Kanye West "Donda" (2021)

 

Currently on a downswing of poorly received records, one of musics biggest names suffers the discomfort of bloat with a tenth record that could have been gold. Twenty seven new songs make for over one hundred minutes of music. Its a daunting bulk of tracks that's slow to get going and concludes with four alternate versions. Some of this may have been out of Kanye's hands, the release of the record a typical mess of delays that also make for a lot of free press. Its hard to know where the truth lies as he has stated since that the project wasn't released as he planned, creating yet another news cycle talking on the album again. I'm being somewhat cynical here.

To mirror its length, Donda feels like a whirl of converging stories taking place in the artists life. The passing of his mother and divorce with his wife being two recurring themes among many other stories, including his plea to grant clemency to Larry Hover. Its more of the endearing vulnerability first heard on Ye. His heart felt lyrics and words, where they occur, reflect internal and external realities and on occasional drifts between disillusion and heartbreak, given my perception of how the media interprets and presents his personal life. At his best Kanye is raw, expressive, impassioned and authentic but the lack of focus means its found mostly in the mid to latter half.

The opening string of eight tracks, from Donda Chant to Ok Ok, lack pace and urgency. Most these beats are subdued with sparse percussion hinged on a couple of lively bass stabs. Slow tempos and moody atmospheres in themselves make up a concept and style but the record will pivot. These songs also feel outweighed by guests who take up much of the airwaves. Jay-Z pops up on Jail to usher in an underwhelming echo of their Watch The Throne collaboration. Cushioned by extended instrumental sections and drawn out loops, its sluggish pace drags on.

Then with Junya things pivot. Its an ugly track, with Playboy Carti and Kanye making a variety of strange noises over the uncomfortable, gritty basslines. There is a friction with the church organ behind it, however that signifies the arrival of his Gospel influences from Jesus Is Born. Sampling Lauren Hill's classic Do Wop That Thing, suddenly the gears shift on Believe What I Say. From here Kanye sings on track after track, bringing in more harmonious and tender musical themes housed by his sparse yet timely percussive grooves and lifted by light choral alike synths. Kid Cudi fits in perfectly with a lovely presence on the drumless track Moon. Its a string of songs ending with Come To Life that I'd consider to be what Donda should of been.

This chunk of the music represent the best of Kanye, with the aforementioned vulnerabilities coming to light and him taking up more of the focus on a record that seems to have multiple collaborative hands on every track. Things hit a peak on Jesus Lord, a perfectly composed instrumental loop that pulls on the heart strings as Kanye bleeds his feelings for Donda. Its the albums gem, a wonderful moment preceded by songs that reside in its shadow with Come To Life concluding the theme with a beautiful piano performance to exit on. It feels like a final note but then No Child Left Behind brings another wave of closure with a heavenly arrangement of choral synths and organ tones to bow out again before the bloat returns with the additional part two collection of tracks, to which hearing The Lox again was a highlight.

Having now dissected my thoughts and feelings on this one, it feels like two projects mashed together. An evolved take on Jesus Is King in the middle, surrounded by another theme that brings out Kanye the rapper who frequently drop the rhymes that make me chuckle. Chanting "I know god breathed on this" a keen example of when his sharp remarks don't land, not quite as genius as he thinks he is. "I got this holy water that's my beverages", "They playing soccer in my backyard I think I see Messi", there are a few of these lines sprinkled in that feel unnatural and contrived. There are plenty of counters to these examples, moments where he gets the rhymes and hooks just right but I prefer him vulnerable, straight and not trying to be to clever with the rhymes. Ultimately, Donda is a bloated record, one I'll condense to my own selection of songs to enjoy from here on out.

Rating: 6/10

Sunday Service Choir "Jesus Is Born" (2019)

Released on Christmas day, news of this record was quite the surprise! Having enjoyed Kanye's Jesus Is King record and his collaboration with Sunday Service Choir, I was hoping to hear more of these voices and my prayers were answered! In the context of a dialed down Hip Hop record mixing in elements of Gospel they were exciting and enthralling in their peaks. As a solo project spanning a whopping eighty three minutes across nineteen tracks, it fails to spark the same invigoration.

