Album Review: Shore - Fleet Foxes

Seattle based folk band Fleet Foxes suddenly released their newest album Shore on September 22nd to fittingly coincide with the autumnal equinox. The release came as a welcome surprise for fans who have been patiently waiting to see what would follow the group’s 2017 album Crack-Up. The newest offering demonstrates maturity, refinement, and a blend of all of the group’s previous sounds, which in all, completely exceeded my expectations. Lead singer Robin Pecknold and company simply can’t miss.

The album’s first track opens with vocals from Uwade Akhere and sets the tone of what’s to come in the tracklisting. “Wading in Waist-High Water” is a peaceful, end-of-summer reflection which presents a calm energy and atmosphere that the rest of the project finds comfort soaking in. “Sunblind” picks up the pace with the instantly recognizable vocals from Pecknold. This track beautifully pays homage to the artists who have passed away but who continue to inspire and influence Fleet Foxes as a group. “Can I Believe You” is a vulnerable and earnest song with a catchy and simple chorus. This track’s vocal backing is largely made up of Pecknold’s Instagram followers who sent in audio clips of their singing, which I found very interesting. The record opens strongly and just doesn’t stop impressing.

“Jara” pays homage to Chilean folk singer Victor Jara while also reflecting on the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, unpacking the injustice it has exposed. This track loops very rhythmically, continuing the faster pace for the group and different from previous albums Helplessness Blues or Crack-Up. “Featherweight” is lighter on its feet with very little drum backing and a gentle vocal refrain from Pecknold. This track focuses on the recognition of privilege, especially after being exposed to the many downfalls of society in the past year. Not only is this one of my favorite songs on the album, it’s one of my favorites in Fleet Foxes’ discography. “A Long Way Past the Past” doesn’t sound nearly as emotionally compelling as its lyrical content proves upon deeper analysis, as this track discusses living life attached to one’s past and memories. The nostalgic sound offered here adds another layer of meaning and complexity on a second listen. At this point in the tracklist, the band hasn’t missed.

And with “For A Week Or Two”, they don’t break that streak. This track reflects on becoming one with nature; escaping the hustle of urban life to once again feel a connection to the natural world. This beautiful track transitions perfectly into “Maestranza” which reflects on the communal struggle with recent events and on isolation itself. “Young Man’s Game” focuses on the naivety of childhood, specifically boyhood, with an upbeat tempo, even featuring kids singing as the track closes out. This is the first hiccup in the tracklist for me, because for some reason the lyrical content, instrumentation, and vocal delivery just don’t mesh perfectly with one another. This is redeemed by the following “I’m Not My Season”, however, which heartbreakingly and relatably reminds us that the circumstances we find ourselves in don’t and should never define us. I hear Josh Tillman’s vocal influence here, which is appropriate as he used to play drums for the group before releasing music under the name Father John Misty. This idea of us not being our experiences is so simple but so profound, and it is communicated beautifully by Pecknold.

“Quiet Air / Gioia” the the unsettling and ominous story of anticipating some great misfortune beyond one’s control. Pecknold has explained how climate change was on his mind when crafting this song, which eerily makes almost too much sense. “Going-to-the-Sun Road” is a beautiful but downtrodden recounting of wanderlust met with the acceptance of one’s eternal limitations. Just like most of the tracks on this album, this song builds gorgeously and culminates to create a perfectly painted picture for its listener.

“Thymia” is a short but wondrous track which explains the feeling of inner inspiration and compelling to one’s calling. It also transitions appropriately into the next song “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman”, the album’s penultimate track which likens passion (music in Pecknold’s case) to a nurturing force which brings one internal sustenance. This track isn’t as sonically compelling as others on the album, but I enjoy it nonetheless. The project closes with the title track “Shore” which serves as a thematic epilogue, closing up the few loose ends the album has to offer. Once again, this song pays homage to inspirations and finds comfort in the uncertainty of what the future may have to offer - an excellent closure to a great album.

It will be fascinating to see how artists internalize the times we’re living through and how their experiences are reflected in their art. In Fleet Foxes’ case, the struggles being faced by all recently have been meditated to the point of being able to be consumed as harmonic, resonant, and relatable songs which combine the previous elements that popularized the band in the first place. While there are slight imperfections throughout, Fleet Foxes' Shore is still a must-listen and one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “Wading in Waist-High Water”, “Sunblind”, “Can I Believe You”, “Jara”, “Featherweight”, “A Long Way Past the Past”, “For A Week Or Two”, “Maestranza”, “I’m Not My Season”, “Quiet Air / Gioia”, “Going-to-the-Sun Road”, “Thymia”, “Shore”

Score: 8/10

Hindsight In 2020

Many, including myself previously, have referred to the 2020 presidential election as the “most important election of our lifetime.” Recently, I’ve reflected on that sentiment and have come to the conclusion, while still recognizing the severity and importance of this year’s election, that the 2016 presidential election was actually the most important of our lifetime. In this post, I will explain how America’s course of history changed permanently four years ago, and why it’s imperative we redirect it back in the right direction in November.

