Blonde - REVIEW

I honestly can not think of any other album this year that has been more anticipated and hyped than the long awaited follow up to the beloved Channel Orange that gripped the hearts and minds of so many young people back in 2012, who otherwise, probably didn't listen to whole a lot of R&B. I remember around that time, I had just broken up with my last girlfriend, I was close to finishing high school, and I had immersed myself in a world of classic hip-hop. I especially did not write about or kept up with music like I do now. But despite me practically living under a rock at the time, even I noticed the influence and praise that R&B singer Frank Ocean was garnering. Since then, Ocean went on to be perceived as one of the most distinct and prominent singers in R&B and as well as contemporary, mainstream music. His reputation for excellence was only further built on by the multitude of times he lent his beautiful voice to his contemporaries. The most awe-inspiring example that I can think of was his tremendous vocals on Kanye West's 2013 single, "New Slaves". 

So much has changed since Frank Ocean's last album. President Obama's final term is now coming to an end, I'm on my last year as an undergraduate student, I have a wonderful girlfriend of three years, and there have been multitude of albums that have completely taken the spotlight in the music world that have kept everyone busy and distracted. I'm actually quite surprised Frank Ocean finally pulled through and released something, despite the somewhat annoying marketing and teasing tactics he used for weeks on end, having everyone at the edge of their seats, making us wait tirelessly for something to happen. Cryptic photos, a live stream of virtually nothing happening, numerous rumored release dates, and still nothing happened. Past a certain point I was beginning to think that Frank Ocean was just pulling the most elaborate prank this year. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, Frank Ocean randomly releases through Apple Music his new music video for what he simply called Endless. It was billed as a "visual album" as several brand-new, unreleased songs played while Frank and some other men, quietly worked on several projects in an empty looking warehouse for about 45 minutes. Naturally, everyone freaks out not knowing what the hell is going on just to have Frank announce that Endless wasn't the real deal. He released his official follow up to Channel Orange a day or two later, which he mysteriously titled, Blonde.

That brings us to the current day. So far in social media, I've seen people acting like Frank made the newest Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, or that this album was Heavenly-made material. I'm here to tell you that it's not. Unfortunately for me, after multiple listens, or as some of my peers have described as "on repeat", Blonde turned out to be a slight disappointment in my experience. I am not saying in any sense that Frank's new album is bad. I know I would be burned at the social stake for actually proclaiming such a thing. I have always liked Frank's singing and his music, even if I never was a huge fan. 

The paramount negative aspect that I must admit about Blonde, is that there is this sad and lingering feeling that the album just feels kind of forced. This doesn't sound like the result of four years of work, it sounds like the work of one. As a whole, Blonde sounds like Frank trying a little too hard to be mind-blowing or groundbreaking like he did on Channel Orange. I also felt slightly cheated by Frank as the album features a decent amount of short tracks that serve as interludes to fill in the gaps between major songs. I normally enjoy interlude tracks as I feel they usually give an album character by offering snippets of audio that aren't conventional songs, but I wasn't that impressed with the interludes or very short songs on the album as I felt like they could almost be considered pure filler tracks. I'm kind of over the interludes of "Be Yourself" and the juvenile "Facebook Story". I could do without them. Even the interludes that are purely musical like "Good Guy" and "Solo (Reprise)" are kind of unnecessary to me as they feel like unfinished demos that Frank threw in at the last minute. In this regard, the album feels a little incomplete. Perhaps I was hoping too much for a Channel Orange type of experience with this album, and it just wasn't happening with Blonde.

Bear in mind however, that if it was never Frank's intention to imitate the level of creativity and eccentricity that his previous album effortlessly executed, then I actually applaud Frank for his efforts in trying to outdo himself, but in different way. In fact, Pitchfork very recently reported that Frank has become so independent and bold lately that he left his label of Def Jam. He actually released Blonde on his own, along with the help of top-notch engineers and artists contributing their talents to the album.

Aside from what I feel to be the biggest let downs about the album, Blonde is actually quite impressive. This is Frank Ocean we're talking about here. I never excepted him to put out anything he thought his fans would be unhappy with. And that's the thing. No one is really unhappy with it that I know of, and how can anyone really be that upset with it? Once again, Frank takes his alternative and particular mode of production and songwriting to a different plain with songs that are filled to the brim with sonic textures, heart-felt melodies, smooth beats, and an unforgettable voice that prowls through with melancholic-like tones. How else can I describe the dramatic and relaxed cut of his newest single, "Nikes"? The album's opener features distorted & filtered vocals that chill me ever so slightly. The next song "Ivy", slightly contradicts it's solemn opener with an optimistic and watery guitar riff as Frank shows off his stellar vocals like he always does. "Nights" and "Solo" also follow in similar vein of quirky beat back drops and notable melodies that'll probably grow on me even more than they have now.

