i like kehlani more but i get why kelela gets more critical laurels
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40)
the Kehlani album is really fucking long, as much as I love it (this doesn't address your point, I know).
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 18 October 2017 23:51 (six years ago) link
this album is nice to put on but i was expecting a few big songs. i don't hear anything as good as "rewind" on here.
i was listening to this the other day while walking to get food, when i got to the place i took my headphones out and ciara "promise" was playing & i thought "damn there should be a song as good as this on here"
"altadena" is really nice tho
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 19 October 2017 15:16 (six years ago) link
I love the idea of an album that builds on the rhythmic inventiveness and warmthness of the OiaM/Empty/Promise continuum! But I don't think this is that album. I love the idea of the concept of this more than the actuality. Where you guys hear "sustained exploration" I hear meandering with texture and mood hiding the lack of big songs. I think you can make something slight and skeletal and it still be a "big song."
I don't mean to invoke Dawn or Kehlani or whoever to say "why can't this album sound like them" because that's not the point, this isn't trying to be grandiose or sisterly. But those artists have albums that wholly succeed in their aims, whereas this struggles to match its intent.
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 19 October 2017 16:29 (six years ago) link
Also, as much as I like a lot of things with production credited to Ariel Rechtshaid, and I love Jam City (a lot), I'm not sure how well it sits with me that the big critical success of contemporary r&b is a Warp-released album exec-produced by two white guys. I'm not in the US but the iTunes Marginalization thread is clear how hard a time ~traditional r&b~ is having. In the UK the situation is grim. If this was a stellar example of genre formalist excellence or astonishing innovation or visionary accomplishment then I could understand. But I don't get any of that from this.
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 19 October 2017 16:36 (six years ago) link
this album is undeniable imo
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Monday, 6 November 2017 13:32 (six years ago) link
most of the best songs are in the second half
otm, stretch from "onanon" to the end especially
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Monday, 6 November 2017 13:34 (six years ago) link
I liked it a little less than Hallucinogen at first but the more I listen to it the more I admire it. And yeah, those final four tracks are ace.
― pomenitul, Monday, 6 November 2017 19:45 (six years ago) link
Holy shite - Kelela's "Frontline" is the best song of 2017 (barely exceeding Nilufer Yanya's "Golden Cage"). Yes, I am heavily influenced by its poignant appearance in that episode of "Insecure" when Issa runs into Lawrence at Derek's birthday party, but I also freaking love how it reminds me of a perfect combination of "The New" from Little Dragon's criminally-underrated album "Machine Dreams" and the understated instrumental interplay (those very patiently-employed bass drum hemiolas) of Aaliyah's how-can-anyone-not-love-this-song "One In A Million"; with the bonus of a subliminal rhythmic awesomeness of "Available Light" from Rush's "Presto". It's difficult for me to type the words that express how thankful I am that this song exists. Damn!
― Prefecture, Friday, 13 April 2018 04:42 (six years ago) link
Is anyone else listening to the new mix she made?
https://soundcloud.com/kelelam/aquaphoria
― josh winters (josh), Monday, 1 July 2019 05:55 (four years ago) link
Love it, such a cool approach given the context of the mix (the Warp anniversary)
Also, the beatless electronics + vocals vibe and effects remind me of this record: https://astralplanerecordings.bandcamp.com/
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 1 July 2019 13:57 (four years ago) link
some good turns on the new girl unit album that approximately three people seemed to have cared about
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Monday, 1 July 2019 19:51 (four years ago) link
surprised "All The Way Down" doesn't get a mention on this thread, such an amazing song and productionone of those songs I can play for hours (? let's see) on end
just found out that Tinashe co-wrote it (update: as did Jess Glynne!)
also something something janet.
came across this choreography video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qFuRbx29rwespecially feeling the first two dancers
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 July 2020 21:38 (three years ago) link
I saw her live in 2017 during her Take Me Apart tour. One of the best shows I've seen in the past decade, visually gorgeous too in all its low-budget simplicity.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 July 2020 21:51 (three years ago) link
i've completely slept on kelela and i see there's a huge remix compilation from 2018
― carin' (map), Monday, 20 July 2020 22:15 (three years ago) link
It's really good! I'm not much of an R&B guy but I've always got time for more Kelela.
― pomenitul, Monday, 20 July 2020 22:17 (three years ago) link
yeah I saw the Take Me Apart tour too. the way she worked with the background singers and lighting was incredible
― Get Me Bodied (Extended Mix), Friday, 24 July 2020 00:37 (three years ago) link
she's back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A45gzN0cgow
― Murgatroid, Tuesday, 13 September 2022 17:14 (one year ago) link
good song, if a little slight?
― comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 13 September 2022 17:30 (one year ago) link
my take too; more of an intro than a single. dig the hat tho.
