New Music - Album Reviews - Spring 2020
Thundercat
It Is What It Is Brainfeeder
Virtuoso bassist stretches his songwriting chops to create a coherent groovy classic
OSTENSIBLY a jazz fusion bassist, Thundercat - Stephen Lee Bruner to those who know him personally - is now ready to take things to the next level after being on the fringes of greatness for awhile. Born into a family of musicians and picking up the bass at the age of 15, he first found some limited success in LA punk band Suicidal Tendencies before releasing his debut solo album in 2011. He has then started working with a series of musicians along side his solo career but it wasn't until he played and became "the creative epicenter" on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 masterpiece To Pimp a Butterfly that he really came to prominence. He then released his 3rd album Drunk in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim.
It Is What It Is follows in a similar vein to its predecessor but comes with improved songwriting and better grooves. It is also more palatable, with all 18 tracks finishing in breakneck speed, in under 40 minutes, resulting in an album that not only flows well like previous efforts but also transports you like the best albums should.
Commencing with an intergalatic message to "go and start the show", "Interstellar Love" then bursts out of your stereo with Stevie Wonder like sunshine as it rushes over shuffling drums and Thundercat's trademark bass. Then it switches to the urgent jazzy "I Love Louis Cole" which sounds like that floaty feeling of falling in love. It is pure joy! And the pace doesn't relent, with not one track out staying its welcome as they switch between Curtis Mayfield-esque out of this world soul or funky jazz workouts. Kicking off side 2, the most recent single from the album "Dragonball Durag" is a slice of blissed out space age funk of the calibre Prince would have been proud. It's a highlight of the album and definitely one of the singles of the year:
Listening to the album over and over - not difficult given how rewarding and palatable it is, it reminded me of the perfect funk/soul/jazz/rock sound of Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid, of Andre 3000's humour on Outkast's The Love Below/Speakerboxx, of the light flourishes of The Beach Boy's Pet Sounds.
Many have sung about love, loss and emotions but few have done so with quite so much honesty, humour and verve. A perfect album to escape the monotony of lockdown.
A classic in the making.
It Is What It Is on Spotify
Rating 8 / 10
Duke Dumont
Duality Virgin EMI
One of Britain's premier DJs finally releases his debut
BETTER known by his stage name of Duke Dumont, British DJ Adam George Dyment burst on the stage with the worldwide hit "I Need U (100%)" a modern deep house classic which hit the top spot in the UK charts and dominated 2013. Since then, "just make summer singles" has been his mantra and who can blame him? Whilst i'll always argue the case - in favour - of the album/LP/record as a format, an idea and a piece of art, it would be churlish of me not to recognise that Dance isn't primarily about the album. It's about a singular moment when you are asked to move your body, to dance, to lose yourself, about 'right here, right now', not about what became before or how it ends. The fact remains that the vast majority of recording artists in this genre don't get the chance to release albums, as initial white labels never get off the ground or the initial promise of the early single is not followed up.
His debut Duality is a carefully put together 9 track piece - 10 if you include the penultimate track, a short instrumental break - and includes the hit "The Fear" released last year as well as the big hit "Ocean Drive" from back in 2015. It starts with "Therapy"...
...a recent single, who's chorus recalls Moby's "Natural Blues", before being followed by a few album tracks before the aforementioned The Fear hits. This track perfectly encapsulates Deep house and it's pros and cons. It's ambient computerised funk at mid pace - 110 to 125 bpm - with sensual female vocals which is almost the definition of Deep house. It's beautiful, relaxing, sensual. Almost soulful, for a dance record. However it also takes awhile to do anything, in this track's case over 3 minutes before it climaxes, along with rising strings. If you're a fan of any hard dance (hard house, drum & bass, uk garage) perhaps this isn't for you..
"Nightcrawler" follows and is my favourite new track here, it has a distinctive melody of its own and closer to funk than most deep house tracks and all the better for it, with a subtle high-hat every 8 beats. It's what Deep house can be about at it's best, as is the next track, the huge hit "Ocean Drive" - no not the Lighthouse Family song - which is his best track and luckily has been included (other more recent hits have not). "Together" then hits and is slow and a deliberate builder, with its daft punk vocoder vocals slowly saying "we come together". The album slows further with the deep house ballad "Love Song" before the short beatufiul classical piano beak prepares the start of the closer "Let It Go" which perhaps all the elements i've combined. I doesn't sound that far from say Robert Miles if it wasn't for the multi-tracked lush male vocals layered over the top which repeatedly sing over rising strings.
