Might as well

[Space-Dementia]

December 27, 2018
TA13OO by Denzel Curry
This is the type of Soundcloud rap I could get behind. I really like the variety on here. The beats can either be warm and muted, synthy and catchy, or grimy and bass-heavy, and he either raps with a melodic poetic style or an angry shouting voice. I also love when the beats change up, cause it's always so unexpected, and then the song usually transitions perfectly into the next song, which I always love. His voice does bother me at times, when it gets a little too singy while he's rapping, like on __. But his lyrics, energy, versatility, and beats are enough to make this a notable trap album from this year.

Warm by Jeff Tweedy
This reminds me a lot of George Harrison's stuff, but if it was a lot smaller and more subtly produced. At times the drums sound like paper and there's very little reverb on here. In fact, the only immediate effects I really hear are the slapback on his voice and whatever he decides to throw on the electric guitars that move around in your headphones throughout the songs. A lot of the songs are really straightforward and the admittedly few guitar solos are laughably simple, but he's really created an atmosphere with this album: one that changes moods but has a constant poetic and melancholic feel. It seems like an album you could throw on when you're the only one in the car and you're driving back to your childhood home. The slower more ambient tracks don't really catchy my interest, but some of these songs are such a great throwback to 70s classic rock, but with an alt-country twist.

Astroworld by Travis Scott
To me Travis Scott is this slightly cheesy unapologetically pop rapper who I respect immensely for keeping the album relevant in pop music, never shying away from experimentation in his beats, and giving his concertgoers their money's worth with these huge extravagant and memorable performances and tours. As far as the actual music goes, it's pretty much more of the same from Travis: loads of bangers, a couple of laid-back album tracks, and lots of psychedelic passages and switch-ups. Sure, lyrically some of it's lacking ("Fuck the club up!" made me roll my eyes and Drake's whole "out like a light" thing kinda ruins what would have been one of the better songs on the album) and as a rapper Travis isn't the most original or virtuosic, but this album's a lot of fun to listen to and I'm glad he's still riding his wave of psychedelic prog-trap.
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These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

December 30, 2018
Knock Knock by DJ Koze
Is this even house? It's definitely electronic music, but the songs on this album fall under so many different subgenres, from trip hop/downtempo to disco to dream pop and many others. I think Koze is trying to represent a single mood throughout the album, no matter what music genre he uses to get there, and that helps him and hurts him at the same time kinda. I think if the album was shorter, like maybe 45 minutes long, it would work a lot better, because it would be like an entrance into a musically diverse world of nostalgia and bittersweetness. But with its length of almost 80 minutes, it feels more like an experiment than a confident release. I'll probably eventually make a playlist of my favorite tracks on here and listen to that instead of the whole thing, I just wish Koze could have shortened it before he released it, and then maybe put out a B-sides record or something with the rest of the tracks. In terms of the musical content though, he's doing everything right. He just needs to pick out the best tracks and leave out the rest and he'll have a terrific electronic record on his hands. One thing I'm not much of a fan of on here is the guest vocals. A lot of them seem kind of forced and unnatural, to the point where it makes some of the songs markably worse, like "Colors of Autumn", which would have been a 5-star song without the vocals, or with a different vocalist. Overall though, even though I could do without about half of these tracks, I'm liking this album more than other albums with less filler, because I'm really enjoying DJ Koze's willingness to experiment and play with different genres.

Your Queen is a Reptile by Sons of Kemet
Jazz as played by four British punks pissed off at the state of their country. On this record you only hear percussion, tuba, saxophone, and occasional spoken word. The way the tuba and saxophone players interact with each other is beautiful, with the former usually providing a dark but bouncy bass line and the latter providing counterpoint at first and later just doing his own thing. Meanwhile the drummer and percussionist are playing their hearts out back there, giving each song a backbone but also tons of polyrythms on the toms and congas to give it more shape. What I especially love on here is how, similarly to Knock Knock which I comment on just above, the album is diverse in terms of genre and style while always keeping a constant mood of hope for a better world. The sounds on here range from acoustic grime beats to minimal Mingus-style jazz to Caribbean-sounding dub/reggae, with some thoughtful soft ballads as well. The album has a message as well, with two political poetic vents by the vocalist, as well as a constant outrage towards the lack of appreciation towards the black British community, and each track is named after an influential black woman, from Harriet Tubman to the band leader's grandmother. I'm astounded at how original, focused, and all-in-all great this album is, and it's a shame it took me until the second-to-last day of the year to check it out.