One of Kanye's marks as a producer is his work with voices, voicing and tonal manipulation. Unfortunately that magic doesn't come to fruition within the confines of Gospel music. The voices stick to purity of the choir which are beautiful and a pleasure to enjoy in their own right but with little extra spice in the mix this quickly becomes monotonous in the reality of this not being quite my cup of tea. I love the soulful singing, uplifting energy and jollity of the affair but it does become tiresome.

As an agnostic the lyrics quickly become repetitive and disengaging. Words of praise and salvation are spun over again,shuffling the same ideas in different variations of words, which fail to appeal to someone not seeking a religious experience. With little to enjoy there, the opening songs are a struggle as subtle organs, pianos and claps give all the attention to the voices which hit their most strident, powerful and in peaks even harshest tones. The union of voices is a force pushed to some extremes even a bit much for this supposed metal head and lover of extreme music.

Once past that ambitious opening, the album drifts into an enjoyable mood as things pivot. The voices feel looser, drums and other instrumentation join in as the session starts to feel more like a jam. Hints of R&B, Soul, even Funk with a little touch of groove liven up the mood and keep the pacing interesting. It isn't however a saving grace for me, the record was fun to dive into into and as much as I appreciate the stunning singing it falls short of substance to engage me as a musical record. Perhaps to someone more versed and enthusiastic about this music it may of been something.

Rating: 4/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2019

 Its not been as active a year with time devoted to other things. I've got to start of with a mention to FKA Twiggs. Loving her new album and the moment and If I had more time with, I'm sure it would be on this list. Also need to mention Ghost and their Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic EP, two of their best songs to date but obviously a little short on the run time to call it an album. I don't think anything out of the ordinary has taken hold, just another year, another bunch of records and here are my favourites!

(10) Aeons Confer "Zero Elysium" link

This records theme and setting is colossal, a plunge into the expansive cosmos led by meaty metallic guitars and aggressive drumming to batter you through the abyss. Initially it felt a bit bland and straight forward but its riffs devoid of flash and flair have a lot to offer as it becomes familiar. I am so stoked they have gotten things together and somehow retained the magic they had sixteen years ago.

(9) Devin Townsend "Empath" link

If Devin releases an album, chances are it will make it to this list. I adore the man and his musical vision but with such a large catalogue of albums they new songs become a blur, the best of blurs. Empath however plays like a slice of everything rolled into one and elevated to another level. I think it could be among his best but only time will tell at this point. Its a huge record, loaded and layered, it may take more time to fully get through.

(9) Kanye West "Jesus Is King" link

Not his best work, a flawed ambition but fruitful its in new direction. Inspired by church music and Gospel, infusing elements of it with a dash of Hip Hop, Kanye forged a slice of something outside the ordinary to introduce to the masses and I personally loved it. Of course being somewhat of an agnostic the lyrics didn't move me much but the music and stunning voices at play did very much so.

(7) Slowthai "Nothing Great About Britain" link

The young Northampton rapper may be one to watch out for in the future. This statement led debut has a lot of attitude and vitality about it. The story telling is fantastic but it stems from many of the things that success changes. A lot of Rap artists I can recall have suffered from this, the escape of poverty diminishing the source of inspiration but none the less its a cracking album that I fondly frequent back too.

(6)  Slipknot "We Are Not Your Kind" link

I never expected it to be so but Slipknot have undoubtedly created something you can hold in a similar light to their classic arrival records. The eruption of chaos, aggression and frustration of them crash landing into the public conscious could never be the same again but twenty years later the group missing now three of the original nine tap into the very best of the bands sound with a solid record spiced with a bit of experimentation that has grown on me. Great to have he Knot back at it!

(5) Billie Eilish "When We Fall Asleep Where We Go" link

Its certainly nice to hear more advantageous, experimental artists capturing ears in the mainstream. She may not exactly be "out there", her songwriting has many of the decent tropes Pop music can have but the use of ASMR techniques and vocal distortions is fun, interesting and expressive. All in all a fantastic record I enjoy every time I hear but also one to follow closely in the future.

