Fluxblog Weekly #116: Washed Out, Jay-Z, Vince Staples, Soccer Mommy, The Lo-Fi's
July 10th, 2017
And Now It’s Over
Washed Out “So Hard to Say Goodbye”
An interesting thing about Washed Out is that the entire project – mostly music, but now also a “visual album” that goes along with the new record Mister Mellow – is seemingly designed to have its deepest resonance when you’re not fully paying attention to it. Ernest Greene is an expert at setting up a seductive vibe, but the music itself resists close attention. It’s like the music has a force field that deflects everything and bounces you back towards a groove, a feeling, an aesthetic. I get the sense that a lot of music that recedes into the background is made by artists who would actually like you to pay more attention, but this sounds like the work of a guy who wants nothing more than to blend into your good times. It’s the music a shy, anxious introvert makes to please chill, outgoing extroverts.
Buy it from Amazon.
July 11th, 2017
There’s A Disconnect
Jay-Z “The Story of OJ”
Interesting how Jay-Z’s discography since the late ‘90s ping-pongs back and forth between good albums and weak albums. It’s a clear pattern at this point. I have no theory about this, but I would offer that this suggests that he’s an artist who thrives when he’s got something to say. He’s certainly got something to say on 4:44. Sure, yes, some of that is an admission of guilt and shame for cheating on his wife. That was expected, and gets the attention because people always care about celebrity gossip. But that’s just a bit of what he’s saying on the record, and even that is tied in to a deeper meditation on what’s been driving him all his life, this burning need to elevate his station.
“The Story of OJ” hits this head-on; the reality that no matter how successful he is, he’s still black, and that’s always going to be a barrier. He’s addressed this before – with contempt on Watch the Throne, and with a touch of bemusement on Magna Carta Holy Grail – but now he sounds entirely resigned and exhausted. This is, for me, a more interesting contrast with Beyoncé’s Lemonade than the he said/she said angle – there’s an optimism in her “the future is female” call for solidarity and action on a track like “Formation,” but all you hear on “OJ” is realism and pessimism blurring until they’re totally indistinguishable. Jay-Z was always a guy with a cynical view of humanity, and he doesn’t sound pleased to discover he was right to feel that way.
Buy it from Amazon.
July 12th, 2017
Every Cell Replaced, Erased
Vince Staples featuring Kenrick Lamar, Kućka, Sophie, and Flume “Yeah Right”
Vince Staples’ Big Fish Theory has a constant jittery energy, with mostly EDM-identified producers delivering tracks that accentuate the anxiety and paranoia in his verses, and situate his rapping in somewhat alien musical territory. It’s a very adventurous record, and sounds at least a year or two ahead of the curve. Maybe that’s why Staples always sounds a bit impatient on the mic – he’s moving at his own speed and waiting for everyone else to catch up. That said, it’s not much of a surprise that Kendrick Lamar sounds entirely comfortable on “Yeah Right,” one of the most out-there and interesting tracks on the record. He’s a remarkably adaptable rapper, and seems to approach every feature as a technical challenge. He and Staples are in synch here, both picking at rap tropes with a critical eye and a high degree of self-awareness. They both seem to be wondering what a rapper should or could be, and considering what parts of the tradition to keep, what to leave behind, and what clichés they don’t mind embracing.
Buy it from Amazon.
July 13th, 2017
The Backside Of My Eyes
Soccer Mommy “Benadryl Dreams”
Practically every bit of this song has a lovely lazy dreamy quality to it, but the part that really gets me is the gentle gear shift in the “it’s always the same thing” refrain. She’s singing about drugging herself to sleep in an attempt to keep her mind of a crush or drifting off into depression, and that moment feels like the exact midpoint between angst and oblivion. It sounds just like the feeling of the drugs kicking in, and the strange pleasure of keeping yourself awake for a little bit as the artificial drowsiness hits you, just to savor the feeling of being exhausted. I should clarify that the music itself isn’t super drowsy – there’s a slight jauntiness to Sophie Allison’s guitar playing and a simple, brisk beat. It’s wonderful summer music – chill in vibe, if not in sentiment.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
July 14th, 2017
None Of Yr Business
The Lo-Fi’s “Don’t Worry About It”
The Lo-Fi’s is kind of a misleading name for this band. The name sets you up to imagine something fuzzy and distorted, or twee and homemade, but these young dudes mostly make music that feels suave and sleek, with crisp chords and a brisk beat. I saw this band open for Wolf Alice earlier this week and was immediately charmed by them – they have an effortless groove, and come across as very cool without seeming particularly affected. Kaleb Cajas, the dude who sings this song, is especially handsome and magnetic, and sings everything with this low-key “hey, whatever, babe” tone. It seemed like the girls in the room were really feeling it. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys became a thing.
Buy it from Bandcamp.