Rapid Review – 11/25/20

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard release their sixteenth studio album K.G. that’s mostly chill psychedelic rock. Automation starts the project with a compelling riff that is repeated after the track, as well. However, they disappoint this introduction with, perhaps, appropriated middle eastern-style strings and boring riffs. The production is also blurrier than their other albums in my opinion (much better with an equalizer). The lyrics are highly questionable; Ontology sees the vocalist ask dull existential questions that amount to “thinking for yourself is an overrated thing” (?) with a lazy conclusion of “be free.” Intrasport is good, Oddlife is funny, and the last track is an actually interesting ambient to post-psych-rock cut. Not K.G.’s best. 4-5

My Brother’s Keeper is DaBaby’s tribute EP to his late brother Glen, nineteen minutes. This is definitely nice to see as there is a genuine motive to the short project; however, he still includes tracks that have nothing to do with his brother. I’m not a fan of the autotune on the EP, but DaBaby’s signature flow is strong as always, complementing his heartfelt lyricism on 8 Figures and Handgun. His career progress so far is impressive as many have projected him to spiral into irrelevancy, including me. I think he’s really making something out of his “repetitive” flow. ~6.5

Megan Thee Stallion drops Good News as the first project since the revolutionary WAP. She continues being at the forefront of the cultural teardown of the conventional sex power dynamic. At the same time, she showcases her technical skill throughout the album. I particularly enjoy Shots Fired, Cry Baby, and What’s New. The incorporation of male rappers that also rap from a sexually demanding and dominant perspective is noticeably clever. Features such as Big Sean, Beyonce, and Young Thug show Megan’s rise in fame and general respect gained in the music community. The album is a bit long-winded, though. ~7.5

I recently listened to Have a Nice Life’s debut The Unnatural World. The masters of lo-fi shoegaze don’t disappoint. Most tracks parallel the sheer euphoria portrayed by deathconcioussness.