answers my question I guess. I'm a brit so I have only a vague sense of what npr even is, except that a lot of my favourite albums seem to turn up as "first listens" there
― wins rules at negative self-demolition (wins), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:03 (eleven years ago) link
That Glasper album was very good, but maybe a little "safe" to garner widespread interest. Glasper's contributions here, though, are head turning. Would love to maybe see these two make a full album together some day
― Evan R, Monday, 18 February 2013 23:06 (eleven years ago) link
"back to love" is ruling my life today
― een, Monday, 18 February 2013 23:06 (eleven years ago) link
channel orange invocation so very unnecessary
― r|t|c, Monday, 18 February 2013 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
sorry rtc! was just a thought i had. forget i mentioned it
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:11 (eleven years ago) link
lol u dont have to actually apologise
it's just a smothering idea for first blushes is all
― r|t|c, Monday, 18 February 2013 23:15 (eleven years ago) link
ooh i didn't know robert glasper was on this
― william tyler the creator (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:16 (eleven years ago) link
true
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:17 (eleven years ago) link
tbh i'd kinda always felt this guy flattered to deceive somewhat (not to say i ever thought he was fraudulent, just that idk he could have done more than settle for the cosily oblique) but the second half of this is sounding pretty wonderful and deeply satisfying
― r|t|c, Monday, 18 February 2013 23:25 (eleven years ago) link
you could be onto something for all I know, I've always been glad to be a sucker tbh
― wins rules at negative self-demolition (wins), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:28 (eleven years ago) link
yeah never mind whatever i said upthread about this record bc i honestly hadn't reached the second side yet
which goddamn
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:39 (eleven years ago) link
― wins rules at negative self-demolition (wins), Monday, 18 February 2013 23:28 (Yesterday) Bookmark
winsomely put. the unspoken superficialities of bohemian appreciation is a topic of perpetual interest imo, like i know as i fall in love with this record that i'm certainly not really checking for the lyrics as a whole and indeed ever getting round to doing so would likely feel like an artificial labour; simultaneously however i wallow in the dusky signifiers of numinous soulful substance.
guess essentially it's a question of personal stock markets and why i sell on a supposedly thin and indulgent first half and buy on a supposedly rich and affecting second half; in reality i don't doubt they're cut from the same cloth
if there were an interesting comparison with channel orange it's might be one of image and presentation; how the cover art of each invite/preclude different stratas of suckerdom (a hunch can't be bovd to flesh out so good luck w/ that)
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
in any case, got this album helplessly on loop today
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 14:38 (eleven years ago) link
Here's my weird bias: I wish the second half came first, because it's the much more interesting sell (and I suppose because it has the killer vocal performances), even though the album is a much more logical listen as it is. I just don't want people dipping in for a few songs, assuming they've heard everything there is, then ducking out before they get to the revelations.
― Evan R, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 14:56 (eleven years ago) link
so far i like to hear it as two mini lps, small and perfectly formed like blacksummersnight; probably if i really studied the lyrics there'd be some greater intended arc this might disfigure but concision has its own logic (and often a better, more suggestive one at that)
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:22 (eleven years ago) link
doubtful in any case that anyone so minded to bother to check this album out at all is ever going to skip the second half
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:25 (eleven years ago) link
anyone have credits for this? who's on drums?
― queeple qua queeple (Jordan), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:38 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah the drums AND the bass O__o
― skeet-skeet-gate (Spottie_Ottie_Dope), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:39 (eleven years ago) link
guessing derrick hodge on bass
― queeple qua queeple (Jordan), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:43 (eleven years ago) link
this could be a banner year for, uh, neo-neo-soul. this, jose james, and i guess it's maybe even possible that there's an outside chance that d'angelo and maxwell will drop their records.
― queeple qua queeple (Jordan), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:46 (eleven years ago) link
that would be an incredible year.