All in all an expertly structured album, which probably could be played in both homes and nightclubs up and down the country. If you're a Deep house or EDM fan then this maybe your album of the year. If you're not you might think it bores. Me? I'm somewhere in the middle but ultimately you have to remember that music doesn't reach this many people without having something fundamentally good about it.
Rating 7 / 10
The Strokes
The New Abnormal Cult RCA
The New Yorkers return for their first album since 2016's Future Present Past
PERHAPS the comeback of the year by The Strokes, at least from a critical standpoint. The best since their debut? The sheer greatness of their debut Is This It all the way back in 2001 was in retrospect a bit of an albatross around their cool NY necks. After such praise and fan adulation, it was always going to be a challenge to remain the critics' darlings and to 'be cool'. Since their debut, they've released a series of underwhelming albums, each one with their filler and an increasing feeling that they didn't think they could be as good again. Indeed their set lists mostly contained songs from their debut and a far higher percentage than most other artists would rely on - see Setlist.com to see the stats - when you sing the same ten songs over, is it any surprise the magic goes?
The New Abnormal resets things, it's title taken from the Californian mayor's misquote that 2018's wild fires would herald in the "the new abnormal" when life gets back to normal - the new normal - it now "feels so prescient" as Julian Casablancas mentioned recently referring to the Corona-virus pandemic. Electronica, Julian's favourite excursion moves to the fore here, with more keyboards and synths. It is not until the third track that we hear that Strokes catchy sound too - on the perky "Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus" - which makes it feel a little like you're listening to a new band. The first few tracks are 'story songs', tracks that tell a story and are interesting. They remind me a little of the first track, the title track of their debut; it isn't spectacular but it had a purpose. But here they are important in capturing the listener's attention and by the fourth track it is clear this is the best Strokes album in ages, "Bad Decision", is a self-deprecating tale and a modern Strokes classic. Next comes my favourite track - and perhaps the centrepiece of the album - the excellent new wave of "Endless Summer" with its echoes of Roger Waters in the "I can't believe it!" chorus. Then a real curveball in with the slow brooding "At The Door", again very unlike The Strokes, but it works as its cinematic keyboards builds before fading out. The album ends with a smattering of slow songs in the tradition of any great rock album and there you have it their best album since their debut. No really, you've probably heard it before, but it really is.
Rating 7 / 10
Dua Lipa
Future Nostalgia Warner Records
Arguably the brightest pop star follows up her 2017's self titled debut after a few smash hit collaborations
A REAL surprising step forward by Dua Lipa after her debut which I found very underwhelming despite all the attention. Whilst the singles are unsurprisingly the stand outs, none of the other tracks fall flat and being a compact 11 songs makes for a rewarding fun listen. The title track, which opens the album, might be the pick of the bunch, just check out those Minneapolis funky Prince synths.
Whilst i don't think there are enough classics on here to make it this year's Thriller or Like A Prayer, it is undoubtedly a fun album and perhaps the finest pop album since Taylor Swift's 1989.
Rating 7 / 10
Fleur East
Fearless Platinum East
An X-Factor runner up follows up her debut four and a half years later..
THE front cover says everything you need to know about this album, especially one entitled Fearless. Other than the fact that there's a distinctive lack of hooks on the album, the lack of personality and engagement from Fleur makes for a dreary and boring listen. "Fuck away all the problems" she sings on "Mine" which just about sums things up; to me that is not being fearless, that's being afraid, a subtle difference. But maybe i'm taking this too literally?
After the first four tuneless tracks, each with widely different styles, "On And On" - by far the best song here - does at least hold a mood. The rest is just predictable, going over the same old familiar pop stereotypes (fame, money, exes). Her debut single "Sax" was a good pop song, with an instantly recognisable hook but there's nothing anywhere near as catchy here. Which is fine as this was always supposed to a more serious return, but alas the songs just fall flat and there are too many styles which makes it a very confusing and disappointing listen. I think less is more next time.
Rating 4 / 10
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