Danny Brown - "Atrocity Exhibition"

Danny Brown since his arrival on the rap scene years ago has gotten quite the reputation.   I started hearing about his music around the time he was touring behind his "XXX" mixtape.  Danny's reputation as Rap's most out of control part boy grew quickly, as his shows were described as "completely ridiculous", and if you've listened to "XXX" you probably understand why.  "XXX" since than has become more or less my favorite mixtape ever. The first half is absolutely dominated by drug and alcohol fueled bangers, with Danny painting himself as this tragic drug addict who just doesn't know when to stop, but was having a damn good time doing it.  But what made "XXX" just so interesting, was Danny's approach to the second half, where Danny dove very deep into reasons why this lifestyle doesn't work.  The second half of "XXX" had people overdosing left and right, pregnant teenagers with no idea who the father is while struggling through school, as well as deep depictions of Danny's own rough upbringing.  Needless to say, Danny's music has character and LOTS of it.   Even if you listen to interviews with Danny, he's such a fascinating person.  While most current rap artists go into interviews talking about how much Tupac or N.W.A. inspired them, Danny goes into most interviews raving about Joy Division and Radiohead, as well as his love of Natalie Prass (Danny, we gotta grab a beer sometime, we have so much to talk about).  On Danny's next studio effort with "Old", Danny more or less dove even deeper down these two extremes.  He created even heavier drug bangers, as well as even more depressing moments diving deeper into his own psyche, while hopping on a much glossier produced album with some huge guest spots.  And ever since, Danny has grown bigger constantly with huge guest spots on albums, as well as a hysterical guest spot on The Eric Andre Show.  But I digress, this intro is long enough as it is.  As far as rap albums go, I've been anticipating this a LONG time, so here is Danny Brown's "Atrocity Exhibition"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30pYD2fpkRU

(Classic. Classic. CLASSIC.)

