Rapid Review – 12/7/21

Aesop Rock – Garbology: As one of the OG’s of hip hop and rap, Aesop Rock drops his ninth studio album in collaboration with producer Blockhead. The album named after the concept of constant repurposing of music (sampling) starts with four (excluding the intro) of the hardest beats with matching rap energy. I love the short All the Smartest People track that artistically portrays a narrative-driven verse relaying Aes’s relationship with death. The inclusions of many nuanced metaphors make this so much more than just another interlude. He continues with these themes of death, rapping about ghosts, his existential experiences, and the gothic (I appreciate the Dracula character mention in Oh Fudge). This album shows that Aes is easily still in contention in the music scene right now for his skill and conceptualization. Blockhead just makes it that much better with his great and consistently unique production. ~8

Sunn O))) – Metta, Benevolence BBC6 Live: On the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbs: The well-established experimental metal, drone, and dark ambient group releases a three-part live album in collaboration with Anna von Hausswolff, a Swedish singer-songwriter and pipe organist. Pyroclasts F immerses the listener in this dark, murky environment portrayed through thick layers of harsh guitars; the track peaks with presumably Hausswolff’s voice ominously shrouding the instrumental in an almost preachy manner. Next, Pyroclasts C# is a more ambient drone with a heavy emphasis on the pipe organ as ascending noise effects scatter and prolong over that musical backdrop; the dissonant guitars hit nicely around the 4:30 mark and disintegrating electronic textures join around 10 minutes in. Lastly, the behemoth of a conclusion Troubled Air begins with emphatic, fuzzy guitar strums, transitioning to a peculiar riff at 4:15, then including some electronic support until 20:00 where everything becomes softer, and horns come in; a mixture of wailing noise and gradually intensive strums culminate the piece (all by guitars). It’s truly an experience worth sitting through; the patience pays off. ~9

Tierra Whack – Rap?: Not having heard her name in a while, it was refreshing to see the quirky rapper release a concise pack of three songs. She showcases both her rap and melodic abilities throughout the tracks with some insightful and funny lyrics. It’s pretty short and sweet but just a good taste of hopefully what her next venture will be. ~7

Death Grips – Exmilitary: Been revisiting this SoundCloud-exclusive debut mixtape of the legendary noise rap outfit; very worth listening outside the comfort of streaming apps if you’re willing to.