Rotations, August 2008
Aug 1, 2008 12:00 PM
JEAN GRAE
Jeanius (Blacksmith)
The wait is over
New York City's Jean Grae is the type of MC who can easily out-boast her competition but, when necessary, get more reflective than most rappers ever dare to. This balance of braggadocio and bluesy self-examination is ever evident on Grae's latest LP, Jeanius, which is composed entirely by sample-leaning producer 9th Wonder. While this album has been complete for four long years, it hardly sounds dated.
As usual, Grae's tone doesn't vary much, but with her honesty and steadily relaxed flow, she effortlessly hops from one significant theme to the next. Meanwhile, 9th Wonder tweaks each beat just enough to match each given mood. On “My Story,” Grae is at her most vulnerable, recalling the emotional pain of an abortion atop 9th's fittingly low-key, jazz-based beat. Also downtempo but not quite as emotive is the Spanish guitar-laced standout “Billy Killer” — Grae's dedication to her man and his supportive nature. In the MC's classic form, she doesn't forget to brag and boast, either (listen to the orchestral soul track “This World”). With the range of relevant subjects and consistently cohesive production, this long-awaited release stands as Grae's best work to date. — Max Herman
AZEEM
Air Cartoons (Oaklyn)
MC ups the complexity
Bay Area MC and poet Azeem has a complicated LP on his hands with Air Cartoons. Unlike the mostly crisp, uptempo vibes heard on Azeem's last album with DJ Zeph (the 2007 Rise Up), his latest work is heavier and more complex. Curiously, his revolutionary-ready poetics do mesh with the slowly undulating industrial sounds of Meat Beat Manifesto on “Set a Blaze” and the glitchy 8-bit style of the DJ Aneurysm-produced “Welcome to the Serengeti.” But others, like the sluggish, melody-less title track, go nowhere. Thankfully, a few lively beats from Zeph and Bassnectar help balance out this strange release. — Max Herman
THE BLACK GHOSTS
The Black Ghosts (IAmSound)
Part indie-chic, part übertrendy
Theo Keating's hip-hop-inflected electro-noir plus Simon Lord's darkly shaded, cheerless vocals point at the futuristic direction the two are taking together on their self-titled album as the Black Ghosts. Rich and dangerous — if gloomy — The Black Ghosts' ill-omened lyrical tone is tempered with expressive musical accompaniment. “Some Way Through This” is panic-stricken urgency, and the electro-pop of “I Want Nothing” hints at homoeroticism. “Full Moon” sounds like the Mamas & The Papas in harmony and psychedelia while “Anyway You Choose to Give It” is body-shaking madness. — Lily Moayeri
BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
Exposed (N2O/Sony Music Japan)
Coloring inside the lines
Former DJ Krush tourmates Boom Boom Satellites don't blend breaks and layered woodwinds; they play electro-rock. Exposed is the second LP from the Japanese twosome, and its crunchy synths and mall-punk guitars ensure that no loitering, sullen teen will go without a soundtrack in 2008. Whiny vocals are distorted ad nauseum on Exposed, and as a glossy “Morning After” gains velocity toward its predictable pause-then-barrage of power chords, crash cymbals and double-kick drum, you've got yourself a dependable blueprint of how each song on this album is structured. — Dominic Umile
DAEDELUS
Love to Make Music To (Ninja Tune)
Doin' it Darlington style
As usual, Daedelus' artful strokes on Love to Make Music To follow no roadmap: Go! Team-styled dancefloor pop whirls through the 2007 “Fair Weather Friends” before the producer rolls out the pastoral and the puzzling. Rob Base samples ride sub-bass missiles for “I Took Two” after MCs Paperboy and Taz nearly soil the big-as-life toms on “Touchtone” with nondescript “I'm doin' your girl” narratives. Meanwhile, “Only for the Heatstrings” and “I Car(ry) Us” are miles away, as Daedelus sews synths and mandolins for the most compelling California-born psyche since the Monterey Pop Festival. — Dominic Umile
THE FAINT
Fasciinatiion (blank.wav)
Mr. Roboto would be impressed
The Faint's fifth album, its first in four years, is also the first to be completely constructed by the band and only the band. Good job, fellows. It's a machine-driven, tuneful collection, concisely produced and supremely danceable. “The Geeks Were Right” conjures up Franz Ferdinand at a German disco, with a mid-song breakdown worthy of Queen; “Machine in the Ghost” features an appropriately robot-danceable stop-and-start melody; “Mirror Error” teams up the band's demented-twin vocals with squealing pop-metal-synth sounds; and “Forever Growing Centipedes” puts '80s bass front and center. — Kristi Kates
FAKTS ONE
Long Range (Green Streets)
Retired but not forgotten
Before suddenly retiring from recording a few years back, Boston DJ/producer Fakts One crafted Long Range — an album that got shelved indefinitely when his label folded. This solid effort unearthed by Green Streets is full of simple, sample-based heaters featuring his former Perceptionists crew and myriad MCs from across the country. From a punchy, horn-drenched collabo with the Boot Camp Clik (“Don't Stop”) to a laidback funk-filled track featuring Little Brother (“Grown Folks”), each track is noticeably customized, the sure sign of a real producer and not just another beatmaker. — Max Herman
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