“Atrocity Exhibition” starts off with the grizzly, near suicidal “Downward Spiral”.  Danny when he’s not popping pills and other stupid things, can pull off that paranoid vibe so well, and this may be his most paranoid moment yet.  Danny has always worked with beats that you really wouldn’t hear anywhere else, but this is just so far left of the dial.  That horn or whatever that is crooning constantly behind Danny adds so much to the atmosphere, as Danny brings us up to speed, and boy is it scared than most of the horror movies I’ve seen.  “Downward Spiral” shows Danny at his most grizzly, as he brings us inside what he’s feeling like never before.  He talks about being trapped inside of a room, or at least feeling like he’s trapped, as well as hearing voices.  Danny’s painted himself as a major drug user for years, but has always been sure to bring us the harsh repercussions as well.  But THIS, this is almost too real, like “Requiem For A Dream” level.  Danny claims he only answers the phone when it’s his drug dealer, he never answers his door, his life is literally falling apart and we have no choice as the lister but to sit here and watch.  The beat comes off as almost an avant-garde piece, it’s so incredibly unsettling even without Danny’s depictions of what his life has become.  Danny’s always been a “tragic” character, but this is a whole new level.  There’s just so much sorrow in his verse, it’s almost overwhelming.  We’ve heard Danny dance around the subject of suicide for years, literally since the opening moments of his classic “XXX” mixtape, but it’s never been this real.  “Downward Spiral” also has a very biographical feel, almost reminding me of Tyler The Creator’s “Doctor TC” intro tracks (“Bastard” and “Goblin” for all you Non-OFWGKTA aficionados), but even the beat itself is just so tragic.  It’s not the most exciting track on here by far, but it’s a spectacle in it’s own right and theres so much to dive into.  Let’s move on before I pray for Danny’s sanity anymore.  Up next is one of my favorite’s on here, “Tell Me What I Don’t Know”.  Now this track is completely different, it has an almost Sci-Fi feel to it.  Right off the bat we can see that Danny has brought out his deeper delivery, and when he does that usually shit is about to get VERY real.  That’s fine, it can get as real as Danny wants, at least he’s left his house or apartment or whatever.   Danny on “Tell Me What I Don’t Know” comes back to another older topic he’s grazed plenty of times in the past, his upbringing and growing up in Detroit.  This is a topic that DOMINATED his “XXX” mixtape, but yet the depictions here are some of his most grizzly ever as he comments he was “living in shit”.  The beat here is so minimal, not flashy in every sense of the word, but on beats like this is where Danny truly lets his character shine.  The hook/chorus is so focused, Danny sounds so frantic it’s fantastic, especially amongst the chilling atmosphere.   Out of nowhere after the chorus the beat REALLY picks up and Danny goes back into another grizzly depiction of his upbringing, and he sounds absolutely vicious.  His flow over the years has gotten so solid, THAT IS when he wants it to be.  As fa as his sound goes as a whole, Danny has always been on the more ambitious side, but this is an all time high.  Like most of the rest of this album, “Tell Me What I Don’t Know” is super artsy and colorful.  Not to mention, Danny’s deeper delivery sounds better than ever.  Later on we have the almost psychedelic “Ain’t It Funny”.  The beat on this one fears no man whatsoever, it’s one of the most up front and blaring instrumentals here.  If any other MC popped on this beat besides Danny, the beat would literally swallow them whole and become just obnoxious.  Danny though makes it his own and sounds right at home amongst the sheer chaos.  It almost sounds like Danny sampled something out of The Elephant Six record label’s catalogue, I digress though.  “Ain’t It Funny” is sheer chaos and doesn’t let up until it’s over.  Not to mention, while this album may be Danny’s most visceral and dark album, it’s also his most colorful, what a combo.  Speaking of colorful, “Dance In The Water” comes out of freakin’ nowhere late in the album as a really straight up fun track.  Yes folks, FUN, coming from the guy who 30 minutes earlier was sitting in his apartment not talking to anybody but his drug dealer.  There are a few tracks on here that dive into almost a tribal feel, and “Dance In The Water” is absolutely one of them.  To be honest though, what it REALLY reminds me of is…..well…..”Atrocity Exhibition” by Joy Division.  Did you hear that?  That was the collective sound of all of your jaws dropping all at once.  Going into this, Danny has said in numerous interviews that Joy Division was a HUGE inspiration for this album.  And I mean c’mon seriously, those drums are almost ripped directly out of the song by Joy Division that inspired this entire album.  Whether that was intentional or not, it’s freakin cool.  Ok ok, I’m done having my moment.  Danny on “Dance In The Water” is absolutely oozing with personality, but when isn’t he?  Lyrically, God only knows what the hell he’s talking about, but this is just so over the top that I can’t say no to it.  Is “Dance In The Water” the most skillful track you’re going to hear this year?  Absolutely not.  However, it fits Danny Brown’s colorful, sometimes dreary, always drug fueled world. On “Lost”, 10 seconds in Danny’s making Stanley Kubrick references, gotta love this guy.  The beats on “Atrocity Exhibition” are so dark and surreal sounding, not to mention Danny sounds more direct than ever on so many of these tracks.  Danny is not your every day MC, and I seriously doubt he ever will be.  Yea he may bring up the same topics occasionally, but outside of that Danny simply bleeds originality.  The beats he finds himself on nobody else would even dream of touching, but Danny absolutely kills on them.  Not to mention, I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it plenty more in my life, but Danny lays so much of his life on the line in his songs, I feel like I know the guy and I’ve known him for years.  Solid work.