_________________
These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

December 31, 2018
Compro by Skee Mask
A lot of this sounds like a less innovative Aphex Twin with elements of Boards of Canada, but each track has a really interesting and beautiful little ambient techno idea, even if all of them end up going on longer than they should. If he had shortened each song to about half its length, this would be one of the best electronic albums of the year. The synth soundscapes in the background are mesmerizing, bringing to mind a futuristic lounge or something to that extent, and the drums are interesting too, adding a lot more to the songs than you'd expect from techno drums. But, like I said before, the songs are far too long, which makes for a great album to put on while you're doing something else, but a tiring one to listen to as your main attraction.

El Mal Querer by Rosalia
Well this whole album is easily the best vocal performance of recent memory. Her voice is just stunning, rising and bending at her every will and just about tearing through my headphones. The music itself is fascinating as well, falling somewhere between R&B and flamenco pop, if that's even a thing. I definitely hear bits of Bon Iver and Bjork in there, but Rosalia's doing something else here. It sounds like her voice was classically trained but rather than just becoming a typical flamenco singer she decided to push the entire genre forward into something much more modern. There's a lot of synths and vocoders, but there's also a good amount of acoustic guitar and a whole bunch of clapping, and the chord progressions are dark and mysterious. Eventually I'll look up the lyrics and figure out what it is she's singing about, because it sounds like she might be telling some kind of story, especially since that's usually what flamenco is all about. The slower more ambient tracks can lose me a bit, but the intensity is always there, as is the innovation. I'll be returning to this album often in the next few months, and I wouldn't be surprised if she starts to lead a movement of modern pop heavily influenced by traditional Spanish music.

Harutosyura by Haru Nemuri
I've never been one for J-pop, or any modern Asian pop, and I know this isn't the most representative example, but I'd love to hear more music similar to this coming out of East Asia. The vocals are pretty much what I expected, but the music was really interesting. Sure, we've heard a lot of these chord progressions before in noise rock and shoegaze records since the early 90s, but it's just so refreshing to hear a bouncy almost electro pop version of it. The first half of the record is much more successful than the second half, but she keeps it short, and makes it easy to return to the album. She's great at writing catchy hooks that get stuck in your head, and most of them are more chanted than sung which is interesting and something I enjoyed a lot. I don't agree with some of her decisions, like in the title track when she all of a sudden starts speeding up the song more and more until she stops the song, says some words in Japanese, and brings it all back, which could have worked but for some reason just sounded a bit too forced. Even though the back half never really picks up, I'm glad I checked this record out, and I'll be on the lookout for more Asian noise rock.