(4) Cane Hill "Kill The Sun" link

Kill The Sun is an example of why bands shouldn't be afraid to explore their other aspirations. Stepping aside from their metallic roots, the group explore an exotic breed of Americana. Its utterly infectious and may of been what sent me on an Alice In Chains binge this year, learning that group too made Americana EP's between albums. There is now doubt they were an influence and although this was a short record I've loved it over and over. Massively infectious!

(3) Little Simz "Grey Area" link

I've been blown away by the sheer talent that is Little Simz. English Rap music has often felt in the shadows of the states if not pursuing a cultural altercation like Grime or Drill. Simz stands firm with fiery traditional rhyme skills and impressive cadence, she also has a lot to say and thus delivers some serious lyrical substance alongside some boisterous, affirming bars. 

(2) Puppy "The Goat" link

I was anticipating this album immensely and on arrival it blew me away. Puppy have a fantastic sound, a mix of all the best bits from Alternative Rock & Metal of the nineties. This album delivered in droves however I may have over saturated it. With a year to binge on The Goat, another surprise came along to steal the show. It was my first record of 2019 and I was pretty sure it would take the top spot.

(1) Sabaton "Great War" link

Sabaton have done it, maybe only with the help of Indy Nidel! I've been converted. Knowing these guys are history buffs interested in similar aspects of war, this album animated into life as I knew its inspiration intimately. Having followed the week by week reliving of World War I, its songs took on a whole new meaning that let melodies and tuneful songwriting really take hold. It can be a bit cheesy in places but its always fun and riveting with metallic energy. Since I wrote about it, its been on frequent rotation and is still giving tones of pleasure. It was totally unexpected but they trumped The Goat for me.

Kanye West "Jesus Is King" (2019)

Always one to have a spectacle made of his life, Kanye has transcended from the madness of his own statements and pressures of the media questioning his mental health to this point in time. Reverence of God, solace in Christianity, he has indoctrinated himself for a salvation that's manifested into his music. This transition, theme and worship splits the record in two. The lyrical and conceptual side is an incoherent reactionary ramble, seemingly an emotional response to the mounting pressures of the bright limelight aimed on him at all times. Many of the themes and words seem lacking in depth and the bluntness of him appraising God for the reasoning behind his extraordinarily expensive merchandise has him scraping the barrel of substance, even is his cadence and singing is warming, digging into his words often has little to offer beyond atypical themes and words of worship, however the influence of church music to his instrumentals is strongly enjoyable.

On the other hand of production, we have Kanye creating amazing songs again. They come together like fractured pieces, a collage of musical ideas that resonate remarkably on the individual level. As an album in tends to jump all over the place but loaded with what he does best, I can't complain. Kanye has always had a knack for vocalization in the harmony of his music. Now with elements of Gospel and Psychedelic production armed, he produces swells of swooning voices. Manipulation and synthetic tonal instruments runs us through a gauntlet of indulgent music of praise with a Hip Hop flavor. That in itself often drops out as sparse use of beats becomes noticeable in the last few songs of the record. The vocals alone carry the music from start to end. Hands On in particular has a backbone of trippy vocal inflections.

At twenty seven minutes in continues the trend of short and sweet. This time its fractured nature, the issues and delays leading up to its release, gives the impression of an unfinished project. Even in this form his genius shines through these gorgeous organic compositions of inspired singing. Kanye to getting in on the act, letting his voice break on God Is was an endearing touch but again the hallow feeling of his fleeting to religion for consolation leaves the power of his performance purely in his own court. Its not something I can relate too yet the musical experience is wonderful. A very polarizing album, I'm glad I gave it plenty of time because it tends to give more the deeper you get into it. After many spins I still want more!

Rating: 7/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2018

The year rolls round and another selection of great records are added to the collection. Overall this year hasn't been quite as exciting as previous ones when it comes to top record lists. There were not as many apparent contenders, so it was an easier pick but the quality always emerges and this year has been marked by the trend of brief records. Short and sweet is a lasting formula when done right, six of the records in the list are under thirty minutes and have been the most returned to! I'm personally hoping this trend for curation continues, more of less and less of more!