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 13 September 2022 19:48 (one year ago) link
another one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhJpOjqho8s
not bad but also expected something a bit bigger considering LSDXOXO produced it
― Murgatroid, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 16:01 (one year ago) link
I'm not mad at it but it also sounds like it could be a PinkPantheress track
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 16:25 (one year ago) link
Not bad.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 16:32 (one year ago) link
apparently it leaked a while ago from a very reliable source that the album is titled raven
supposed tracklist:Washed AwayRavenBruisesContactOn the RunMissed CallSorbetClosureFooleyLet It GoHolierDivorceHappy Ending
― ufo, Sunday, 30 October 2022 01:32 (one year ago) link
the new album is raven, out on feb 10, and the leaked track list was close but not quite correct:
01 Washed Away02 Happy Ending03 Let It Go04 On the Run05 Missed Call06 Closure07 Contact08 Fooley09 Holier10 Raven11 Bruises12 Sorbet13 Divorce14 Enough for Love15 Far Away
newest single is "On The Run" and the best yet IMO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=getdc1zzvnc
― monotony, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 23:15 (one year ago) link
that one's real nice
― ufo, Wednesday, 16 November 2022 03:00 (one year ago) link
video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66_JoWwDEJI
my fave of these tracks
― Murgatroid, Friday, 9 December 2022 04:46 (one year ago) link
v nice
― dyl, Friday, 9 December 2022 04:51 (one year ago) link
next new one is “Contact”, it’s the first of the new tracks I love outright:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV57nu3Kre4(someone is making an amapiano remix right now)
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 21:55 (one year ago) link
damn that's nice
― ꙮ (map), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 22:06 (one year ago) link
yeah, that's good.
― POLIZISTEN VERSINKEN IM SCHLAMM (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 22:15 (one year ago) link
yum!
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 22:15 (one year ago) link
yeah that's the best so far
― ufo, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 22:51 (one year ago) link
starting to really look forward to this album. it’s building up very nicely.
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 18 January 2023 08:04 (one year ago) link
album rules, goes all in on ambience + breakbeats, & appreciate it being a pretty much continuous mix
on first listen all i dislike is the guest verse at the end of closure that's pretty out of place?
― ufo, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:36 (one year ago) link
why am i the only one who's listened to this so far, it's so good
― ufo, Friday, 10 February 2023 21:16 (one year ago) link
I’ve definitely listened to it (several times!) but am still trying to work out what to say about it beyond that I think it’s incredible. Just as assured and uncompromising as Take Me Apart, which is one of my favourite records of the last 10-15 years.
― monotony, Friday, 10 February 2023 22:05 (one year ago) link
The singles make sense because (“Washed Away” aside which was essentially an re-introduction for her) they’re really the only tracks that work in isolation - the rest sort of demands the continuous mix sequencing that’s laid out here
― monotony, Friday, 10 February 2023 22:06 (one year ago) link
need more time w/ this album for sure but "Bruises" seems like an early standout
― Murgatroid, Sunday, 12 February 2023 00:15 (one year ago) link
On first listen I wish the ambient parts were a bit more engaging/challenging.. but when the beat drops in songs like the title track? Holy shit
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 03:24 (one year ago) link
I wasn't sold on those electronic tracks initially but I guess there are pleasing Dawn Richard type of dynamics here and I could see it grow on me. I suspect the album is backloaded. I need to relisten to it with headphones.
― Nabozo, Friday, 17 February 2023 16:12 (one year ago) link
wondering about going to this, really ned to listen to the albumhttps://www.bam.org/kelela-res-keiyaa
― POLIZISTEN VERSINKEN IM SCHLAMM (forksclovetofu), Friday, 17 February 2023 16:33 (one year ago) link
go see her - she was incredible live the time I saw her in 2017, see the testimonials Extended Mix and I wrote three years upthread
― let us now celebrate ama ‘piano’ smith & the clowns (breastcrawl), Friday, 17 February 2023 23:11 (one year ago) link
just played the album front to back and absolutely loved it. love how it builds up to “Raven” and “Bruises”, the centerpieces, and then breaks it all down again. man, if she should come this way again, I’ll be the first to buy my ticket
― let us now celebrate ama ‘piano’ smith & the clowns (breastcrawl), Friday, 17 February 2023 23:18 (one year ago) link
Alright, I copped
― POLIZISTEN VERSINKEN IM SCHLAMM (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 18 February 2023 01:34 (one year ago) link
dc show sold out too quick, I didn't get tickets.
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 18 February 2023 05:10 (one year ago) link
feel like I’m close to falling in love with this album
― let us now celebrate ama ‘piano’ smith & the clowns (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 February 2023 22:39 (one year ago) link
I still have to listen to this! Haven't had the right moment.
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 20 February 2023 22:45 (one year ago) link
it’s definitely an album that demands the moment and mindset to be right. night time pretty much a prerequisite.
― let us now celebrate ama ‘piano’ smith & the clowns (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 February 2023 22:49 (one year ago) link
finally listening to this and yeah it seems pretty great. it's exactly the kind of album that will really open up for me on headphones with an edible and a run, i'm predicting. has late afternoon / golden hour vibes imo.
― ꙮ (map), Tuesday, 21 February 2023 00:43 (one year ago) link
Anyone feels like the mood is similar to the SZA album ? Meandering, frail, lonely, vocals going up and down in vast and cold spaces and around skeletal structures. Raven with a consistent soundscape, SOS more sprawling.
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 21 February 2023 09:55 (one year ago) link