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These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

Top 25 Albums of 2018
25. Denzel Curry - TA13OO
Genre: Hip Hop
Length: 43:20
Release Date: July 27
Label: Loma Vista
Country: USA
Producer: Denzel Curry et. al
A great mix of laid back hip hop tracks and hard hitting trap bangers. It took a while to grow on me, but eventually I came around to his unique style and the dark atmosphere he created with this album. Best track: Black Balloons
24. MGMT - Little Dark Age
Genre: Psychedelic Pop
Length: 44:25
Release Date: February 9
Label: Columbia
Country: USA
Producer: MGMT, Patrick Wimberly, Dave Fridmann
Although I don’t agree that it’s their best album, or even that it’s better than Congratulations, I wasn’t expecting MGMT to come back with such a strong and commercial pop record. They had dug themselves into a hole with the experimental and misguided self-titled album that they put out five years ago, and it seemed like it might be the end of their relevancy, but they managed to pull themselves together and put out some of their best music in years, weird, playful, and psychedelic. Best track: When You Die
23. Blood Orange - Negro Swan
Genre: R&B
Length: 49:27
Release Date: August 24
Label: Domino
Country: UK
Producer: Dev Hynes
While some of the songs aren’t much more than ideas, at its best Negro Swan is an R&B album that challenges what’s acceptable within the lines of pop music. His silky voice accompanies progressive synth tracks that envelop you in an emotional retrospective atmosphere. Best track: Charcoal Baby
22. 공중도둑 - 무너지기
Genre: Psychedelic Folk Rock
Length: 44:05
Release Date: July 31
Label: Botanical House
Country: S. Korea
Producer: Mid-Air Thief
A very interesting mix of folk falling somewhere between Nick Drake and Grizzly Bear and electronic psych-rock à la Radiohead/Flaming Lips. The production is what makes it though, because it leaves the colorful maximalist Tame Impala sound behind in favor of a more reserved atmosphere with lots of empty space, which is refreshing. It’s laid back but it draws you in right from the start. Best track: Why?
21. Vein - Errorzone
Genre: Metalcore
Length: 27:46
Release Date: June 22
Label: Closed Casket Activities
Country: USA
Producer: Will Putney
I guess you could call it nu metal, but only because they throw in some alternative rock ideas to counteract the metalcore-style guitars, pounding drums, and in-your-face vocals. It’s reminiscent of Deftones, but never a blatant rehash. Best track: Doomtech
20. Mac Miller - Swimming
Genre: Jazz Rap
Length: 58:33
Release Date: August 3
Label: Warner Bros
Country: USA
Producer: Malcolm McCormick et. al
The unfortunate circumstances make this a chilling listen, but either way it’s an album of somber, funky jazz rap that shows Mac at his most mature and emotional. Best track: What’s the Use?
19. Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Length: 30:01
Release Date: March 16
Label: Sub Pop
Country: USA
Producer: Ben Moore, Cody Cichowski
A refreshing throwback to old-school hardcore with the guitar tones and riffs of indie bands like the Strokes. Makes me wanna pick up my guitar and go jam in my friend’s garage. Best track: Six Wave Hold-Down
18. Low - Double Negative
Genre: Slowcore Glitch Pop
Length: 48:50
Release Date: September 14
Label: Sub Pop
Country: UK
Producer: B.J. Burton
A heavy, apocalyptic record that effortlessly blends glitch pop and slowcore like they were meant to be played together as one. Best track: Fly
17. Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)
Genre: Indie Rock
Length: 71:16
Release Date: February 16
Label: Matador
Country: USA
Producer: Will Toledo
It’s interesting that a rerecording of an album he originally released seven years ago can show so much growth from an artist. Will sounds more comfortable in his own skin than ever before, and the music keeps up too, with two 10+ minute songs and loads of crunchy guitar riffs. Best track: Bodys
16. Shame - Songs of Praise
Genre: Post-Punk Revival
Length: 38:25
Release Date: January 12
Label: Dead Oceans
Country: UK
Producer: Dan Foat and Nathan Boddy
They’re young, they’ve got energy, and they can write a guitar riff like their lives depend on it. Sure, it’s not pushing the post-punk genre forward much, but they know their audience. Best track: Dust on Trial
15. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V
Genre: Hip Hop
Length: 87:43
Release Date: September 28
Label: Young Money, Republic, Universal
Country: USA
Producer: Lil Wayne et. al
Every hit on here, and there’s a lot of them, sounds like I’ve been blasting it since the eighth grade. And when he needs to get serious or slow it down a bit, he does it with ease. For such a long album, I’m surprised it’s as consistent as it is. Best track: Mona Lisa
14. Beach House - 7
Genre: Dream Pop
Length: 47:04
Release Date: May 11
Label: Sub Pop
Country: USA
Producer: Beach House, Sonic Boom
Pretty much exactly what I was expecting from Beach House at this point, but I’m not complaining. They’re like a dream pop version of R.E.M. in that they always sound the same, but it’s such a good sound that it never gets old, especially since no one does it quite as well as they do, at least not in this decade. Best track: Drunk in LA
13. Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile
Genre: Jazz
Length: 55:34
Release Date: March 30
Label: Impulse!