(10) Zeal And Ardor "Stranger Fruit" link

A highly anticipated released that time will tell us of its greatness. Their new take on Black Metal is fresh and exciting and this new album builds on their notorious entrance onto the scene, becoming a bands band in the space of a few years. Its a mighty piece of music but one that still suggests their are places to groom and grow while in other cracks and avenues it firmly reaches musical peaks.

(9) Kanye West "Ye" link

Kanye leaves his mark on this year with three records in my top list. All of them needed time to grow on me. I liked them all to begin with but Ye took the longest. Its precisely what I prefer from artists of his stature, introspection and of the moment lyrics. It just took me a while to digest them fully but with that time I grew a lot of fondness for the vulnerability and honesty he showed in his words.

 

(8) Ho99o9 "Cyber Cop" link

 

Cyber Cop has the advantage of being in recent memory but since inception it has forged an unstoppable riot of frenetic energy within my mind. This is my workout music! It never fails to get me pumped up and enthusiastic. Unfortunately with any adrenaline fueling music that spell needs more absence to recharge but of the weeks I've binged on its chaotic Punk attitude I am yet to feel any tiredness to its charm.

(7) Pusha T "Daytona" link

At first I found Pusha T's plain tone and clear pronunciation a little dull but with every listen, and those beyond my initial post, I found myself myself being pulled in closer to his craft and growing a true appreciation for the record. His verses are concise and condensed, a series of firm statements and narratives that took me time to chew thru. It also helps to have a banger, What Would Meek Do, to pull you back in again from time to time! I need to check out more of this guy.

(6) Irreversible Mechanism "Immersion" link

 

I think I should schedule regular returns to this record. Its so dense and loaded with complexity, a beast to digest and talk about in my post. Whenever I return to it I am still overwhelmed with that dazzling feel of being mesmerized in its presence. Its truly a marvel of extremity and aesthetic, a reminder that there is always room to push further in the world of Extreme music. It will take many more spins to really wrap my head around. So much of it still takes me by surprise.

(5) C418 "Excursions" link

Its probably both a blessing and a curse to have your musical career kick started by a cultural phenomenon in the form of a video game. Anyone with a keen ear for music will know their is magic in the Minecraft soundtrack that goes beyond the game but that extends to C418's stand alone records too. This beastly one hundred minutes of new music felt like an exceptional stride forward from the strengths already established in his sound that may go unfortunately overlooked by the broader musical community. Its his best to date, a truly indulgent set of songs.

(4) Plini "Sunhead" link

This short twenty minute release is a fine example of curation at its best. With this cut Plini has delivered a gorgeous aesthetic treat of gleaming melodies spliced with chunks of groove and spicy instrumentation on all fronts that makes every second a delight to indulge in. Admittedly it slipped my mind however giving it another spin I hear that wonder and bliss is still firmly intact and charming.

(3) Ghost "Prequle" link

Ghost are one of my favorite modern Metal bands. With this release they flex their musicality into interesting avenues diverging from their roots and they do so with that brilliant ear for song writing at the core. They set them selves up for a great future with this album while simultaneously loading it with unforgettable songs to grace many future set lists. A lot of infectious choruses and grooves laden throughout.

(2) Turnstile "Space & Time" link

Turnstile have captivated me so much this year with their breed of Hardcore that seems to step out of the limitation of the genre while simultaneously maximizing its best attributes. Every time I put this record I find myself pumping fists, singing along infectiously and giving myself a potential case of whiplash! I cannot expressive enough how wonderful these short and animated songs are. Everything this band do just seems to be bordering perfection. Most the songs of this record is gem after gem.

(1) Kids See Ghosts "Kids See Ghosts" link

Guess what baby... I AM FREEEEE!!!!! Hahaha, It was a tough choice but Kanye and Kid Cudi take the top spot. Kids See Ghosts is a stunning collaboration where the two artists get the best from one another. Its sometimes psychedelic and exotic vibes are a refresher and much of what it offers feels like a river gushing creativity. Every track has its flavor and the seven play stunningly together. Its been one Ive gone back to over and over. It still sounds utterly fantastic and thus takes the top spot!