I’d say it’s about time to dig into some singles!  Let’s start off with the earliest track released from this album,  “When It Rain”.  The first time I heard this track, I really didn’t know what to make of it.  But as time has gone on, it’s become one of my favorite Danny tracks ever.  The pulsating synths that start this track off are just so damn unsettling and creepy sounding, and Danny’s delivery once he comes in and gets warmed up is absolutely beyond vicious.  Never in all the years I’ve listened to him have I heard him with such urgency and energy.  Not to mention, this beat is easily as paranoid sounding as he does.  It’s not a catchy beat, not even close.  No, this beat is frantic, constantly moving, almost hyperactive sounding.  Everything about “When It Rain” is intense, and Danny’s constantly speeding up delivery building up to the explosive chorus does nothing but wonders for the frantic atmosphere.  Not only one of my favorite tracks here, but one of my favorite Rap singles of the year.  “Pneumonia” on the other hand, upon hearing was really disappointed.  While “When It Rain” was literally everything I wanted to hear Danny do, “Pneumonia” is don’t want to hear him do.  At it’s core, this one is just a straight up rap tune that you can literally hear anywhere.  Eww.  Danny tries to save his ass with a few oddball switch-ups in the beat, but at the end of the day “Pneumonia” is just so freakin’ bland.  And it’s a shame too, because there are some moments here that are legitimately really wild.  Danny’s overall performance here is just so disappointing.  Not t mention, on top of all the straightforward rap cliche’s, at the end of the day this is just another drug fest.  After Danny dropped “XXX” years ago, he was very verbal in the way he was upset that people latched on to him as this “party rapper”.  But then I hear tracks like this and it’s like, well no shit people are going to label you as that.  I just expect so much more from him.  On the other hand completely, “Really Doe” is exactly what I do want to hear him on.  First off, what a dream team we have assembled here, between Danny Brown, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and my boy Earl Sweatshirt.  The beat is centered around this sort of whimsical keyboard line that works great with this squad of MC’s.  From the moment Danny opens his mouth on this track, it’s clearly his most bizarre, animated, and over-the-top performance yet (any fan of his work on “XXX” will absolutely eat this up).  Kendrick handles the chorus (as well as his own verse in due time), but really does a solid job on it.  It’s simple, but it doesn’t take anything away from the verses and it’s catchy enough to stick with you.  Then we get to Ab-Soul’s verse.  To be honest, I’ve never listened to his solo stuff.  But every time this dude’s featured on a track, I’m always digging his flow and everything else he brings to the table.  Ab-Soul hops on this beat and sounds just fine, and here’s a freakin shocker: Kendrick absolutely slay’s his verse, who would have thunk.  However, on “Really Doe” I think the real show-stealer is Earl.  His verse is absolutely nasty, this dude just keeps getting better every year, “Really Doe” really lives up to the hype people had for this track going into it.  While we’re on the topic of features, lets chat about “Rolling Stone” and “From The Ground”.  First up: “Rolling Stone” featuring Petite Noir.  Early on in the record, this chilled out track gives us a well needed few minutes of reprieve following all the frantic nonstop beats and Danny’s overwhelming personality.  Petite Noir’s haunting, deep delivery is absolutely right at home on a Danny Brown track, especially on these oddball beats that could never receive any radio airplay.  Now while Danny usually paints himself as this basket case of a human being, he’s actually a really smart dude with a lot to say.  One line I just love is “Some people say I think too much, I don't think they think enough”, good on you Danny, speak up dude.  As the track goes on, the beat becomes more and more funky.  To be honest, I’m absolutely loving the chemistry between Danny and Petite Noir, it gives the album an even more off kilter feel.  As completely whacked out as Danny sounds here, these two pull off an incredibly smooth track, and I couldn’t be happier.  Later on in the album, “From The Ground” featuring alternative R&B artist Kelela is just another really freakin’ solid track.   I keep bringing up just how bizarre some of these beats are but COME ON.  This one is totally left field on an album that’s been one strange beat after another, and I love every minute of it.  On some of these more dark,minimal beats, Danny always shines so bright.  Not to mention, we have Kelela’s vocals here doing just wonders and adding a spacey sort of vibe amongst Danny’s more deeper delivery.  And on top of all of that, on “From The Ground” we’re getting some of Danny’s most introspective, thought provoking lyrics (coming from a guy who referenced Squidward and his clarinet 8 seconds into his first mixtape, I’m very pleased).  For a track that’s only a little over 2 minutes, I’m really impressed.  Meanwhile, the hook here is almost heavenly amongst this spacey, black hole of a beat, giving this whole track almost an FKA Twigs feel, it’s amazing.  Danny, unlike most rappers doesn’t do collaborations a lot, but when he does, they’re special, for the most part (But we’ll get to that in a few).  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVyGxlgeAjc

