I am impressed by how clearly theme and intention are executed but on a personal level this examination of humanities worst was lacking the musical jive to pull me in. It could be intentional, to keep the music confrontational and inches from comfort. A fun listen but after a few spins I'm good.

Rating: 5/10


Friday 5 January 2024

Love Is Colder Than Death "Mental Traveller" (1992)

 
Proceeding their sophomore Teignmouth, we embark on sullen strides of mournful brooding. Mental Traveller ventures into worldly vibrations, linked by language-less tones of morose suffering. A frequent chemistry between dawning strings and Susann Heinrich's burdensome singing, captivates a moody pre-technological tension. One will be transported with visions of rural hardship lived in the shadow of human sin. A sense of ancient culture and lost religion prevails through these belated downtrodden soundscapes. Perhaps an artifact of my imagination, their gradual groaning, building up to rigged percussive grooves, can't help but evoke this antiquated notion.

My main gripe with the record is its similarity too Dead Can Dance. Many ideas and paths walked feel closely modeled on their music. This feels most obvious when an occasional song shifts gears for uplift and reprise, a little tuneful medieval charm having the same tone and textures as the aforementioned. This is however what I have been seeking, Neoclassical Darkwave. Love Is Colder Than Death have just that. Their approach just lacks a distinction to provide conversation to the genre.

 The second half of the record pivots, Ralf Donis takes over, ushering in Industrial tinged drums that reveal their programmed nature. Like last outing, it leans Electro-Industrial on a couple of tracks, almost birthing some genuine fascination with a grim tone but falling short. Despite all my attempts, this one just didn't latch mentally. 

Rating: 5/10

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Crosses "Crosses" (2014)

Having enjoyed the duo's new sophomore record, I ventured back to their debut, released nine years prior. Feeling very much fitting of its era, the electronic percussive arrangements tilt in a handful of directions, ta Disco House flavor of Daft Punk rears its head early on. The rest mostly an assemble of sluggish Trip Hop grooves and subdued drum patterns. They mostly stir echos from Post-Punks expansive umbrella, far from the hard hitting, cutting edge that its followup leaned into. 

This left Crosses with an expression rooted in the moment, something about arriving ten years late has been tricky to reorient. Led by Chino's charm, that inescapable Deftones feeling is prevalent but this time his partner Lopez crafts moody textural passing of mellow sound. Drenched in ambiguous, airy, soft design, many sounds emerge. Gentle guitar licks, plucked strings, a groaning Sax, broody pianos and riveting organ shimmer, with the occasional metallic riff dialing down its intensity.

The two fall into a sway, grooving on sullen, melancholic strides, mustering occasional bursts of energy on odd songs. The Epilogue was my favorite, cruising with pace and bustling in gated toms for a lively energy, the guitar lick and vocals made for a catchy hook. A rarity, much of the music focuses on mood, highlighting a lack of connection in its absence. Ultimately, the duo focus on a side of their chemistry that doesn't quite tick all the boxes for me. A fair listen but not one I'll come back to often.

Rating: 5/10

Monday 1 January 2024

Graywave "Planetary Shift" (2021)


Enthralled by Rebirth's swelling descents of darkly Shoegazing magic, Planetary Shift has lingered in its shadow like an egg ready to hatch, not yet finding a final form. Fortunately, I've gotten past this notion. These five tracks are further from the dense, engulfing aesthetics of its successor, they reside closer to the "traditional" Ethereal, Shoegaze, Dreampop soundscape. Crooning in the sombre resonance its shimmering guitar chords echo, each song runs a dreamy trip, usually steering into a familiar distress, yet exploring uplifting phrases too, like on the opening Dreaming, which gleams with a kind warmness. The following Swallow toes the line with soaring ascents to glory before a dreary, distant title track sets up its final two stints.
 
The arch peers into darkness on conclusion, as Like Heaven's catchy chorus bleeds a sombre melody to hint at its closing struggle, which Before delves into. Bringing back that alluring engulfing darkness heard on Rebirth, It is perhaps the catalyst for Jess' natural progression. After establishing its verse chorus loop, the later half ignites with a ferocity as she dials the soaring vocals to another plateau. The music swells, riding its decent into a the void. Stunning music, which again starts from a brighter place. This side has much merit but I find myself magnetized to the darker expressions.