Kids See Ghosts "Kids See Ghosts" (2018)

This release is another in the so called "Wyoming sessions", its twenty something minutes spread across seven tracks, just like other Kanye produced records Nasir and Ye. This project has West collaborating with Kid Cudi under the Kids See Ghosts moniker and it kicks off with a fiery opener that sets a new president for gun play in Hip Hop music. A violent instrumental of sharp percussive strikes firing like gunshots rallying away, forming a groove as vocalizations of gun sounds take on a new form, they are sung and turned into a melody. Its over the top, theatrical and clever but not quite to my taste however the rest of the music takes on a much calmer vibes that have faint echos of psychedelia.

Kanye's instrumentals are on point, each track forges an atmosphere fit for the tone of his raps and Kid Cudi's halfway talking that's flat and toneless in delivery, sounds good when he softens it down into halfway singing on the self titled track. As per usual most the lyrics pass me by but Kanye drops in with a striking verse on Cudi Montage that has him painting the raw emotional reactions and forming their relevance to his wife's recent work with the president to get a pardon for false imprisonment.

Its really the underlying music that made this short record enjoyable for me. Getting to the core of his beats, they often sound minimal and stripped back, but the sounds they focus on do all the work to make these songs come to life with quite a few tie-ins between the verses to give it a lot of life. The singing and use of voices to spruce up tracks as so often is a treat and a mark of his style. It all comes together well and makes sense of the shorter run time, there are two others to come from this collection of records produced in his Wyoming studio and I'm quite excited to hear them after this one!

Favorite Tracks: Freeee, Kids See Ghosts, Cudi Montage
Rating: 7/10

Kanye West "Ye" (2018)

Amidst a wave of controversy, some would suspect he is intentionally mustering, Kanye West releases his eighth "album", a twenty three minute project set to be the first of a string of records to come from the artist and his collaborators this year. Opening with statements, "the most beautiful thoughts are always beside the darkest" and "today I seriously thought about killing you" they will no doubt be spun as controversial by some but within the space of art these statements can bare whatever meaning you think they have, or want them too. One lyric, "Just say it out loud just to see how it feels", is rather revealing of Kanye's current state of mind given "four hundred years of slavery is a choice" idiocy.

The themes of introspection and reaction that courses through the lyrics have a dubious relation to one another. Kanye is no philosopher and many of his statements fall flat. On the other side when he is vocalizing his emotions, it comes of endearing with a weight of honesty, baring open the pains of strained relationships, his ego and status in the limelight. This duality is reflected in the beats, his use of vocals as instruments is ever present yet the songs fall into two phases, that of muted abrasion and aggression in its opening songs, the music then wains into soulful, soothing tunes reminiscent of his roots.

Kanye is known for pushing boundaries and building new sounds but in this instance its another misfire, not quite the same likes of Pablo though. His human side shines through the stormy clouds of controversy, allowing for a genuine musical connection in an among some developing ideas that feel unfinished but at least onto something. Great albums have a feeling bigger than the whole. Ye doesn't, it feels like a slice of time with clear correlations to life as a public figure. Very much a "here and now" record which has its moments for empathy and a slew of unscrutinized thoughts too, including the album covers, a rather hollow statement.

Favorite Tracks: Wouldn't Leave, No Mistakes, Ghost Town

Rating: 6/10

Kanye West "The Life of Pablo" (2016)

 

After waves of internet hype and social media buzz, one of the worlds most popular artists drops his newest ambition exclusively through the unpopular, high fidelity Tidal streaming service. Its his eighth full length record and a distant memory of his illuminated arrival into the Hip Hop scene through record like "The College Dropout" and "Late Graduation". I was vaguely excited for this one, the promotional tracks were mediocre, my expectations were in the balance... but not what did we just get?

King Midas of Greek mythology comes to mind, everything he touches turns to gold and that's his curse. Unfortunately in Kanye's case everything he touches is not turning to gold, and he is oblivious to it. Yeezus gave us a taste of Kanye's growing ego, but on this record its stretches far beyond the over bloated, obnoxious lyrics, hollow and shameless for most of this recorded verses. The record itself shows no signs of a purpose or ambition. The records changing name, the last minute shuffling of tracks, adding an additional eight at just before release and using the outro track as an intro? Where is the idea, the inspiration, direction? It's all an apparent mess. "Name one genius that isn't crazy" says Kanye, I'm convinced he is talking about himself and this sporadic behavior is no work of art.

