Kurt Vile - (watch my moves). More of the same from old Kurt. Low key, kind of sloppy, sorta mumbly, relaxified guitar rock. Not too long ago, I recall reading an article, I think it was in The Ringer, about a band called Dry Cleaning who were becoming the face of a new style of music where the lead singer pretty much just talks the lyrics - like an old Lou Reed vibe. This is reminding me of that "Flyin (like a fast train)" encapsulates that style. If you really want to quibble, he is singing - his voice is on a certain note as he intones the lyrics - but he isn't giving you much in the way of different notes. Just kinda vibing along as he talks through what is going on. But also, every song feels a little bit the same. A drum loop kicks in, some woozy guitars start doing something over the top, and then here comes some talking time. I know that is the thing here, but I could also use a little bit of variance here and there - you just miss the album after a while as it fades into the background of your brain. And that is what it does - at about an hour and thirteen minutes, it feels like he's just mumbling in your head forever by the time the album is finally over. The top track is "Like Exploding Stones," with just over 3 million streams.
A stoner's anthem if I ever heard one. "Thoughts become pictures become movies in my mind." Yeaahhhhh, man, yeah. I feel that, brooooooooooo. Almost seven and a half minutes of a slow dive into that man's inner zen. Overall, I still like the album, I just wish it was a little shorter and had a little more variance to it. Like, give me a few upbeat burners to balance out all of that sleepy chill. But for a mood when all you want is sleepy chill, this one is a gold record.
Pusha T - Its Almost Dry. I've always been a Pusha Backer, since the Clipse days. And this album calls back to some of that sound as well, with some Neptunes ass beats and some more stories about pushing drugs. He's got Pharrell on a track with Jay-Z, and he has Ye on two tunes, and a few other lesser cameos, but mostly it's just King Push getting grimey on these beats. "Just So You Remember" has a sampled piece of a song by something called Colonel Bagshot, and it grates my nerves like those collaborations Big Boi did with Phantogram. I figured "Diet Coke" was going to be the hit single from the disc, as it is for sure my favorite track, but the one with Lil Uzi Vert has more streams by a good amount. "Scrape It Off" fires up at 42.0 million.
Which is too bad, because I never care for the mumbly crap in my rap, so starting off that track like its some crud new hit being done by a Travis Scott copycat isn't what I'm looking for here. You should peep "Diet Coke" instead. And I know that Kanye and Pusha are close, but I sure wish that Pusha would have come out and commented/condemned the recent garbage from Ye about Jewish folks. It is an up-and-down record overall. Nothing on it is absolutely vital, but most of it sounds really good.
Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time. Willie's 72nd studio album was released on his 89th birthday. What a legend. HIs voice is still declining a little bit, but this definitely sounds better than the last time I saw him live. But he's got more of an unstable warble than ever before, while at the same time still writing strong lyrics and playing Trigger like a champ. And this album never shies away from the man's mortality, with multiple songs talking about death or funerals or living while you can. But it is mostly a lovely records - very few silly or offbeat tunes, mostly wonderful sounding gems like "I'll Love You Till The Day I Die." "Don't Touch Me There" isn't intended to be silly, but it makes me think of the "No No Square" song and dance that a friend's kids' did one time, so now I can't hear it without thinking about that silliness. Handful of covers on here as well, which tracks with Willie's more recent albums - a few good new originals, and then a handful of worthy covers. Anyhoo, the top song is the opener, "I'll Love You Till The Day I Die" with 1.2 million streams.
Huh. Written by Rodney Crowell and Chris Stapleton. I wonder if they wrote it especially for Willie? It's a nice little tune. The whole album is generally good - it is honestly amazing that he is still out there making good music when most people should be living in a nursing home. Good cover of "With a Little Help from My Friends" too.
Action Bronson - Cocodrillo Turbo. More generally good, laid back stoner raps from Bronson. Although, there is one track on here that involve the sounds of pigs screaming and I hate them. Zero need for me to hear that shit, it stresses me out every time. "Jaguar," I'm looking at you. Whole album is just barely more than 30 minutes, so there isn't much meat on the bone here, but Bronson still rips a couple of great turns of phrase here and there. The beats are, as usual for Bronson, kinda weird and off-kilter and abnormal. Like, "Subzero" sounds like it is being backed by a jazzy interlude of an old Doors song, and barely has any bass at all. Oh, bummer for you, "Jaguar" is actually the most streamed tune. 3.1 million streams.
Why is he in the tree like the jaguar? I want to learn the trick of knocking pajamas off with one finger flick. Nothing all that special, feels like a tossed off free-style where he just spits some off the cuff stuff about random ideas. Kind of the feel of the whole thing - tossed off while he was high AF. I'm good letting it go.
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