Rating: 5/10

Wednesday 20 December 2023

Sierra "A Story Of Anger" (2023)

 

Introduced via a collaboration with Health, this French artist fits snugly into the dark electronic music I've been exploring of late. Not fully Synthwave, Aggro-tech or Electro-Industrial, Sierra rests in an inviting middle-ground. With brooding tones, she embarks on gloomy venture through moody indulgences broken up by bursts of dance adjacent energetic movement. Her voice is quite underwhelming, a half spoken presence muttering musings under her breath, occasionally mustering strength of presence. Soft and pleasant, it gets by but lets the focus fall on the instrumentals.

These virtual synths deliver snappy oscillated wave forms in range. From buzzing baselines to jittering melodies, an angular intensity lands these crisp arrangements fit for dystopian night life. Percussion is tight, hard thuds groove off claps and snares, always titled with an Industrial texture. Airy atmospheric synths drift in the gaps of these plucky arrangements, levers that can be dialed for the required direction.

As an album, its a fair listen, an overcast tone is set and explored but nothing much leaps of the page. With exception to Power, a collaboration with Carpenter Brut's who's excellence shines again. Bring about some urgency, sizzling melodies play off background sirens with sinister satisfaction. The albums best track, no doubts.

Rating: 5/10

Thursday 7 December 2023

In The Nursery "Anatomy Of A Poet" (1994)

In seeking out Neoclassical Darkwave adjacent music, Spotify chalked up this Sheffield based duo who've been active since the 80s. Anatomy Of A Poet features Colin Wilson orating his own poetry in brief stints on various tracks. With its musical concept laid out plain and clear, I've found myself baffled at the disposition between his solemn glum voice and the stunning strings arrangements that meddle around then current percussive trends. Touches of Dance, Industrial and Trip Hop appraise danceable droning drum loops, as cinematic sequences of stellar orchestration muster an emotional elegance. This chemistry is one I've come close to discovering before.

As the album progresses, brief strides of classy composition break up its powerful percussive sway. Acute melodies, subtle chords, unusual instrumentation textures and flashes of electronics craft dreamy hazes that resolve into warming strides of persuasive sound. Then walks in the over pronounced tongue of Colin, his meaty, chocked words break the spell, despite it clearly being central to the records concept.

Arriving at The Seventh Seal, the pair stretch for ambiguous cultural sounds, a tingle of Spanish guitar, sung with a Country tang feels uncomfortable. The following tracks lean further into the poetic waxing and recurring themes has its entrancing energy wain swiftly. The funeral gloom of November Trees almost sparks a spell but the spoken words simply don't align. Its final track, unapologetically embraces the droning cheese of 90s electronic energy, throwing another curb ball to derail what started out as a wonderus musical experience.

Rating: 5/10

Friday 1 December 2023

Nova Twins "Supernova" (2023)

Hailing from London, the Nova Twins are a dynamic duo with a typically modern broad assemble of aggressive, abrasive inspirations. Clearly children of the Internet era, one can hear echos of 90s Rap Rock energy and Nu Metal syncopation, with 00s darker electronic music shades manifesting beyond prior crossover restraints. Attitude is its a driving force, shouted raps, soft screams and occasionally Pop R&B tinged sung lines, all emphasizing prominence and status spitting in the face of external adversity.

 Their songs are varnished with an electronic, noisy textural vaneer. Often crashing in with crunchy guitar grooves, the accompanying atmosphere feels as unconventional as un-melodic sounds weave into the fold. Somewhat similar to the worbling of Dubstep drops, these noisy groans are softly abrasive, hard and barely rhythmic yet mixed with a forgiving presence to make their songs rather accessible to my ears.

Its an odd approach considering there is a lack of melody and catchy knacks to latch onto. The drumming is rather dull and predictable, leaving a lot resting on the vocals and grooves. Choose Your Fighter is the records best track, a moment where the instrumental ideology swells around a compelling moshable groove. The rest of the record falls short of this feat and feels mediocre, occasionally dull on its weaker cuts.

