The musical year is now in full swing, and we are being inundated with quality content from mainstays of the pop world, to blog rap throwbacks. Here are some albums which stood out for me. (PS – The original post got deleted, so the original and more thorough reviews were lost. These are a quickly rewritten copy, please forgive the short-form due to hastiness)
Wiz Khalifa & Currensy – 2009
People talk of the heyday of blog rap, where rappers like Wiz & Spitta made their name. Unfortunately I didn’t get to experience this era, but thankfully this project does it justice.
Both Wiz and Currensy sound relaxed, comfortable, and cocky as they trade verses with each other, reminiscing on how far they’ve come in the past ten years. The booming horns and thumping drums of Garage Talk make for a triumphant introduction. On 10 Piece, Currensy’s delivers his bars like he did on his collaborative project from last year, Fetti, with Freddie Gibbs. His slow drawl sit gently on the shimmering beat, it’s like he’s trying to make you feel as high as he is. Hook-man extraordinaire Ty Dolla $ign joins the duo on Benz Boys, while Compton rapper Problem jumps on Getting Loose, to add a Californian flair to the proceedings.
A enjoyable joint tape, Wiz and Spitta’s chemistry is still present, and is definitely a gateway to go through their back catalog.
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Ariana Grande is a woman of incredible strength, and one of massive talent. On this album, she channels loss, guilt, bravado, and confidence into a pure Pop masterclass.
imagine serves as the perfect opening to the album, Grande is dreaming of a world where her and her partner don’t have to worry about the pressures of fame. While not confirmed, the references to Mac Miller seem obvious. The same goes for the ghostin’, the references to Miller being more blatant on this one, with the track sampling Mac Miller’s heart-wrenching 2009. As the album progresses, Grande’s confidence builds, 7 rings see her braggadocious side come to the forefront. Materialism may not be the answer to life’s problems, but for the run time of this tracks, you may double-think that. On thank u, next, Grande can finally drop the weight of her past relationships, being thankful for them, but no longer being hung up on them.
Ariana Grande is woman who seems like she will only go from strength to strength, and with everything she has been through, she has proved she is not one to shy away when faced with unimaginable hardships.
Deli Girls – I Don’t Know How to Be Happy
Guttural vocals, manic drums, disorientating synths and guitars. Deli Girls really know how to make an impression.
This duo seem to be able to make more noise that a group 10 times their size. Danny Orlowski vocals are a force to be reckoned with, obvious from the very moment she opens her mouth on the intro track, Officer. With Tommi Kelly on the production creating beats that sound as visceral as the vocals, this duo work together to create a sense of doom and dread. That sense of doom and dread permeates every track, with songs like I’d Rather Die and Abortion pulling absolutely no punches.
With groups like Death Grips and rappers like JPEGMAFIA bringing industrial sounds to the forefront of acclaimed music, Deli Girls have the potential to catapult themselves to bigger things in the next few years
Incoherent Music Rants 