Track listening and last minute changes aside, its the music that counts and I'm sorry to say this was a sorely disappointing slue of unpolished and sporadic ideas that lacked flow, theme or identity. Instrumentally the beats felt average, they could hold a flow, decorate their environment and on occasions showed a spark of light but there was nothing here to challenge or surprise the listener. Lyrically... well Kanye open's with a few lines about a model bleaching herself? And well... Use your imagination, this record is a unfiltered onslaught of Kanye's over inflated ego going through some loathsome self indulgence. The track "I Love Kanye" seems like a love letter to himself, hes in love with himself, he loves hearing his own voice say his name... I'm poking fun, jokes aside I don't know the man but I want to hear some substance of thought and reflection, I don't care how many sneakers hes sold.

Alongside Kanye's raps there is a fair gripe of irritating autotune that I didn't get along with and I could go on moaning... so I will! Whats with the two Pablos? Which one? Picasso, Escobar? Perhaps this mad, directionless, unfiltered record is some brilliant expression of the obscure parallels between art and crime? There is no lyrical content to suggest it is tied in anyway to the title. I'm done, rant over.

Rating: 2/10

Kanye West "Yeezus" (2013)

Kanye West is an American producer / rapper who came up in the 00s through production with Jay-Z. Gaining recognition and acclaim for his beats, he was able to release his first solo full length in 2003. From there his success has continually grown. Hes now arguably one of the biggest names in Hip Hop and popular music. What originally drew me to his music was the forward thinking production and soulful themes rooted in Hip Hops culture and past. Of all the post-90s styles and sounds, Kanye's felt the most like an evolution into the modern era. His first two album where as far as I got. I was apprehensive to listen to "Yeezus" without bringing myself up to speed, there is an apparent void between "Late Registration" and this one, the soulful uplifting sample driven numbers are gone. Here we find electric synthesized minimalism and harsh, noisy aesthetics, coupled with rough and rigid sampling that create a bold and uncompromising sound to which my overall impression was hit and miss.

Tracks like "Black Skinhead" and "Send It Up" do everything right. "Black Skinhead" offers up some simplistic grooving tom and clap percussion accompanied with distorted vocal samples building up to a sublime sub bass kick where Kanye does his 300 romans thing as overly loud drums, peaking both the momentum of the track and volume, as they distort through compression. "Send It Up" accompanies a minimalistic bass kick / thud with a obnoxious siren like sound that follows its own groove. On other tracks it doesn't quite work. Kanye's electronics aesthetics and interrupting cuts are anti indulgent for me, like the screams on "I Am A God" which break up the track, I'm not sure if I like them or not but they indicate a Death Grips influence that could speak to the entire approach to this album, and its the approach that should be applauded. Theres experimentation and ideas at work that really hit the mark, just not on every track. One of the most prominent experimentations was in the rhythm department, a lack of cymbals and excessive minimalism, often letting the synths guide the rhythm, through the bass or not at all. It was quite refreshing, and it worked.

Now lets talk about the "Raplic priest, getting head from nuns". I've never been convinced by Kanye's rapping, and "Yeezus" hasn't changed that. On his first two records there were some pretty appalling verses. The highlight of those albums and more so with "Yeezus" are the beats. I can't think of a single line thats stuck in my mind for anything other than its obnoxious or ridiculous nature, but thats just Kanye's "lyrical wordsmith" style. It's not all bad, his flow and tone, style of rapping is enjoyable, its just the lyrical substance I question, however I commend him for following his own style and establishing himself as a rapper. He doesn't sound like anyone else, but for me hes the producer that needs to stay behind the beats, not the mic. For the things "Yeezus" does right with its beats and instrumentals, its let down by the lack of anything to get into lyrically.

Favorite Tracks: On Sight, Black Skinhead, I'm In It, Send It Up

Rating: 5/10