Country: UK
Producer: Shabaka Hutchings, Dilip Harris
This is the definition of a timeless release. It’s jazz that often recalls Charles Mingus, especially with the deep tuba foundation, but with a punk energy that I haven’t heard yet in this genre, dub overtones, and also elements of grime that give it a modern sound. It’s sparse too, with only four instrumental performers and occasional spoken word, which is refreshing. Best track: My Queen is Ada Eastman
12. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace
Genre: Psychedelic Blues Punk
Length: 47:14
Release Date: May 11
Label: Milestone
Country: Australia
Producer: Tropical Fuck Storm
It’s like if Nick Cave kicked a hole through his amp, played as loud as he could, and deep fried his vocal chords. They’re passionate, but they’re patient too, building up songs bit by bit until they reach a huge climax. Best track: You Let My Tyres Down
11. Kali Uchis - Isolation
Genre: R&B
Length: 46:30
Release Date: April 6
Label: Rinse, Virgin, Universal
Country: Colombia/USA
Producer: various
Remarkably consistent for a pop record. Each track is relentlessly groovy as Uchis’ velvet-smooth vocals tell you stories of love, dreams, and Miami. Best track: In My Dreams
10. Pusha T - Daytona
Genre: Hip Hop
Length: 21:08
Release Date: May 25
Label: G.O.O.D., Def Jam
Country: USA
Producer: Kanye West, Terrence Thomton, Steven Victor, et. al
King Push keeps it real over low-key beats that it sounds like Kanye’s been saving for this exact project. It goes hard, but it’s never in-your-face about it, which makes for a pleasant listen. Best track: Games We Play
9. U.S. Girls in A Poem Unlimited
Genre: Art Pop
Length: 37:46
Release Date: February 20
Label: 4AD
Country: Canada/USA
Producer: Meg Remy, et. al
Apparently the lyrics are very political and opinionated, so I should probably comment on them, but I’m just here for the music because it’s some of the funkiest art pop I’ve heard in a while. There’s a wild sax solo, a Talking Heads-style six-minute groove, and 80s style disco rock, all with what sounds like Madonna blessing it all with a voice to die for. Best track: Rage of Plastics
8. Playboi Carti - Die Lit
Genre: Minimal Trap
Length: 57:39
Release Date: May 11
Label: AWGE, Interscope
Country: USA
Producer: Pi’erre Bourne, et. al
He’s saying complete nonsense on most of these tracks, but for the most part his voice is just a guide through a futuristic and sparse trap landscape that sets a blueprint for what the future of rap might end up being in a few years. Best track: Poke it Out
7. Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs
Genre: Lo-Fi Jazz Rap
Length: 24:38
Release Date: November 30
Label: Tan Cressida, Columbia
Country: USA
Producer: Thebe Kgositsile, et. al
Earl continues making short lo-fi jazz rap, but this time he omits any hooks whatsoever, just saying what’s on his mind over beats that sound like if you took an old Motown record, chopped it into pieces, and put it back together with all the pieces in the wrong places. It’s heavenly, and short enough that you never get enough. Best track: The Mint
6. Against All Logic - 2012-2017
Genre: House
Length: 66:42
Release Date: February 17
Label: Other People
Country: USA
Producer: Nicolas Jaar
Sure, it’s house, but it’s more heart-wrenching than the old-school soul it’s sampling. It simultaneously places you in a Cadillac driving through 70s San Francisco and in a psychedelic night club on the verge of a creative breakthrough. One of the most complete and adventurous house albums I’ve heard to date. Best track: This Old House is All I Have
5. Daughters - You Won’t Get What You Want
Genre: Industrial Noise Rock
Length: 48:40
Release Date: October 26
Label: Ipecac
Country: USA
Producer: Seth Manchester, Nicolas Sadler
A menacing and dark noise rock album that seems to set the tone for an apocalypse. The guitars sound like nothing I’ve ever heard, piercing your ears like alarms, backed by brutal drumming that sounds like the set’s about to break to pieces. I’m not sure where the band could go from here, after finally taming their noisy grindcore sound of years ago. I’m not sure I’d wanna have a beer with these guys but I could listen to them perform this album over and over for hours. Best track: The Reason They Hate Me
4. Kids See Ghosts
Genre: Hip Hop
Length: 23:53
Release Date June 8
Label: G.O.O.D. Music, Def Jam
Country: USA
Producer: Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, et. al