Probably the most significant part of the album, the part that feels the most thematic and complete, is its ending. The last four songs on the album are Frank at his most sincere and vulnerable. From "White Ferrari" to the end, Frank lays on emotional punch after another with songs that tug at your heart with his whimpering to soaring vocals that are layered over his eclectic arrangements that utilize soft guitar riffs, strings, and somber keyboards to maximize Frank's effectiveness in being wonderfully sappy and earnest with the listener.

I'm not sure if my review of Frank's newest work is an example for myself on how hype culture affects my ability to judge a piece of music, or how it effects anyone when trying to judge music. Either way, in our highly technological and fast-paced world, it seems nearly impossible to get away from herd mentality and the sweet temptation that is "going with the flow". But for someone who sincerely writes about music, I have to be as honest as I can be. Otherwise, there would be no reason for me to write these reviews. I would just look at whatever pops up Twitter or Pitchfork and that'd be the end of it. In spite of all the hype culture and social media, Frank Ocean still manages to get the attention of even the most skeptical of listeners. Blonde may have not been the album I was fully hoping for, but it's an album that people genuinely enjoy, even for all its flaws. 

Overall: 8.4 out of 10 

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - REVIEW

Have you ever seen a picture of Earth? Like a really good one? Did you stare at it for a long time? The thing that was always struck me like a laser-guided missile when looking at photos like the infamous Blue Marble, is noticing the pitch-black, and entirely empty space that our planet suspends in. Just a whole bunch of nothingness. Despite all our attempts at communication and searching for anything outside our world, it seems like we truly are alone. All we have is each other on this 4.5 billion year old rock. Please excuse my sentimentality. I just wanted to put things in perspective as I introduced one of the most interesting and perplexing albums I have come across this whole summer, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, by the space rock and neo-psychedelic group known as Spiritualized.

Following in the general slew of albums that have eaten up my time this summer by a considerable amount, which have been in some form of dream pop, shoegaze, post-rock, or lo-fi indie, I have come across my first real taste for neo-psychedelia outside of my sampling of Deerhunter and Animal Collective. I'm glad I finally took the time to listen to this, as Apple Music and other outlets I venture on to discover new music were constantly bringing up this album, and I can kind of see why.

I suppose it's most appropriate to start with the stellar and heart-wrenching opening that is the title track. The first song on the album actually still surprises me with it's choral and classical sounding like beauty as it flawlessly evokes the atmosphere and illusion of being in a spaceship and looking at our beautiful, blue planet. I honestly thought for the longest time that the song was driven on the melody of the eternally recognizable Canon by Johann Pachelbel, but it's not. It just sounds really close to it, but it's not any less stunning then the archetypal melody for weddings and other wondrous events.

But immediately after the astonishing opener that is the title track, comes a succession of songs that I still haven't been able to understand. This is the only problem I have this album. I don't understand why the awkward and seemingly unnecessary medley of tracks 2-4 were put on this album. The second track is entitled "Come Together", and sadly, it isn't a Beatles cover. It exerts it's maximalist qualities just to be as repetitive and uninteresting as possible. The third and fourth track follow a similar formula in that they are just songs with un-entertaining melodies and arrangements that make me feel like they were added in just for filler. I feel so guilty having to admit this, but this is quite a rare occasion where I sincerely hate a group of songs from an album I am otherwise quite impressed with.

The album begins to re-emerge and eventually fully redeem itself with every track after the fourth one, with the kind of space rock songs that I was expecting to hear from the beginning. For quite some time after the worst part of the album, the songs shift between relatively relaxed ballads, noisy jams, and fuzzy improvisations that encapsulate the album until you reach "Broken Heart". Because until then, the album takes a rather intense psychedelic turn, as one might wonder if the band members at the time were actually under the influence of psychoactive drugs when writing these few songs.

"Broken Heart" is more than likely the emotional center piece of such a turbulent album. The softly sung vocals mixed with the orchestral instrumentation over a simple ambient backdrop genuinely makes me feel sad every time I listen to it. Even when there's nothing to feel sad about.

The rest of the album to the end continues in the groovy vein of jam sessions layered in noise, slight feedback, fuzz, and jazz-like elements. Spiritualized even utilizes the stressful yet amusing effect of crescendos on its grand finale, "Cop Shoot Cop..." And other than the noise rock banger of "Electricity" that even features a harmonica in the background, one could say that this album is reminiscent of various parts of King Crimson's and Pink Floyd's discography. But don't try too hard to listen for those particular similarities as you may not actually find them. They're subtly woven into the shoegazy-like fabric of the album.

Despite any criticism I may have for this album, I'm still more than happy with the product as a whole. It wasn't this monumental, mind blowing thing that I was secretly hoping for it to be, but it grew on me fairly quickly. Which is another thing that doesn't really occur when I'm evaluating an album. I usually either love it instantly or I'll begin to like it after about five to eight listens later. It took me about two or three listens to realize it's beauty.