Damn this a long review.  But you know what, this album and Danny Brown in general just has so much to dig into and discuss.  Take for example “Goldust” just about halfway through the album.  Out of nowhere we get Danny rapping over one of the funkiest grooves I’ve heard all year.  There’s some odd world music influence in there, loud horns, a huge funk, and Danny over all of it just being himself really.  As far as personality goes, this is absolutely the Danny Brown of “XXX” fame, so much drugs and alcohol in one place should be illegal.  Now here’s a great moment to bring up just the sheer amount of rock influence there is on this album.  We KNOW Danny is influenced by Radiohead and other greats, we KNOW Danny wants to die like a rockstar, but the feel to so many of these tracks here is straight out a more rock album.  On top of that, there’s the obvious instrumentals which have plenty of guitars and other rock instrumentals strewn in.  While at the same time, Danny stays loyal to rap and doesn't lose an ounce of street credit, and THAT’S commendable.  Now so far, my review has been all positive, but I have to get out a few grievances then I’ll wrap it up.  First, “Today” late in the album just underwhelms me to no extent.  The intro is eye opening and really interesting, but the beat that it quickly transitions into is just okay.  But Danny here is the real downer.  To be honest, I love his deeper delivery, but on “Today” Danny just sounds not himself.  He doesn’t sound paranoid, he almost sounds at peace with himself.  That’s cool and all, but we know for a fact that Danny’s his same old self, this just doesn’t work.  And it’s a shame, because this track has one of the better hooks on the entire album.  That children’s choir did wonders up against Danny’s repeated lyric of “You never ever know when your time to go is”.  Like, the verses are solid, I just expect more.  However, when that beat picks up towards the end, things do pick up for a bit.  “White Lines” earlier on isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s not really all that good either.  The jazzy horn at the intro is cool and all, but as things roll on nothing exciting happens.  His verses here just sound sloppy, but once again Danny IS on to something atleast, because that sinister sounding chorus is nothing but fire.  But of course, as soon as that sinister synth’s start creeping up, Danny begins his repeated mantra of “Lines and lines of coke”.  It’s moments like this that make me feel sorry for Danny and realize just how much of a tortured soul he is.  Then I hear “Get Hi” late in the album, and by FAR the worst track here.  Everything about this is literally the exact opposite road that I want to see Danny go down.  We KNOW that Danny smokes pot, for FIVE YEARS we’ve known he smokes pot.  This is literally just a 3 minute ode to every drug in the book, and more than anything it really doesn’t need to be here.  Danny’s verses are laughably bad, there certainly isn’t an interesting beat to latch on to, and B-Real’s verse is exactly what you would expect from him.  This track sucks.  At the very least, Danny does the finale justice.  On “Hell For It”, the beat immediately has a little bite to it which is more than I can say about the tracks that preceded it.  The piano beat is solid, and Danny here is delivering some his most haunting verses yet.  It’s a little late in the album, but he’s choosing now to get super personal with us bringing up his Mother and his upbringing.  Like I said, I wish it was a little earlier so he could go into this further, but this more personal side of Danny is always worth it.  This really isn’t a beat I would think to find Danny on at all, but he pulls it off very well.  His flow here is nothing short of hypnotic, it’s not all over the place, and it’s certainly not mumbled like it was on “Get Hi”.  The chorus is simple, but it’s effective, and it adds plenty.  Needless to say, this is another very very good project from one of Rap’s treasures.  

Rating: 8.6/10

Give A Listen To:  “When It Rain”, “Goldust”, “Ain’t It Funny”, “Tell me What I Don’t Know”.  