If anyone could bring Cudi back to his prime, it would be Kanye. The way these two work together, complimenting each other’s styles over dark, emotional, and psychedelic tracks is a joy to listen to. It’s a reawakening, and I can’t wait to see how the two already accomplished artists move on from here. Best track: Kids See Ghosts
3. The Armed - Only Love
Genre: Metalcore
Length: 38:23
Release Date: April 27
Label: No Rest Until Ruin
Country: USA
Producer: Kurt Ballou
Right from the start it pounds at your eardrums without pause, with production that smushes everything together into a wall that’s rushing towards you at breakneck speeds until the last track, which sounds like you’ve finally reached the end of the wall, until it collapses onto you and you have no option but to willingly accept the mind-shredding torture for four more minutes. Best track: Witness
2. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
Genre: Post-Punk
Length: 38:37
Release Date: May 18
Label: Rough Trade
Country: USA
Producer: Danger Mouse
In the style of a modern London Calling, Parquet Courts shape their indie punk tendencies into a mature, groovy, and politically-minded rock record. They’ve got a lot to say and they keep your head bopping while they give it to you straight. Best track: Total Football
1. Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance
Genre: Post-Punk
Length: 42:14
Release Date: September 7
Label: Partisan
Country: UK
Producer: Space, Adam Greenspan, Nick Launay
It’s like an amalgamation of every rock band that’s existed since 2000. This is the punk album for this generation, with Idles’ leftist social views coming out over energetic and borderline furious indie rock songs. This is a statement and it’s telling you what to expect from rock music in the next decade. It’s the start of a movement. Best track: Never Fight a Man With a Perm
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These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 11, 2019
Zombie by Fela Kuti & Africa '70
Okay, well now I know what David Byrne was listening to in the late 70s.
By the way, I've been listening to the version with four tracks, not the original that only has the first two. I highly recommend checking out the two extra tracks because they're just as good as, if not better than, some of the material on the first two tracks.
This is such a perfect mix of dance, jazz, and political protest. First off, the percussion keeps it straight and steady but even though it's repetitive it's so busy and it's constantly changing in tiny, almost imperceptible ways to the point that it reminds me of krautrock. The guitar and bass are similar in that they find a groove that works and they kinda stay there for a while, but a loop just wouldn't be the same because of the heart that they're pouring out into this. Next off, that sax is obviously the main focus for a good part of the album and god damn is it fun to follow as it switches between carrying beautiful story-like melodies and offering contrapuntal licks that interact beautifully with his vocals and the rest of the brass. Every song has several different brass and vocal riffs, and every single one of them has something to offer and finds its way into your head and stays there for hours after the album has finished. And the more you hum the melodies and tap your foot and do what starts as a head nod and ends up being a full body movement to the rhythm of the melody playing in your head, the only solution is to just listen to it again. And again, and again, and again. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's poetic, driven, and harshly political. He's calling the Nigerian soldiers Zombies because all they do is follow orders and instill fear into their citizens. And, from what I've read, the public loved it, gathering in the streets of Nigeria and dancing through the towns and blasting this shit for everyone to hear. I can only imagine the pure joy and satisfaction that comes from hearing something like this after being treated horribly for years by the corrupt military. So of course the government hated him and his music so they sent a thousand soldiers to beat him up, kill his mother, and burn down the compound and refuge that he had declared as an independent state. They're obviously terrible circumstances, and I can't imagine how it must feel to have that happen to you as a result of your music, but that really puts things into perspective, in terms of what music can be as a social medium. Sure, Lennon was asking the world to "give peace a chance" and whatever, but this is something else entirely. It's music as a voice. A voice that tells you to listen, to fight, and to dance.