In a way, I am reminded of Limp Bizkit, a love hate band who's fans were most likely fresh to the ideas of Metal and Rap. I could easily see my teenage latching on to the wildness this record presents but as a seasoned listener, little here feels special, I've heard it all before. They do show signs of promise however, some musical evolution on this chemistry may turn heads in the future but right now its a touch juvenile.

Rating: 5/10

Sunday 26 November 2023

Ghosts Of Atlantis "Riddles Of The Sycophants" (2023)

 

Even as I sit to write, the words don't come to me. Riddles Of The Sycophants is fantastically competent and yet distinctly generic. The evolution of Symphonic Black Metal, spurred on by late era Dimmu Borgir, has ventured into metallic and orchestral extremity. Weaving mightily angular and rhythmic guitars with stabbing gusts of nightly symphony, the genre's songwriting has escaped the chains of its foundations. No longer simplistic jabs of synth melody and rhythm guitars, the sound has taken on a vivid theatrical intensity, best realized on Shade Empire's classic Omega Arcane.

 Ghosts Of Atlantis failed to tell me why they are different. With the many spins, I've not felt a unique character emerge, or even defining moments in songs that grabbed my attention. Despite this, its lack of flair and originality hasn't hurt a single listen. Its been a welcome venture through turbulent terrain, traversed with elegance and a firm grasp on the dynamics of its varied instrumentation. They serve to aid its core vision, in doing so, lacks any individual magnetism. Its been quite the odd experience, a wonderfully executed record that fails to bring anything new to the table.

Rating: 5/10

Thursday 23 November 2023

Health "Ashamed" (2023)

 

Jumping around their discography, looking for an entry, it was this latest single I really latched onto. Health are a Californian trio that have been at it for almost two decades. Having many remix albums intermingled among their main efforts, its a dense wall of releases venturing in collaborative directions. This four track Ashamed has a balanced mix, two originals and two features. Their sound aligns with Agrro-Tech and Industrial Metal. Its similar to Author & Punisher, deploying meaty slabs of noisy synth over subtle distortions like an assault vehicle guided by tight, hard hitting, snappy drums.

The mood is doom and gloom, a synthetic cyberpunk dystopia traversed at night under neon light. Vocals bleed dour, plain and monotone, then ascending with breezy respite when musical chemistry shifts and a little reverb carries them away. This is the transition of its first two songs, a complimenting shift that lines us up for Sicko.

A sample of Godflesh's classic Breed slips into this one, nestled among its rebuilt core bass and drum groove. Recycling its charm, dreary flat vocals drift by in a haze, lining up an alarmist descend of hellish synth to dazzle one in its sudden urgency.

 The last track, featuring Sierra, bustles with a dark dance floor energy, stepping up its pulsing energy to match the likes of Carpenter Brut and Mick Gorden's Doom Eternal soundtrack blueprint. It retains Health's distinctness, a dense wall of harsh synths turned to a gloomy outlook with its softly pessimistic singing. A powerful introduction to a band who's coming full length I am likely to enjoy!

Rating: 5/10

Sunday 5 November 2023

Këkht Aräkh "Night & Love" (2019)

 

Another early 90s Black Metal love letter! Unlike its predecessor Pale Swordsman, Këkht Aräkh's first full length seems a fraction too generic among the many who try to capture that era. Its gritty aesthetics are harsh, a crisp coldness splattered with clattering percussion over blurry rumbling baselines. Shriek howls, throaty cries and noisy distortion guitars paint a familiar sight of unrelenting Norwegian darkness.

On this debut outing, an arsenal of all to typical arrangements fail to muster excitement in the wake of all that came before. Despite its competency and mastery of the grim aesthetic, the aggressive stints of loose blast beats, shrill tremolo guitar and beastly shouts from the shadows fail to add to the conversation. It left the project feeling like a typical cast iron clone from an era that many have tried to recreate.

Night & Love, however, is littered with lonely interludes, sullen moments of reclusive beauty. Hints of nature intruding on soft folkish lullabies and ethereal acoustic guitars. They play as a treat of their own between the hard shadowy onslaughts. On occasion accompanied by a tender clean male voice, these sometimes eerie and often melancholic tunes swiftly became the most intriguing aspects of the record.