Overall Thoughts:  Danny continues to be one of the most animated MC's, but this time he's really outdone himself.  Going into this, I knew it was going to be dark and twisted as well as artsy as hell (As Danny said many years ago, he's a Hipster at heart but can tell you how the streets feel). Danny throughout "Atrocity Exhibition is at his most vicious, constantly throwing everything he has to his name at the listener, often creating violent, psychedelic images.  If you're new to Danny, you may want to go back and grab a listen to his early stuff, but if you're a veteran of Danny's outlandish brand of alternative rap, this is gonna blow your mind.

Preoccupations - "Preoccupations"

Now I usually try to keep an open mind when it comes to new releases, i seriously do.  I like to think I'll never know when an artist is going to surprise me with something I didn't expect to enjoy or not enjoy.  However, this album right here may be my most anticipated release of the year.  Preoccupations are fresh off a name change, they used to go by Viet Cong.  Viet Cong with their self titled debut last year seriously blew my mind, it was everything I wanted in a rock album and was probably the album I listened to most that year.  Then I saw Viet Cong live last year and my obsession with them grew even bigger.  They were playing a festival I was at, and after their performance, they were the most talked about band of the weekend.  Now, fresh off a name change, here's Preoccupations with their first album under this name.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGo7XyXgUJ4

Such a Classic

“Preoccupations” starts off with one of the earliest singles dropped from the album, and a track I’ve been digging for months, “Anxiety”.  “Anxiety” seriously is one hell of a way to start a Preoccupations album, as the atmosphere becomes bleak and chilly almost immediately.  True to it’s title, the intro is loaded with a distant chilly synth line and a slow, calculated bass hook, giving this a very anxious feeling.  Yes, the intro is a tad bit drawn out, but with all that risk comes great reward.  As soon as every other instrument comes chugging in, were dealing with nothing but gold.  Matt Flegel has such a cool voice, when he hits some of those low notes it’s nothing short of post punk bliss.  His voice always compliments the band’s sound and image so well, especially when its combating the strangely harmonious synths during the chorus.  The synths that float in here are literally the only thing hopeful in Preoccupations music, if you want to even call them hopeful.  “Anxiety” isn’t catchy, there are few harmonies, and if you’re having a good day it’s probably going to knock you down a few pegs.  However, it’s slow, bleak and calculating, and I love every single minute of it.  Also, right off the bat, it’s clear that Preoccupations are going for a much more electronic sound, compared to the more distorted fuzzy sound of their past, and they pull this sound off wonderfully.   Up next is “Monotony”, and yes, even their song titles are depressing as all hell.  Right off the bat, those cold synths and drums are back, but this time with a little more guitar making it easier to swallow for casual listeners. The vocals on the other hand are a little harder to grasp this time around, mostly because Matt Flegel’s vocals are absolutely drenched in affects this time around.  “”Monotony” though almost has a slight new wave feel to it which lightens things up and keeps you interested.  Plus, Matt Flegel’s more higher pitched vocal work here is something you don’t hear much at all, and it’s actually done really well.  Outside of that though, “Monotony” is fairly tame, not bad, but I expected just a litttttle bit more.  Let’s move on to something I CAN rant and rave about on the other hand, “Memory”.  Now any fan of Viet Cong will know that they concluded their debut album with “Death”, an 11 minute post punk epic that was absolutely mind-blowing.  Seeing “Memory” stamped with that 11 minute time-stamp got me all worked up, and boy do Preoccupations deliver.  “Memory” has one of the more sinister, unsettling intros you’re going to find here, with distant synth leads and warm bass, as well as Flegel’s slow, booming vocals.   This here is an odd track, and as it goes on and on it just gets odder and odder.  The time signature here just makes everything a little hard to follow, and every other fantastic element that makes Preoccupations such a great act are right there as well.  However, when Flegel’s vocals fall out around the 3 minute mark, thats where the magic really begins.  With Matt Flegel gone you have nothing to save you, and the only thing you as the listener have to grab on to is the thumping bass.  All of a sudden, the sinister sounding drums begin quickly picking up, and before you know it your in the middle of an art punk/post punk classic.  As everything picks up speed once again, Matt Flegel is back with slightly more hopeful sounding vocals.  “Memory” is simply put, an experience.  If you’re not into the first few minutes of this one, I encourage you to remain patient and keep listening because it seriously pays off.  Some tracks when listening to them take you places.  As “Memory” shifted styles, changed pace, and went from one atmosphere to to another I was absolutely entranced.  To be honest, I would have been totally fine with this one acting as the album’s finale.  But hold on a minute, “Memory” isn’t done yet, because in the last 4 minutes the track changes once again.  “Memory” has gone from a post punk fan’s dream come true to a noise rock/drone fan’s wet dream.  Everything Preoccupations built up throughout the rest of the track is slowly drowned out by feedback in the most beautiful way, an experience ladies and gentlemen.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDQoc0cU-bs

