Quick Hits, Vol. 156 (The Districts, Kano, Robots with Rayguns, Ships Have Sailed)

The Districts - Popular Manipulations.  I remember these dudes fondly from ACL 2014, when I reviewed them and then also heard them jam.  Good stuff, pretty straight-forward indie rock (although I'd say I liked their blues rock sound from earlier albums more, in going back and trying them again right now).  I say that, but this is still a good album.  The album opener, all feedback and driving jangle, is the top track from the album with just under a million streams.  This is "If Before I Wake."

After a handful of further listens, I'm less enamored with the album as a whole.  It is good, fuzzy rock and roll, but nothing on here is really sticking to me.  I think I'll let it go.

Kano - Made in the Manor.  Another one of the grime rappers from the UK, this guy came on to my radar when I was listening to Skepta for this last year's ACL.  From what I can remember, people were saying that this guy was maybe the best grime rapper (versus Skepta and Stormzy).  My response to that is a whole-hearted negative.  He's not terrible, but he is just slightly off on the beat with his lyrics.  Not in a purposeful sounding way, like dropping the lyric off beat, but more like he's just not really paying attention to the beat and spraying his dense bars down at his own rate.

Start at about 1:00 and listen to the verse and you'll see what I'm talking about.  This is his most popular track, "3 Wheel-ups," which has 13.2 million streams.  So other people think this is good, even if I'm not on board.  He also has one with Damon Albarn, which was interesting on paper, but less well executed (not sure if Albarn was really even on there).  Most of the beats are forgettable, nothing about this does anything for me.

Robots with Rayguns - Wild Style.  No clue where I found this one, but it is pretty fun dance EDM type music with few lyrics except for sampled words that repeat often and a few tracks with rap (the actually pretty good "Spark" is the top example of that, although can that rapper not come up with a better name than TT the Artist?  I can't heard that without thinking of a child giggling about pee.).  Not many listens to any of this, but here is the top one from his album, "Sweat it Out."

Pretty generic.  All of these songs would be fun for dancing along to in a tent, or useful for working out (as though I work out), but nothing on here is worth becoming a permanent fixture in my collection.  Probably the most interesting thing here is the remake of INXS' "Need U Tonight," just because I still love me some INXS.  Anyway, this album can go.

Ships Have Sailed - Mood Swings.  Highly generic pop rock treacle with cheesy lyrics and heavy synth background.  Kind of emo-ish in tone at times, but the music is more soft rock than punk rock.  Some sample lyrics, from "Summertime," the second track on the album:
"Daydreams fantasies, kisses and insanity. Strawberry summer dress, steal my heart and take my breath.
Let's fall in the summertime, star crossed, dancing 'til the sunrise, And it's sweeter on the first try, let go, believe and we can both fly.
Up, down, Chinatown, it's gonna be good when the lights go out. Look what you do to me, making promises I can never keep."
burp. vomit. gulp. vomit.  glurg.  The most popular track on here is "If Only," that somehow has 325k streams on Spotify.

I mean, the music is fine.  Its fine.  But just so schmarmy.  Covered in schmarm.  I do not enjoy this song or this album.  No thanks.  Go back to where you came from.