Quick Hits, Vol. 364 (Killer Mike, White Denim, Larry June, U2)

Killer Mike - Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival, Songs for Sinners and Saints.  Quite an album title.  There is a line in a Run the Jewels track that goes "Producer gave me a beat, said it's the beat of the year /  I said "El-P didn't do it, so get the fuck outta here!""  I think about that as I listen to this solo album for half of the RTJ crew.  Because some of these songs very much sound like they are rehashes of songs from his last album Michael - I'm not sure of that, but it feels like some of them have the same beats or lyrics or something.  Just give me more RTJ, big fella.  This feeling gets especially true when the back half of the album veers off into just straight R&B/gospel/spoken word action that I don't need at all.  The first four songs and the last song are fine.  I will absolutely admit that the name of one of the guys on "LORD PREPARE ME" is amazing, even if I don't care for the tune - Belly Gang Kushington is a legit name.  Low streaming album for sure, the top track is the last song, "STILL TALK'N THAT SHIT" with 2.9 million streams.

Oh weird.  As I started to write about it and the opening lines, it dawned on me that this track was on the Michael album.  WTF.  Why is he just re-releasing the same song?  Here is what I said when I reviewed the Michael album: "It is interesting to consider whether Killer Mike is cool or if he is an ass.  I love Run the Jewels, and so my normal response to that question would aim for the cool side of the equation, but then I hear him rap something like "N****s talk to me about that woke-ass shit (Yeah) / Same n****s walkin' on some broke-ass shit / You see, your words ain't worth no money, I ain't spoke back, bitch / All of you n****s hang together on some Brokeback shit."  I'm not saying that being annoyed with people talking about "woke" issues is off limits, he can complain about people being woke all they want.  But to call people who espouse woke ideals to be both broke and gay is just really weird.  Like, some Junior High level joke crap.  Just catches me off guard as gross when so much of his RTJ stuff mixes killer bars with smart ideas ready to fight the power.  Which is too bad, because that track - "TALK'N THAT SHIT!" is otherwise a cool beat and sound."  Why can't you come up with new songs, Mike?  What are we doing here?

White Denim - 12.  What a weird detour.  You know how the Arctic Monkeys just randomly decided to make bad lounge music instead of rad rock stuff a few years back?  Well, that is what you get here.  The first couple songs almost have a jam-band sound going on, but overall this is like they just pulled the fangs right out of the snake and it decided to cuddle you instead of strike. The listeners have spoken as well, as this has negligible streams.  Top track is the first one, I suspect because people turned it off when that was done.  "Light On" has 123k.

Couldn't you mistake that for something by like, Phish?  When you are expecting the blaring goodness of Stuff or Corsicana Lemonade, but this is what lands?  Hard nope.  I'm sure it is making some people out there happy to have a jazzy wiggle during this tune, but not for me.

Larry June - Doing it for Me.  June was an ACL artist a few years ago who I have stuck to.  He has a sound that I find to be very pleasing, a low-key, laid back, rolling flow that feels pleasantly chill at all times.  His beats match that to, just a constant parade of chilled out samples and smooth horns wandering through the forest of bass.  Dig it.  He is prolific, with pretty much an album a year (or more) since 2015.  This one just kind of wanders along - I don't know that anything on it really grabs you like it is the new hit single, but it all sounds seductively chill.  Top track is called "Imported Couches," which is a great title for a rap song because it gets me immediately curious.  3.3 million streams.

Woah.  That yellow couch is insane.  Also, I would very much like to have it in my house immediately.  Fells like it might hurt your back after a while.  But, you hear that smooth ass stuff?  The beat, the flow, the whole damn thing is just sooooo chilllll.  I want to hang on an imported couch getting blazed.  Damn!

U2 - How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb.  An album of outtakes from the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sessions, and honestly if you told me that these songs had made that album I would not doubt your statement.  These very much sound like current U2 to me.  I can't remember if I ever talked about that most recent single they did to celebrate their Sphere residency.  The one that ripped off "Call Me" in a very blatant and major way?  Well, all of the songs on this little disc are significantly better than that one.  I mean, it just sounds like U2.  The opening track "Picture of You (X+W)" has some jittery Edge guitars and Bono lyrics about saving him from himself that soar over harmonies.  Totally sounds like what we all signed up for each time.  "Treason" is a little annoying, involves a yelling bit in the middle and some faux Middle Eastern vibes throughout.  I did not know that they made the "Theme to The Batman," although the guitars in it absolutely sound like the Edge (and a little like Mission Impossible's theme mixed with the Psycho music). But overall, this doesn't feel like a B-sides collection to me, these feel like legit tunes that U2 made.  I'm also a homer for them.  Fascinatingly, I am in the minority.  No one is streaming these songs.  "Country Mile" has the most with a paltry 2.1 million.

I mean, if that had been on the Atomic Bomb album, would anyone have batted an eye?  Sounds like the other tunes on there for sure.  And I would love to go walk for a mile in the country with you, Bono.  let's do this.  Nice harmonies, great guitar sounds.  Good stuff.