Overall I honestly don’t have a lot of complaints.  For the most part, Preoccupations have assembled a really solid album.  There are a few kinda strange interludes towards the back end of this album though, that aren’t necessarily bad, but they aren’t really that memorable either.  Take for example “Sense”, which honestly doesn’t really waste a single second when it comes to building tension.  And why should it? I mean it’s only a minute and two seconds long.  What’s funny is, some of the harmonies here end up being absolutely stunning.  And….yea that’s about it, I mean there really isn’t that much going on here.  Then we have “Forbidden”, which clocks in at a whopping minute and thirty two seconds.  This one however has a whole lot more going on right off the bat.  The keyboards here are on the goofier side, sounding right out of The X Files.  Match that up against a truly unsettling guitar riff, and you have a pretty solid tune.  These detours do indeed break up everything nicely, they’re just a little bizarre.  But enough about that, let’s talk about how freaking awesome “Degraded” is.  We have all the usual suspects here immediately.  The intro synth’s are chillier than ever, and the moments that follow aren’t exactly that much more inviting.  “Degraded” I do have to say though takes a little too long to get chugging along.  Once everything does fall into place, we’re dealing with another truly classic Preoccupations tune.  The harmonious yet twisted chorus of “We’re absolutely obsolete” is literally the reason I fell in love with Preoccupations.  Not to mention, “Degraded” MAY be the most straightforward track overall, good show boys.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgFKdVVjh3I

“Stimulation” late in the track list may just be the most post punk track here.  Not only that, but it has a hell of a groove and right away will have you up wanting to move.  It’s also one of the most upbeat tracks here, and it’s seriously refreshing.  The vocals here are so frantic and rushed sounding adding a sense of urgency to everything.  Also, the breakdown in the last two minutes is absolute one of the most epic things I’ve heard here, with everything falling apart surrounding Flegel’s vocals as he screams for dear life “All Gonna Die”.  Not to mention after all this destruction, they zoom right back to the main riff and even add in some flashy synth pieces, just awesome.  Now let’s start rounding this down with some of my favorites here, like the eerie “Zodiac” that hits hard early in the album.  The intro is absolutely packed with pulsating synths that almost give this track a John Carpenter feel.  Flegel here starts off his vocal performance with “Another circumstance to blame , We’re all reluctantly engaged”, delightful.  The vocals throughout this entire track are absolutely out of control, they feel like they’re constantly changing throughout and never stay the same pitch for more than a few seconds.  While I absolutely go crazy for some of the more tension building, slower tracks on here, we forget that Preoccupations can seriously speed it up and jam out.  The synths that come in about a minute and a half in are absolutely breathtaking, and that pulsating beat that doesn't let up and keeps things nice and chilly.  Then out of nowhere in the last minute or so these outrageous tribal drums come out of freakin nowhere, “Zodiac” freakin’ rules.  This album is getting me out of breath just thinking about it, so lets just get to the finale, “Fever”.  Once again, right from this intro this sounds like something right out of a John Carpenter movie, thats not a bad thing at all either.  When it comes to these slower, more tension based tracks, Preoccupations are absolutely wizards.  “Fever” is by far the most haunting track on this entire album, with harmonious keyboards that sound more and more like something off of “Stranger Things” as the track goes on, and that thumping bass will keep you grooving.  “Fever” is far from the easiest track to get into here, but it’s so worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF_Lx0YotoQ

