Drake
Take Care
In his second studio album, Drake explores the dark side of his fame in a haunting innovation of complex thoughts and musical influences. While still in a state of never ending self-aggrandizement, his exploration of his apprehensive doubt, frustration and heartbreak in his music undermines his narcissism.
Oscillating between a number of styles, his once-carefree flow is now intense and oppressive, yet at times naive. The rhymes are overtly simple but clever, which tend to enhance his caustic emotions. And while his struggles are not uncommon, the dreamy synthesizer lines, diverse sampling, spastic guest interludes and lo-fi recording push Drake beyond rap normalcy. Old skool, crunk and gangster aficionados might be put off by this album, as Take Care exemplifies the current and future state of hip hop: genre-bending and emotional.
RIYL: The Weeknd, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, the xx
-Melissa O’Brien
Lana Del Rey
Video Games
Save for Tyler, The Creator, no indie artist has been more divisive in 2011 than Lana Del Rey. Amidst the debate of whether she’s a fresh new talent or a manufactured creation lacking authenticity, what truly matters is whether the music is worthwhile.
Ultimately, “Video Games,” a single from Del Rey’s upcoming 2012 album, is interesting if not remarkable. Gentle piano, harps and strings accompany Del Rey as she sings about … (wait for it) watching her boyfriend play video games. That’s pretty much all there is to it, but Del Rey has an undeniable “it” factor that results in this song staying with you longer than anticipated.
Whether you like it or not, 2012 is likely to be the year of Lana Del Rey, so you might as well listen if you haven’t already.
RIYL: Florence and The Machine, Austra
-Cameron Meindl
The Duke Spirit
Bruiser
The Duke Spirit - Don't Wait from The Duke Spirit on Vimeo.
This album should be masculine. First of all, there’s the title, which suggests an image from “Fight Club” or some other male-dominated fighting movie. Then there’s the band’s sound, a muscular mix of hard, thick drums, crunchy bass lines and, of course, layers of guitar riffage.
There’s only one issue — they’ve got a girl singer. And her femininity provides the perfect foil for the testosterone-filled sounds that she graces. We all know a girl singing pretty over hard, swaggering music is sexy (refer to: Portishead, Björk, The Kills), and here it definitely works. The only issue is that some of the songs feel too typical of hard rock, too typical of female vocals. But the standout moments, such as the epic “Villain” and the eerie “Bodies,” prove that this formula can work wonders when used correctly.
RIYL: The Kills, Cold War Kids, A Perfect Circle
-Jesse Paller
The Black Keys
El Camino
Only a few years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to hear someone label the Black Keys as a poor man’s White Stripes. Fast-forward to 2011, and now the Keys stand as one of the biggest rock bands in the country. Much credit goes to Danger Mouse, who has helped produce the band’s last three albums and broadened their sound in the process.
Like its predecessors, “El Camino” finds Danger Mouse piling on thick bass riffs, R&B organ and soulful back-up vocals. What differentiates this album from 2010’s “Brothers” is the relative urgency of these songs; this is probably the most up-tempo collection of tunes the Keys have ever released, and the relentlessness of tracks like “Lonely Boy” and “Hell Of A Season” pays off. Some might call The Black Keys’ music repetitive or simple, but the one thing that cannot be argued is its consistency.
RIYL: The White Stripes, Black Lips (Notice a theme in these band names?)
-Cameron Meindl
Listen to these DJs!
Melissa O’Brien — “Erratic Static” Saturday 2-4p.m., biweekly
Jesse Paller — “We Like Music with Jesse Paller and Alex Lee” Sunday 1-2a.m.
Cameron Meindl — “Rhyme & Reason” Sunday 2-4p.m.