Its no place for me to say what an artist should do with their music but hearing this tandem of a unique voice, wedged between a clear and shared obsession with early Norwegian Black Metal, has me feeling as if their talents are misguided. Këkht Aräkh has caught my attention with an impressionable nostalgic venture yet they clearly have something else to offer. The two are yet to merge in a fruitful way as I hear it.


Saturday 4 November 2023

Kyros "Esoterica" (2023)

 

Although just a three track single, Esoterica's lengthier twenty minutes make it feel worthy of comment. The music however, certainly perks the ears! Bright, luminous, bold and daring, Kyros take the glory of Progressive instrumentation head on. The wall of sound production and glossy finish celebrates their musical artistry with unrivaled vibrancy on all fronts. Punchy expression and warming hooks feel stacked, complimenting layers of sound, yielding a sonic aesthetic housing ripe song writing.

 Its opening title track infuses and grossing percussive dance floor energy. As one is pulled in by its cruising pace, classic House pianos hit to affirm its inspirations before embarking on a jiving instrumental foray. The cohesion is superb, gears shift as we propel down a musical highway. The following Illusions Inside takes a steadied yet punchy approach with its drums. Slow yet big grooves carefully guiding us into its magnetic climax. The vocal arrive in a crooning swell, masculine and effeminate voices exchange lyrical expressions, harmonizing in a captivating spell.

its ten minute closer, The End In Mind, had less sway over me. In comparison, it didn't quite connect with a focal feature yet the song meanders all over the place like a jam session recurring to a theme on occasion. Its impressive, lots of remarkable dexterous performances yet not quite ticking the memorable box. Good to see this band are in a wonderfully creative place! I wonder if these songs will appear on a record soon.

Rating: 5/10

Friday 3 November 2023

Code Orange "The Above" (2023)

My own unrivaled excitement for this release has manifested into a glum disappointment tainting The Above. Their previous outing, Underneath, set high expectations. The glitched out dystopian mania shook up a violent foundation, breathing new life into a genre where fresh territory is hard to find. Partially recoiling from such brutal intensities, the band intermingle a reinvention of 90s nostalgia.

Most prominent, their typical approach to Hardcore brutality seem skewed towards Nu Metal. The most aggressive riffs deploy the dissonance and syncopation flavors of that era with a subtlety that blunts its edge. Trademark manic spurts of chaos groan with the downtrodden vibes of a once ridiculed genre. Their tight technical execution absent in favor of this loose, dirty, moody aesthetic inspired by past trends.

Subtly woven in, the texture of Grunge and Alternative Metal has its moments too. On The Above, the band weave through a fair set of intensities and ideals but little about the record feels like a cohesive vision. More so, an exploration of loosely connected ideas drawing from the decades various styles. Some songs step into radio rock friendly verse chorus exchanges, others meander through an arsenal of riffs.

Reba Meyers gets to offer more of her voice, sometimes accompanied by string sections, yet the step into new territory feels off. Mirror is a redeeming experiment. Its unusual Trip-Hop beat seems to aid the songs swell of emotion. Other than that, the record offers little I wanted to come back too. Its angsty downtrodden inspirational origins did manifest with uniqueness. It was just not too my taste sadly.

 Rating: 5/10

Friday 6 October 2023

3TEETH "EndEx" (2023)

 

Competently entertaining yet lacking a defining feature, 3TEETH returns, armed with a force of subdued aggression that gets wrapped up in its own mechanical dystopian aesthetics. Their fourth effort, EndEx, plays out a string of songs, ambling through intensities, wandering aimless along a disgruntled landscape of urban decay.

 Collaborating with Mick Gordon of Doom soundtrack notoriety, their combined chemistry yields little obvious beyond the siren likes synths that blare distress behind chunky guitar riffs. It feels like a missed opportunity to elevate the musical blueprint. Perhaps his influence goes beyond its credits as the whole record feels cohesive.