― skeet-skeet-gate (Spottie_Ottie_Dope), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:48 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, that's a trend piece I would love to read
― Evan R, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 15:59 (eleven years ago) link
definitely feeling the slower second half more
― queeple qua queeple (Jordan), Tuesday, 19 February 2013 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
was quite excited about this based on the hosannahs but in what way is this not bilal making the same kind of album he always makes? that's nice to listen to with a few interesting details for a week or so and then you completely forget about it. case in point, his last album seems to have disappeared from my itunes and this is the first time i've noticed. "slipping away" is pretty great i guess but he never stops my attention wandering.
the robert glasper album last year was really great, much better and more varied imo
― lex pretend, Saturday, 23 February 2013 14:57 (eleven years ago) link
this is based on 2 listens, i guess i'm not done with it yet but it didn't blow me away
― lex pretend, Saturday, 23 February 2013 14:58 (eleven years ago) link
don't recall much inhomogeneous about the glasper rec, nice enough though it was
― r|t|c, Saturday, 23 February 2013 15:36 (eleven years ago) link
really? quite apart from the multiplicity of voices you've got breezy summer jams, heavy-lidded bedroom soul, dr dre interpolations, nirvana through a talkbox...it's one of the most varied (broadly) neo-soul albums i can think of
― lex pretend, Saturday, 23 February 2013 17:54 (eleven years ago) link
imo the "forgettable" feeling with bilal (which i also get) has a lot more to do with the internet crit community's tendency not to reward these types of records than with some fundamental replay value issue
― een, Saturday, 23 February 2013 19:17 (eleven years ago) link
In case this hadn't been posted:
http://m.soundcloud.com/eone-music/bilal-the-retrospection
DAMN.
― Raymond Cummings, Thursday, 7 March 2013 12:49 (eleven years ago) link
I listened to the new album once and forgot about it :/
― radric: the gathering (The Reverend), Thursday, 7 March 2013 18:22 (eleven years ago) link
still hanging in there nicely for me
― r|t|c, Thursday, 7 March 2013 18:24 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, I need to go back
― radric: the guccining (The Reverend), Thursday, 7 March 2013 18:34 (eleven years ago) link
Buying today, will report back
― Raymond Cummings, Monday, 11 March 2013 20:45 (eleven years ago) link
"butterfly" is my favourite, that one is gorgeous
― monotony, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 01:17 (eleven years ago) link
Not sure if this album can crack my top 10, but love the shit out of "west side girl"
― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 22 March 2013 11:53 (eleven years ago) link
What would Bilal's Purple Rain look like?
― Raymond Cummings, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 11:36 (eleven years ago) link
This is a GROWER
― Raymond Cummings, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 12:34 (eleven years ago) link
album of the year
― sleepingbag, Saturday, 16 November 2013 15:45 (ten years ago) link
One of em yeah
― comic sbans soref (wins), Saturday, 16 November 2013 15:48 (ten years ago) link
It will get a track on my singles list at the least
Weird this thread came back, been revisiting this album over the last few days
― Beatrix Kiddo (Raymond Cummings), Sunday, 17 November 2013 00:50 (ten years ago) link
same
― Spottie, Sunday, 17 November 2013 04:47 (ten years ago) link
revisited it the other week, still slams
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 17 November 2013 18:13 (ten years ago) link
love "Climbing." the 'smoking some mary jane, with Marilyn, in Maryland' line just jumped out at me because i used to know a pothead girl in Baltimore County by that name.
― some dude, Monday, 18 November 2013 14:49 (ten years ago) link
Nice
― comic sbans soref (wins), Monday, 18 November 2013 14:51 (ten years ago) link
That bass on Winning Hand.
― Spottie, Thursday, 9 January 2014 06:26 (ten years ago) link
I know, right?
― Beatrix Kiddo (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 9 January 2014 14:41 (ten years ago) link
10/10 aoty, rt
― een, Thursday, 9 January 2014 19:07 (ten years ago) link
i'm still not over this album (love surreal) even a little bit... any ilx rnb-ists have any recommendations that might scratch the same itch?
― real myst opportunity (sleepingbag), Thursday, 20 March 2014 00:43 (ten years ago) link
i feel like i love a lot of records in this vein but none are coming to mind right now. first van hunt record?
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 March 2014 00:50 (ten years ago) link
Did you check the Jose James record from last year? No Beginning No End is the name.
― Spottie, Thursday, 20 March 2014 00:52 (ten years ago) link