Quick Hits, Vol. 264 (Action Bronson, Metallica, beabadoobee, The Streets)

Action Bronson - Only For Dolphins.  This dude is just plain weird.  Like, the title of the album isn't entirely legit, because he raps in human words, but he also includes a healthy serving of the sound of dolphins chattering during and between songs.  The intro includes the line "You wanna fuck Ernie, you gotta fuck Bert."  Which is likely true, but very well sums up the odd and off-the-wall business that you are about to get on this disc.  And you aren't going to get much in the way of expected beats here.  "C12H16N2" (which I guess is the chemical signature for something?  Probably weed. Nope, its something called Dimethyltryptamine) is a rap entirely done over the top of an exceedingly gentle track of people singing breathy "nuh nuh nuhs" and the lightest possible guitar strum and feathered drums.  Like, this should be the background to a Frank Sinatra song, not a rap by an obese pot aficionado who cooks a mean bullet salami sandwich.  The top streamer is him wandering around over the top of a cowbell-heavy track that sounds like something Magnum PI eats nachos to on Hawaii.  "Latin Grammys" at 2.6 million streams.

That video is amazing.  But again, not a traditional beat that most people would rap over.  "Mongolia" is a gypsy dance, "Vega" is a piano trilling its ass off, "Cliff Hanger" is on some reggae action.  Literally, none of these tracks has a traditional, bass-centric hip hop sound.  It's all high tones and him bopping along with some free association raps on top.  He's funny for sure.  I want to like it more than I do.

Metallica - S&M2.  You may recall that Metallica made a live album with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra a decade or so ago.  If you do not, then know that they have gone back to that same well, and it freaking jams.  The very thought of being in that crowd during this show makes my skin crawl with anticipation about how bad ass that would be.  From the live performance of "The Ecstasy of Gold" to the actual symphony portions of "No Leaf Clover" to the massive bombast (and perfect buildup) of "One," this works so amazingly well.  Oh, and "Nothing Else Matters" also rules with the symphony added in.  I've gotten to see Metallica a few times by now, and I know from experience that it is a hell of a show.  I can only imagine how good this one was with the additional practice and care they likely had to do to get it all right.

Hell yes.  Normally, if any other album I was reviewing had 22 songs, I'd probably be a big fat whiner and complaining about the largess and how they needed to rein themselves in.  But not here.  Just keep on going.  They do some old classics, they do some newer songs.  This feels pretty much just like the original S&M - I'm not going to check the track listing to see how much it overlaps, so it might not be so exciting for some.  Did we need it?  Probably not, but I think its great. 

beabadoobee - Fake it Flowers.  Very enjoyable listen.  Reminds me of a lot of things, and yet feels original.  "Horen Sarrison," with its poetic lyrics and swelling violins and soft singing, recalls Jewel (as do others of her vocals).  Other times, when she's yelling, its more like the singer from Wolf Alice or Courtney Love.  The guitar on "Worth It" makes me think of Teenage Bandwagon at first, and then later recalls old Smashing Pumpkins.  It also obviously sounds like others in her wheelhouse, Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy or Waxahatchie or any of the other young female vocalists playing with the line between 90's grunge and 20's indie pop. I dig the guitar and drums kicks in "Sorry" for sure.  It's very melodic, even when it gets loud, and it feels important, like my feelings will be impacted if I really tune in to the song.  Some of the lyrics are a little first-draft-poetry-in-a-teen-girl's-diary type stuff.  "You are the smell of pavement after the rain, you are the last empty seat on a train," or "It's hard 'cause it sucks," or "Fuck me, only when I'm keen, Not according to your beer," or "Think I'd be better off alone, Now that I've had some time to think, I've had to put up with your shit, When you're not even that cute."  She has a song, not on this album, with 761.6 freaking million streams, so she's definitely on the radar of someone, but the most streamed on this one is "Care," with 3.9 million streams.

Also the album opener, so that may be why it has more streams than the rest.  But I also could easily see myself bouncing along to this chorus in person as I scream that I don't want your sympathy, you don't give a shit, and you don't really CARE CARE CARE YEAH!  Also, again, they have those Teenage Bandwagon style guitars.  Is that a shoegaze thing?  General BritPop sound?  I dunno, but it definitely makes me think of Bandwagonesque.  Overall, I very much enjoy the vibe of the disc.  I'm not sure I register with the lyrics as much, but its a great thing to jam along to.

The Streets - None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive.  I generally enjoyed an old Streets album - he's a British rapper with a heavy accent and a flair for odd metaphors.  And I saw that Tame Impala was his collaborator on the first song, so I was intrigued.  But this project is pretty lifeless.  That Impala track has a weak little hook from Kevin Parker, but otherwise is all high hat and no cattle.  IDLES is purportedly on a track as well, but you'd be hard pressed to tell.  The autotune/off-beat fest of "I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him" is horrible.  So much of this is flat - just like he's talking over an uninteresting beat mainly made up of treble.  Barely any bass.  Barely any interesting or memorable hooks.  Maybe the techno burble of "Take Me As I Am" is better?  It's at least a little bit exciting...  Somehow, and I really am curious how, a song with someone named Chris Lorenzo has 9.1 million streams.  "Take Me As I Am"

I guess the techno stuff is bigger than the regular rap stuff.  This sounds like something that would have been on the Trainspotting soundtrack, or in Grand Theft Auto.  Frenetic drum and bass stuff.  Made me do a sweet running robot dance just now.  Still don't like it.  This album can hit the road.