On first listen, EndEx felt like a flop, passing without grabbing my attention. Repetitious listens unveiled a lack of hooks and "bangers". This record has mood, aesthetics and atmosphere. It lacks songs, memorable moments and biting lyrics. Riffs are found within its arsenal, often disconnected from the music it emerges from.

Its most memorable moment goes to Ho99o9, the duos energy injecting much needed novelty to latch onto, their shout raps fitting the distress of the guitars. I'm left with little to say, a fun listen but lacks a command of ones attention to force its artistic intent.

Rating: 5/10

Thursday 28 September 2023

Paris "Guerilla Funk" (1994)

 

Discovering the likes of Paris years back, left me wondering why this talented rappers career never took off. Guerilla Funk highlights what I didn't hear back then. The similarities to Rakim and Public Enemy where of the time, as is this records parallels to the currently emerging G-Funk sound. Gurerilla Funk can be distilled to aesthetic and musical blueprint of Doggystyle, paired with the lyrical aggression of Ice Cube. Bordering plagiarism, Paris picks up all defining characteristics of the style. Cadence and flow runs in step with topicality and phrases, emulating the sound so well it emphasis its tropes and cliches. He is clearly all to keen to step into others sound.

I don't take issue with that but it highlights an issue. Whenever Paris tries to step off this trendy sound's topics, his politically charged rhymes stand in disparity. In retrospection, I see how he didn't exactly define himself among the crowd first time of asking. Two records later, this dramatic shift in tone leaves his own expressions weak, without a definitive style to embrace. Almost every track and flow emulates others.

Critiques aside, Paris is a competent performer, a pleasure to listen too and a talent. Perhaps one lacking his own flavor. Despite its lack of originality, if your into this era the production team put together cuts to compete with the classics. Outta My Life catches an ear for its instrumental, akin to Life's A Bitch on Illmatic but given that dropped months earlier, can't help but feel its a lift. Anyways, point made, a good spin if your into 90s Hip Hop and the G-Funk sound Dr. Dre and Snoop pioneered.

Rating: 5/10

Tuesday 4 July 2023

Lil Uzi Vert "Pink Tape" (2023)

Dense, sporadic, unstructured and certainly zany, Lil Uzi Vert drops a lengthy lovable mess suffering its own madness. Pink Tape feels built for the streaming era, these ninety minutes, twenty six tracks, hint at playing the numbers game. Curation and focus set aside, a loose thematic grip lets this manic music meander in all sorts of directions. Uzi himself often plays second fiddle to instrumentals as his erratic performances flips from rhymes, to auto tune blurbs and feisty shouts. With a waving presence, vibeing and vocal aesthetics often seem central to his restless expressions.

The production leans into spacey Trap vibes, embracing its digital incarnation, thumb printing a synthetic style leaning heavily on auto tune. Suicide Doors embraces the dark side with mean distortion guitars complimenting its gristly atmosphere. Uzi can't stay on track however, it becomes evident quickly as inspirations jump between a handful of tones. Endless Fashion raises an eyebrow, borrowing the Blue melody to great effect, a smash hit in the late 90s by Italian DJ duo Effile 65.

A few of the following songs also seem to borrow elements from pop culture and music too with familiar sounds and lyrics cropping up. The wildness reaches new heights when suddenly a karaoke cover of Chop Suey! erupts. You can feel the passion for the Metal classic yet Uzi's style has such an odd resonance. I think my enjoyment mostly lies with the original. The following Werewolf is an absolute banger, a collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon. Its clear who handled the song writing, with the band and Oli dominating. Uzi offers just a handful of words to compliment the brief bass guitar sections that arise. A shy guest on his own record.

A similar affair unravels again with Babymetal at the records conclusion. The hints of Metal reflects my issue with the whole record, a lack of focus. It goes in many directions without settling on a key idea. It typically appeals to the emotive artistic expressions of Uzi, lacking conceived depth and meaning, instead simply reveling in the vibes. Thus its lengthy style levels it to the curation of a few favorite cuts I will return for. Without offering a key distinction the whole thing feels like a hot bloated dump of new studio material. Uzi is still one to keep a close eye on of course, when hitting a spark these songs do hit hard! Just not to often.

Rating: 5/10