_________________
These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 16, 2019
Acabou Chorare by Novos Baianos
Take the samba-jazz of Getz/Gilberto but replace the jazz with rock and place it in 1972 and this is what you get. It still has the same smooth and calm atmosphere, but it seems a little more active and playful. Although the album has a pretty homogeneous vibe the whole time, with similar strumming patterns and soft vocals showing up on every track, they're still able to add some variety by switching between male and female vocals and songs that stay low-key for their whole running time vs. songs that start off slow and quiet and build up to become something much bigger. All that being said, though, this is pretty much an easy-listening record that is also interesting enough to stand on its own. It fits a pretty specific happy but relaxed vibe and would definitely be best enjoyed doing something like napping on a hammock, but it's also a statement of the capabilities of Brazilian musicians in the 70s, and the repurposing of a classic style of music to fit a new era.
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These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 17, 2019
Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes
Listening to this, I just imagine strolling down the street in Memphis or some other southern city on a summer day hot enough to melt the asphalt, with an acid tab under your tongue and a cigarette between your lips. (Sure, maybe part of that has to do with the first lyrics sung on the album: "If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry each time we meet, walk on by.") This is just one of those albums where all its elements come together to create something much bigger than what's directly in front of you. The music is funky, soulful, and psychedelic, the strings make it all seem like you're in a movie, and the production is just experimental enough to play with your head a little, but not enough to where it acts as another instrument, like on some other contemporary albums, like Electric Ladyland or The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, which is good because it keeps everything tight and focused. The actual music here is incredible, though. Some parts of it are a little ridiculous and haven't aged very well, like some of the lyrics to the second track (I'm not gonna try to spell that), and of course the eight minute spoken word intro to "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". It's interesting and unique that he decided to set up the whole story behind the song's lyrics, especially since he isn't the one who wrote them, but he definitely overdid it a little, and it would be great to have a version of the song with maybe a 30-second intro because the rest of the song is so good and passionate (even the single version that shows up at the end of the deluxe remaster still includes about three minutes of introduction). Besides those two factors, though, this is a brilliant album that really showcases Isaac Hayes as a terrific musician.
And the story behind the album only adds to its beauty. His record label lost most of its resources in a quick succession of events, so they sent all their artists into the studio to put out as many albums as possible in only a few months. Hayes was one of them, but he made sure he had full creative control over the project before starting the recording process. And boy was that a good decision, because we definitely would not have gotten a psychedelic soul album with four tracks, three of them over nine minutes long, had he not been the one making the decisions. And the best part is how popular it got, how much it sold, and how good it is. The first track, "Walk on By", is one of the greatest soul/funk/R&B songs I've ever heard, and the way Hayes was able to take an already-well-known song and recreate it to fit the hot buttered universe that he made here is just phenomenal. The next song is the only original composition we get from Hayes, and it's honestly not really much of a song besides a great parallel bass/guitar riff, but the last six minutes of the 9-and-a-half-minute song are basically just a showcase of Hayes' abilities behind the keys, and he really is great, so that makes up for the rest of the song. After that, side two starts with an absolutely beautiful ballad about a man torn between two women who he loves equally, a song that I think is vastly underappreciated. Then it all ends with the final almost-twenty-minute track, a cinematic piece of music that finds Hayes taking himself a little bit too seriously as he describes the story of a man finally leaving a woman who's treated him wrong too many times, and finally a slow, heavy, beautiful ballad that sets a heart-wrenching atmosphere, with strings and brass that pull you in so many different directions, and eventually put you right back on the street, with tears in your eyes, where you first entered the album.