Rating : 8.4/10

Give A Listen To: “Anxiety”, “Zodiac”, “Memory”, “Degraded”

Overall Thoughts:  Overall, this is just another really solid release from these guys.  Obviously it's more electronic compared to the fuzzy, dripping in reverb album that "Viet Cong" was, but it makes it a nice change of pace.  They clearly aren't afraid to experiment, which is great.  My only real problem is the same problem I've had with them for 3 years now, I want more.  Their "Cassette" EP was just enough to get me interested, "Viet Cong" blew me away, but was only about 40 minutes long, and so was this album here.  It's a very comfortable album length, but I would just love for them to go nuts and give me an hour long album to feast on.  

Beach Slang - "A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings"

Now, when I first heard Beach Slang’s 2015 debut “The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us”, I thought, “This is it.  These guys are the next big thing”.  Beach Slang were writing anthemic songs so catchy that anyone could sing along, while remaining aggressive enough and punchy enough to remain somewhat “heavy”.  However, since then I’ve heard all sorts of rumors of tension between band members and rumors of a break-up well on its way, which really worried me for the bands second album.  Needless to say though, I was super impressed hearing the first few singles from this bad boy here.  So let’s chat about Beach Slang’s second full length album, “A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings”.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsB7juies9U
(One of many moments that made me fall in love with these guys).  

The album starts off pretty straightforward with “Future Mix Tape for Art Kids”.  Right from the opening guitar riff, you can tell Beach Slang are going for a slightly heavier sound.  The band definitely has the same attitude, starting things off with a solid bang from the guitar riff and a flurry of great lyrics.  Lyrically, I’ve always really enjoyed Beach Slang’s work, especially their way to take every day experiences and feelings and putting their own unique twist on them.  Not to mention, there’s always been such a wonderful simplicity to the band lyricism that they pull off so wonderfully.  To me, Beach Slang has always been that bar band that you literally race out and tell EVERYONE about.  “Future Mix Tape for Art Kids” is just a solid, upbeat intro that ushers in Beach Slang’s sound wonderfully while not giving too much away.  The hook here is catchy as you would expect from these guys, and for an intro it’s very focused.  Not to mention, those guitars that build up around the 1:45 mark are some of the most epic sounds I’ve heard from Beach Slang.  The amount of focus the band has though takes a quick nose dive with “Atom Bomb”.  All the better elements of Beach Slang’s music are indeed right here, but the lyrics here are so basic and half-assed.  Yes, Beach Slang have always been on the simpler side, but “Atom Bomb” is just repetitive and almost annoying in spots.  It’s not the worst song I’ve heard here, far from it, but I just expect a little bit more.  Like, I absolutely love how loud “Atom Bomb” is, and as far as the melodies go they're just as catchy as I like from these guys.  Not to mention the sheer energy these guys end up pulling out is beyond commendable.  Moving on to “Spin The Dial”, Beach Slang slow it down a bit and go for a punchier track, which is honestly something I’ve always welcomed from Beach Slang. Now I don’t want to be THAT GUY, and I know so many people have said it and will continue to say it, but I’ll be damned if these guys don’t come off with a huge Replacements vibe.  “Spin The Dial” is Beach Slang at their most Replacements sounding, and while the verses don’t end up doing that much for me, the chorus is one of the most memorable here.  Now while at first listen, Beach Slang sound just as fired up and focused as their debut album, really small details show otherwise.  Take for example the later track “Wasted Daze of Youth”.   At first it just sounds like a solid Beach Slang track, but as it goes on there are just so many bizarre lines here and there.  I’m down for an obscure lyric or two, but there are lines here that are just awkward.  “Wasted Daze of Youth” has all the tools to be a great track, but it really doesn't add up.  At all.  Not to mention, it ends super abruptly, making “Wasted Daze of Youth” come off as more of an incomplete afterthought than anything.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Yv3VrylOg

