Indicud – Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi’s newest album might have an explosion on the front cover, but it’s not to let you know that Indicud is “explosive” or “popping.” It’s to let you know that Indicud is a hot mess.
To be fair Indicud is the first time Cudi has produced an album on his own, but it quickly becomes less than entertaining to listen to him learn his way around a mixing board. His writing seems to have suffered too thanks to the added responsibility of producing. All of the witty one-liners we are used to Cudi spitting left and right just seem rushed on Indicud.
The album opens with “The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi,” an instrumental introduction to the album that sounds as though a spaceship is landing on a rural countryside, ominously overshadowing the tranquil chirping of crickets that plays at the beginning of the track. It has a very industrial tone with its droning synth and hard-hitting bass hits, but like much of the rest of the album, it never comes together melodically.
To be sure, there are some winners on Indicud that might get some radio play like “Just What I Am,” the pothead anthem required of any Kid Cudi album, but overall Indicud suffers from some major growing pains.
Reincarnated – Snoop Lion
A lot of eccentric artists are met with resistance from fans when they break out of the boundaries those same fans placed on them, but Snoop Dogg seems to be immune to that fact so far. Whether it’s because his reincarnation into Snoop Lion was truly genuine or simply due to the fact that his career is one of the most storied in rap history, it’s hard to hate the guy.
Reincarnated is the debut album of Snoop’s new lease on life, and while it’s odd to hear the ex-rapper singing so much, it’s even harder to not have a good time while listening to Reincarnated.
There are a lot of traditional reggae tracks, such as “So Long” and “La La La,” but some tracks break away from that laid back aesthetic completely, like “Get Away” a techno-inspired track that could work its way into nightclubs, no remix necessary.
“No Guns Allowed,” featuring a quick verse from Drake, is a surprisingly poignant track in light of the recent violent tragedies committed in America, and unfortunately, it’s necessary track. If it takes a reggae album made by a former gangster rapper for us to finally have an honest meditation on gun violence, there is definitely a problem.
Reincarnated may not be as awesome or complete as Doggystyle or Tha Doggfather, but it does perfectly embody the ideals that Snoop is newly passionate about: nothing stays the same and love is the way.
Bankrupt! – Phoenix
French alternative rockers and indie-dance purveyors Phoenix released their first album since 2009’s instant hit Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that featured the ever-popular “1901,” the only song popular enough to get a French band’s music featured in the all-things-American Superbowl.
Bankrupt! may not feature any tracks guaranteed such widespread success as “1901,” but it does see the band maturing significantly without compromising their sound one bit, a feat rarely achieved by such high-profile acts.
The album’s third track “S.O.S. in Bel Air” stands out as the perfect middle ground between the tidy guitar melodies and the dance-y rhythms Phoenix seems to love so much. A fast paced verse erupts out of the speakers only to be halted in its tracks by a slow and contemplative chorus before singer Thomas Mars belts the hook a cappella, “put my name on your list, S.O.S. in Bel Air.”
The album’s title track, situated directly in the middle of the album, is ironically Bankrupt!’s lowest point. For a band known for its sudden mid-song melodic shifts, “Bankrupt!” is a textbook example of overindulgence. After a full four minutes of spacey instrumentals, Mars begins to sing backed by an acoustic guitar, reminiscent of Cherry Peel-era of Montreal, making “Bankrupt!” sound like four songs in one, all of which could have been cut from the album.