_________________
These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 18, 2019
Artaud by Pescado Rabioso
Idk. I get that it's supposed to be one of the best and most important Argentinian rock albums ever, but I just don't think it's very good. Sure, I can hear where Soda Stereo got some of their influence from, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Buckley had checked out some of Spinetta's stuff because their voices are so similar, but besides the influence I really don't see the appeal of this album. It seems gimmicky and over-the-top to me even when it's stripped down to just his voice and his acoustic guitar. At times the production is so weak it sounds like something a kid could have made in his basement, but then the next song is so polished that it takes away from the composition. Like the second track is basically a blues song but the production throws it off and makes it seem bigger and more intense than what a blues track should be. And I really don't like the parts on "Supercheria" where the drums go into double time and the backing vocals come in for a few seconds. It ruins the song. The album starts and ends on high notes though, with "Todas las Hojas son del Vento" setting the mood with a nice folksy tune, and "Las Habladurias del Mundo" bringing it all together with a rocking track that has some nice guitar riffs and an overall good vibe. The rest of it, though, ranges from mediocre progressive-acoustic-arena-rock to quasi-unlistenable folk experimentation. Add Jeff Buckley's voice singing awkward phrases in Spanish and you get an album that might have been interesting if I were a twelve-year-old Argentinian boy, but not much else.
_________________
These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 21, 2019
Walk Like a Nubian by Ali Hassan Kuban
It's a very repetitive record, both in terms of each song repeating its melodies a lot over unchanging grooves and in terms of the whole album having a similar vibe and sound the whole time. Sometimes that works well, like on "Bettitogor Agil", which repeats a simple but really great melody probably like thirty or more times throughout the song, or on "Om Shaar Asmar Medaffar", the album opener which really sets the mood for the whole project, opening with a simple and happy melody played on the bass over a driving and complex percussion beat, and then being joined by a chorus of brass instruments, not always in tune, but that just adds to the effect. Other times the repetition takes away from my enjoyment of the album, like on "Werwek Moshkoburungo", which is basically just percussion and Kuban's voice, so that gets old pretty quick, or "Gure Na Imi", the song right after that one, which is similar except there's a sort of call and response thing going on between his voice and the brass. On other songs I just get tired of his voice. It's harsh and not always in tune, which, again can add positively to the album a lot of the time, but which can also take away from it once it starts getting annoying. Overall, this was a pleasant listen, though. It's tough to sit through the whole thing, because it's over an hour of songs that all have a very similar beat and one to three chords for the most part, but individual songs can do wonders. I'm not sure that I'll want to check out more of this type of music, because I'm assuming this is probably the best it can offer, but I did enjoy this album.
_________________
These are my favorite albums right now.

[Space-Dementia]

February 23, 2019
Abraxas by Santana
It's actually more consistent than you'd expect. Even though "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" are by far the best tracks on the album, it never really loses its energy or level of quality. "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is a beautiful intro track, setting the tone for the dark and mystic background of "Black Magic Woman". And that track will always be one of those songs that I love beyond words. The beautiful, melancholy, and sensual blues track captures my energy totally for about three minutes, and then it completely switches tone and becomes a fast, driving, instrumental rock piece that continuously builds energy until it stops all of a sudden and makes way for "Oye Como Va", a product of its time but also a timeless rendition of a classic Latin pop song. Clearly the album is very top-heavy, but the rest of the album doesn't fall completely flat. "Incident at Neshabur" has some interesting parts, especially the last few minutes, as the band falls into a smooth and relaxing conclusion to its confused and slightly over-indulgent first half. After that, "Se A Cabo" and "Mother's Daughter" are two songs that keep up the energy and allow the band to have some fun before "Samba Pa Ti", a beautiful, relaxed, and emotional song that almost meets the level of the two earlier standout tracks. The album closes with "Hope You're Feeling Better", a pretty straightforward rock track, and then "El Nicoya", which mostly serves as an outro, making sure we don't fall flat on our faces after the energy of the previous track. The album is a great journey through emotional balladry, Latin rock, and jazzy, psychedelic blues. It's able to keep a consistent atmosphere despite going through several different genres, and that makes it a powerful record.
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These are my favorite albums right now.