I think my main problem with this album, is just how many listens it takes to enjoy some of these tracks.  When I first listened to Beach Slang’s debut, on my first listen I felt like I’d listened to the song’s for years.  They instantly hit home with me and I immediately fell in love.  There are however a few tracks here that give me that same feeling.  For example, “Art Damage” right off the bat gives me that timeless feeling that I was looking for desperately at this point.  The guitar riff is anthemic and the lyrics paint a more rough and tough picture of the band.  THIS is the more “”first listen appeal” i was craving, and it’s very good.  “Art Damage” is simple yes, but it’s incredibly focused, and it’s the truest thing to the Beach Slang formula so far.  Then we have the slower, punchier “Hot Tramps”.  Now THIS is the slower song I wanted Beach Slang to hit me with.  Beach Slang in the past have proven to be able to pull a slower track off, and man oh man does this back that up.  Some of these group harmonies go right through you and give “Hot Tramps” a truly epic sound.   This one also has some of the albums most hypnotic passages, as James Alex repeats lyrics in almost mantra like fashion.   When Beach Slang really hunker down, they can truly make timeless music, and “Hot Tramps” is the perfect example of that.  Not to mention, it’s also one of the longer tracks Beach Slang has ever done, proving that they can do more than just 2 minutes power anthems (In my best Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza impression, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”).   While were on the topic of longer tracks, when I first saw the time-stamp for “The Perfect High”, I got worried.  A Beach Slang Song thats four and a half minutes?  While their entire first album practically was under 2 and a half minutes for each song?  *shudders*.  Fear not however, once again Beach Slang pulls this one off just as spectacularly.  Following one of the more dull tracks on the album, “The Perfect High” is surprisingly very focused, and lyrically it has some of the most intriguing moments on the entire album.  This one isn’t in any rush, it’s steady, and it doesn’t have a catchy hook to dominate.  However, the guitar melodies have your back, and lyrically this is just way too interesting to pass up.  Yes, the last 45 seconds is a little unnecessary but thats the least of my complaints.  Then we have the truly amazing “Punks In A Disco Bar”, which starts off with one of the most anthemic guitar leads on the entire album, or probably of this entire year in general.  This one isn’t as straightforward as other Beach Slang tracks, but there’s an epic feel to this one that truly can’t be beat.  The chorus is timeless, the melodies are catchy, while it doesn’t give up any of the heaviness of earlier tracks here. “Punks In A Disco Bar” is literally everything I could have asked for from Beach Slang and more.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYA8Et6kMU

While there are a TON of super solid tracks here, I can’t help feeling that Beach Slang are just slacking and unfocused at the end of the day.  Take for example the horrendous “Young Hearts”.  From those jangly guitars at the intro I was super hopeful for this one.  But to be honest as the track moves forward there is seriously no energy at all.  Beach Slang have proven here as well as in the past that they can easily pull off a slower track.  But this is just so bland.  While the guitar melodies are fantastic, the vocals just come off bored here.  Not to mention, “Young Hearts” is well over 4 minutes long, and for the first time I seriously couldn’t wait for a Beach Slang track to be over.  Finally, we have the disappointing finale “Warpaint”.  This one has the attitude down pact, but my major problem with “Warpaint” is it’s placement on the album.  Finale’s are supposed to be either epic or winding down in my book.  “Warpaint” is chock full of buildup to absolutely nothing.  If “Warpaint” was place before one of this album’s more anthemic tracks, it would have been totally viable, probably even epic.  However, it’s not.  It’s literally used as buildup to nothing, and it drives me crazy on the inside.  Plus it ends completely abruptly.  But at the end of this day, “Warpaint” really kind’ve shows just how unfocused Beach Slang really is right now.

Rating:7.2/10

Give A Listen To:  “Art Damage”, “Hot Tramps”, “Punks In A Disco Bar”, “The Perfect High”

Overall Thoughts:  You know, with everything you hear about Beach Slang the past year this is a really telling album.  Rumors of breakup and band tension and all of that really shows on here, harshly too.  There are some truly amazing tracks throughout this album, but they're contrasted with these awkward afterthought's that make this album feel so incomplete.