Government Plates
by Death Grips

From teague 07/07/2020 05:36 | #255158

Government Plates is often considered the weakest effort in the Death Grips catalogue (thus far), and I can’t help but agree. It starts off strongly with the track You Might Think He Loves You for Your Money but I Know What He Really Loves You for It’s Your Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat, but immediately starts to dip in quality with Anne Bonny and only dips further throughout the 35 minute offering. Nothing awful, but there’s a lot of wasted moments, which is very uncharacteristic of the trio. There’s always so much packed into every second in a Death Grips album and the space they create on Government Plates is not complementary of their strengths. Most of the performances on here are great, of course, but the guitar on Birds is awful. It sounds like someone who picked up a guitar the day before they laid down the track is playing. It’s sloppy and it doesn’t sound good. Overall, a disappointing release from a consistently interesting group.

probably my least favorite from them but it's still good

From mdbaxter 06/27/2019 15:10 | #238457

My favorite Death Grips album that I've heard (haven't listened to The Powers That B, Bottomless Pit or the instrumentals). There is so much energy and creativity on this record. It's sometimes easy to forget that Death Grips is more than MC Ride but not on Government Plates. This album is defined by its chaotic and bombastic sound combined with Ride's chopped vocals. He's used more as an instrument than an MC. Every song has a similar energy and I feel that the album as a whole fits together nicely. I like every song on here but my favorites have to be Anne Bonny and Birds.

From SaulCortes1992 02/10/2019 20:31 | #231747

Their best

From JulianR 06/18/2018 01:09 | #216951

Interesting. We will see how it grows on me, which I sense it will a bit

From bongritsu 04/07/2015 03:37 | #138987

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another incredible record from death grips. Would've prefered more rapping from MC Ride, but the outstanding production makes up for that

Death Grips continues to not disappoint. I have a hard time even picking a least or most favorite track because I think they are all really good. The opener is just so heavy and that scream is wicked. Birds is wonderfully/weirdly abstract even for Death Grips. This is Violence and Feels Like a Wheel are pretty catchy and the closer's upbeat section mixed with the darker section's blinding synth bursts closes out the album in a really intense way.

My only complaint is that I feel about it the way I feel about Flying Lotus's Cosmogramma, which is that while I do really love the tracks I just wish they were more fleshed out. Still, I can't really complain since I'm loving what I'm hearing. Death Grips is one of the more innovative groups of today and I will continue to look forward to more material.