Album Review: Run the Jewels - RTJ4
For almost a decade now, Run the Jewels has been a much-appreciated opportunity for two grizzled veterans of the music industry to flex their political inclinations, while also having fun doing so. What made them so appealing to so many, though, can be attributed to a truth self-evident since the release of Killer Mike’s 2012 album R.A.P. Music: two is so, so often better than one. When Mike and El-P come together, the synthesis of their abilities carries them beyond the limits of their individual genius, yet even as they continue to refine their formula, the fruits of their persona threaten to become conventional. While El-P is pulling this much of the weight when it comes to Run the Jewels as a vehicle for social commentary, it becomes clearer than ever that creative beats and hard-hitting punchlines can only carry you so far, and the duo are sorely in need of some fresh ideas. Make no mistake: these criticisms are not uttered because RTJ4 is bad, or average, or even merely good. This is a great album that overcomes many of the flaws of its predecessors, but more than ever before the uniformity of the duo’s style threatens to wholly consume their artistic talent, and it is uncertain how much longer they can stave off the decay of their purpose.
Album Review: City Girl - Siren of the Formless / Goddess of the Hollow
Though it may at first appear to be little more than a gimmick, in truth the decision to split what probably would have been one lengthier record into two more concise ones reaps many benefits for the latest City Girl endeavour(s). Despite Siren of the Formless being in many ways a better summation of City Girl’s various talents than its partner Goddess of the Hollow, both are astonishingly consistent releases, each with their own separate ambience, themes, and merits. City Girl is far from the first artist to employ such a tactic, but one would be hard-pressed to find a duet of albums as contiguous and interwoven as these, and that they originate in such an unlikely genre only adds to their appeal. If anything, these twin records only prove more certainly that the ill-founded critiques leveled against lo-fi hip hop are largely unfounded; beyond that, the only thing certain of the next City Girl release is that it will likely be even more impressive and ingenious than one could ever expect.
Album Review: The Strokes - The New Abnormal
‘Memorable’ is perhaps an oddly fitting descriptor of The Strokes’ music, an unlikely heritage that The New Abnormal is surprisingly adept at employing in its best moments. Even among a field comprising some of the most talented rock bands of their generation, the group was able to carve out a legacy for themselves that endures to this day, largely through the sheer volume of unforgettable hooks and genre-defining melodies strewn about Is This It. That ingenuity can still be heard here: in the ever-shifting melodies of Bad Decisions, in Julian Casablancas’ pained shouts on the chorus of Eternal Summer, and in so many more hidden idiosyncrasies that often show their face for only the briefest instant. The longer tracks routinely fail to justify their lengths, and it is truly a shame this loss of focus too often ends what begins as an explosive outburst of passion with a pitiful whimper. Nevertheless, though many fans of The Strokes will continue to let perfect be the enemy of good, any band that can still write something as powerful as Selfless or as euphoric as Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus is one worth listening to.
Album Review: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
Save for the last two tracks, Future Nostalgia is an immaculate revival of forgotten sounds and subgenres from decades past, and a captivating ode to the glory days of disco and dance-pop. Dua Lipa might seem on paper to be an unlikely candidate for such a convincing throwback, but it is clear from the care put into her lyrics and performances on this record that her infatuation with pop music’s history is entirely genuine. It is this that makes her imitations of these styles so flattering, and the talent on display across the album leaves no doubt as to why her variations on the pop formula almost entirely work to perfection. For as many dated musical experiments as are strewn about the charts of yesteryear, enough timeless material has survived so as to show why such trends became popular in the first place, and it is these paragons of pop which Dua Lipa innovates upon to create her masterpiece.
