Really cool downtempo album. It goes down easy and takes interesting musical detours throughout. Always good and occasionally sublime. Don't have much else to say on first listen. 3.5/5.
The name Bibio sounds unfamiliar, but I apparently already heard one of albums on Mush few years ago...
Anyway, this album is usually filed under Folktronica, a style that is mostly hit (Minotaur Shock, Ultramarine...) or miss (Caribou, Four Tet...) but this one lies a bit in between.
There are some rockish tracks that go for an Animal Collective sound and I'm not very fond of those, but there are also some IDMish, Hip-Hop fueled one and those are more my style. Tracks like Fire Ant or S'vive are gonna get some replays for sure.
I knew Ursula Rucker from her arresting spoken word pieces on several Roots albums, but this is my first foray into her solo work. Her spoken word is just as compelling (and sometimes very edgy / deeply disturbing) here as it is on their records. Musically, Supa Sista provides a good canvas for her vocals, with a few diversions into r&b and hip-hop for variety and pacing. Lyrically, Rucker has some misses, but is more frequently incisive. I doubt this will ever become a favorite of mine, but I very much respect what she's accomplished artistically here, and it kept me captivated throughout. 3.5/5.
I see you're not a big fan of his first two albums, but this one is pretty different and he's one of my favorite artists, so I'm curious what you'll think:
I realize that it seems some Fela is lacking from my charts, but I'm already familiar with all the 70s albums. Of course his albums with Ginger Baker had some crossover appeal, but it's still some great Afrobeat/Highlife. He's one of the best to ever do it. Fela, that is.
I'm sorry Baystate, I know it's long, but I'm going to rec Romanworld.
Romanworld is a long, varied, and strange album. While good, it unfortunately underperforms the expectations I entered with based on the genres and Romanthony's Daft Punk vocals. The more house the song is, the better it is, and there are a couple outstanding tracks that fit the bill. The many stylistic diversions do not work as well for me. Romanthony's vocals are often distractingly ill-fitting. When I think of deep house and garage house, I want to hear something warm, atmospheric, and euphoric that I can just sink into. Some of Romanworld is like that, but it never lasts long enough before going in a different direction. A pretty good listen that feels too much like a tease and a missed opportunity to be a personal favorite, but maybe it will grow on me with my next listen. 3/5.
The rapping isn't at the same level, but this album has some amazing beats courtesy of Madlib:
😁 Indeed it is, featuring 2 legendary drummers and perhaps his greatest song in the title cut.
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Back Stabbers by The O'Jays
There's a lot to like here. From the progression and incredible decrescendo on the opener, to the euphoric title track, to the incredible, mysterious synth work on Who Am I, to the jams on 992 Argument, to Sunshine's groovy bass... And, of course, it ends with the group's most famous song, Love Train. Never heard (of) The O'Jays before, but I can see why they're a classic soul band. Lovely record, it's doing the Philly sound right. 7.5/10
This one from my decade chart fits right in your monthly project:
Wow, this is some great IDM. Texturally and melodically, it stands out. The low end is predictably very good too, but it's not something that elevates R.I.P relative to its peers. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, and will have to check out more from Actress. 4/5.
Listen to the third installment in the ambient series:
Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance by Laraaji
Laraaji's "Vision Songs Vol. 1" has been on my list for a long time, so gave that one a listen too. As far as Ambient 3 is concerned, I didn't like it, I'm afraid. A lot of meandering new age inspired string arpeggios. Zither and some other instruments I didn't recognize. I usually like Eno's Ambient series, so this was a bit of a disappointment, but I can see why you like it Bay. It's got a certain groove. 6/10
Edit: my bad, here's a great album by a woman, which is also among the best and most influential dream pop records
Absolutely gorgeous. Coming in, I knew and loved three of these songs from Soundtrack From Twin Peaks, and I'm really impressed at how well the rest of the album stacks up to them. Rockin' Back Inside My Heart is a highlight in particular. Beautiful, subtle vocals over beautiful, subtle production. Perfectly atmospheric stuff from Cruise that matches its title. 4/5.
Really capable soul record, though I wasn't too high on the highs. "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" was the standout and I really liked it, but that's about all I have to say about my feelings on the record. Could've been a lot better, but maybe my expectations for soul music is a bit too high? I don't know.
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