Overall: 8.4 out of 10

Taki 183 - REVIEW

I can shamelessly admit that I've probably spent the better half of my life in front of a computer screen, and nearly all of that time was spent being on the internet. I could probably write an entire thesis about how the internet has become this seemingly organic, complex, and grandeur entity of its own. Despite it being the product of ordinary and not-so ordinary people, the internet is something unlike many of the typical expressions of the human condition. And this is because the internet is where the human condition goes to exert and challenge itself to the most extreme and deepest ends. Like an underground fighting club designated to be a form of psycho-therapy for spiritually lost young men, the internet is where people demonstrate their true form, more or less.

So naturally, there's been more than enough music releases that encompass the atmosphere that the internet harbors, and the broader outside world that has evolved around it. Because let's face it, the internet and the plethora of subcultures that manifest it have become quite prominent in our development as a society and culture. The same can be said about the very art that is utilized to express this development.

One album in particular that instantly comes to my mind when thinking about the ever growing cyberpunk culture in our society, along side the brutal and unforgiving industrial hip-hop album No Love Deep Web by Death Grips, is the severely underrated electropop album, Taki 183 by French electronic artist, DyE. He is a solo artist whose real name is Juan de Guillebon. I was unable to obtain any relevant information about him or anything about the two albums he's ever released on an indie label. But despite DyE's ghost like status in the music world, and the meme-like quality that the lead single has had on internet culture, this album is surprisingly a lot better than I was hoping it was going to be when I decided to give it a try.

Let me begin by getting out the way the most popular, and more than likely, the only song anybody might know from this album, "Fantasy". This song is driven off a simple keyboard riff that softly plays in the background that is accompanied by a beat set at a slow tempo. I'm not exactly sure if DyE himself does the vocals for the album or if he features unaccredited people on certain songs. Either way, the song's lyrics are relatively abstract and the melody itself follows a wavy and reverb wall of sound indicating the vocals or the lyrics are not the focal point of the song, but rather just another instrumental aspect to it. As I mentioned earlier, you may already know the song because, just like me, you stumbled upon its infamous music video one day on YouTube when it was trending or a friend sent it to you hoping you would be grossed out by the video's content. While I was a little shocked when I first viewed the video myself, I wasn't turned off by the music as I realized that the soft and dreamlike quality to "Fantasy" was deliberately meant to be juxtaposed against the extremely violent and horrific anime sequence being presented before the viewer. This is something DyE has done with several other of his low-budget music videos.

The rest of the album is actually quite versatile and unpredictable as it fluctuates extensively between its electropop and techno influences. It almost seems as though DyE composed the album with the intention that he didn't want any two songs to sound exactly alike, and he effortlessly achieves this objective. Each song on the album encompasses a specific mood and atmosphere that is exclusive to that particular song. The opener "Nike", introduces the album with a happy go-lucky track that utilizes a loud and fuzzy keyboard riff that bounces endlessly with a beat that'll make you want to smile. "Hole In Ocean" is more reminiscent to a traditional ambient track with an alluring beat and deep bass line with vocals that seem to want to take the listener to sleep. The most ominous track on the album, appropriately titled "Vader", is a track that I feel like is the epitome of a cyberpunk song, if a song could really sound as such. It's menacing, scratchy, and immensely noisy as blips of distortion and slight feed-back make me feel like its the year 2032 and I'm a shut-in hacker living the "high tech, low life".

The rest of the songs on the album generally seem to serve as wonderful background music for a multitude of occasions. Driving around town late at night, passing by the endless stream of cars on the highway, billboards for ads you don't care about, and neon lights for shady places. Or occasions like staying up late on your favorite website, connecting with people you've never seen in person but feel closer to them than you do with people you encounter in real life on a daily basis.

But despite all the upsides to the album, there are of course some downsides I need to address. The album can seem a little underwhelming at first, especially if you're not necessarily into slower electronic music, or if you only care about singles and not really albums as a whole. The album can also appear boring after a while, so then it becomes more of a nostalgia piece that's only good to listen to maybe every couple of weeks, if not months. Or it could be the down right gigantic disappointment that is the God-awful title track that sticks out like a sore thumb. That track is so underwhelming that it honestly just feels like someone trying to imitate DyE, rather than DyE himself just making a bad track.

I will admit that this album isn't for everyone but it's definitely impressive enough to be labeled as a "hidden gem" as the only way to find out about it it seems, is through random blogs (like mine), screenshots of songs posted on social media, or somehow finding out about the music video for "Fantasy". I guess what I'm also trying to say is that Taki 183 has become like this personal cult classic for myself and the people who I try to show it to. But given that it's been about 5 years since it first came out, it might never gain any more momentum than it has already, but I'm sure DyE is okay with this, seeing as he still had enough motivation to release the follow up to his debut, Cocktail Citron, just two years ago. And believe me, it's just as eccentric as Taki.

Overall: 7.2 out of 10