There are many reasons why one can reasonably call the results of the 2016 election a fluke. Various predictive election models overwhelmingly expected Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president in the last election. Foreign meddling, voter suppression, Democratic overconfidence, and third party disruption culminated in the perfect storm which allowed a former reality TV show host to become the president of the United States. While many of Donald Trump’s supporters downplayed (and still do) the negative consequences of choosing an inexperienced candidate for this job, his opposition has consistently warned of the potential failings we are now facing, including the mishandling of the coronavirus, the permanence of racial injustice, a potential Conservative majority Supreme Court, and a crippled economy. The sheer incompetence and brazen attitude Trump has adopted has caused nearly irreparable damage in just four years — damage which could’ve easily been avoided if Clinton had instead been elected.

Hillary Clinton was easily one of the most qualified candidates for the presidency of the United States in the country’s history. Clinton would’ve kept in place Barack Obama’s pandemic response protocols, swiftly addressed and disavowed police brutality, and would’ve kept things moving in a more progressive direction generally, such as maintaining the Affordable Care Act and decriminalizing nonviolent crime, among other issues. Instead, Donald Trump became president and did nearly the opposite on all of those issues. While many say that Trump is simply a symptom of deeper, underlying ignorance, bigotry, xenophobia, and racism in the country which would’ve existed either way, I believe three consecutive Democratic presidential terms would’ve fully suppressed the regressive and vile ideologies which have now been platformed by Trump.

As a progressive, I still recognize that there is so much further this country needs to go. We need to systemically address racial injustice, offer healthcare free at the point of use under a universal single-payer system, address climate change, and constitutionally secure the safety of basic human rights including a woman’s right to choose and the LGBTQ+ community’s equal treatment. No systemic change takes place overnight in this country. The Women’s Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights Movement, and every other substantive movement in this country has been a slow but steady effort. The 2020 election has already started, and it’s imperative we don’t let the same apathy we saw previously compound with the obstacles we know we will be facing yet again. Electing Joe Biden as the next president will help turn things around, partially nullifying the damage caused by 2016’s election, which was the most important in our country’s history. Get out and vote.

Thanks for reading.

Album Review: From King To A GOD - Conway the Machine

Hip-hop collective Griselda is made up of hard-hitting rappers Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and more. Under Eminem’s record label Shady Records, Griselda has consistently released relatively surface-level east coast hip-hop albums, none of which have blown me away. Of the core members of this group, Conway the Machine has been my favorite, but similarly, I hadn’t yet heard a cohesive and impactful album release from this artist up until this point. On From King To A GOD, however, Conway and his accompanying features offer an array of highly refined and mature tracks. At just under fifty minutes in length, this record packs a punch without overstepping on what it has to offer, and because of that, it is one of my favorite rap albums of 2020 so far.

Braggadocious drug lord bars only do so much for me. Without any introspection, song after song about this lifestyle can become dry rather quickly. On From King To A GOD, Conway the Machine certainly doesn’t abstain from sharing the details of his lifestyle, but he does so with an underlying grief and remorse from the impact this life has had on him. I see many similarities in this regard between this album and Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist’s Alfredo from earlier this year. This self-reflection is enticing to me and luckily, it is abundant on this project.

“From King” serves as an adequate opening track which generally sets the tone for the following album, but I find it could have used some work to strengthen its initial attention-grabbing appeal. The production is solid on this track, but substantively it lacks a depth which is thankfully made up for as things move along. “Fear Of God (feat. DeJ Loaf)” is a head-banging and magnetic track which benefits from Conway’s incredibly writing and flows. The following “Lemon (feat. Method Man)” is a bit spooky, with an unsettling and stripped back instrumental. Method Man’s feature is incredibly well-placed, as he and Conway play off of one another wonderfully. Lines like “Ain’t got to tell you I’m dope, just stick the needle in” are simply cool. “Dough & Damani” is a 5 minute track backed by a simple drum and piano instrumental which doesn’t overstay its welcome due to a smooth midway beat switch and highly entertaining lyrical content.

“Juvenile Hell (feat. Flee Lord, Havoc & Lloyd Banks)” features pretty surface level coke bars from its accompanying artists, but it sounds so good that I just don’t mind this traditional Griselda sound. “Words From Shay (Interlude)” continues a recent trend of voicemail testimonials from contemporaries praising one’s work. This interlude does serve as a necessary thematic break, however, since from here on out each track is more substantive than those before it. “Front Lines” features another simplistic instrumental which provides the perfect backdrop for Conway to drop one of the best verses on the entire project. Without mincing any words, Conway reflects on the police brutality against Black people which has continually plagued this country for centuries. “Anza (feat. Armani Caesar)” initially comes off as a typical misogynistic rap track, which I’m not too much of a fan of, until Armani Caesar’s feature redeems the song. The production is nice here, but the substance is disappointing to some degree until the feature comes along.

“Seen Everything But Jesus (feat. Freddie Gibbs)” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, bringing the comparisons I drew earlier to life through a killer collaboration. Instead of featuring overly confident lyricism, this track features both Conway and Gibbs lamenting the pitfalls of the lifestyles they’ve chosen for themselves. “Words From Shay (Interlude 2)” is another interlude, which is fine, but I’m not sure it was entirely necessary for the flow of the tracklist. “Spurs 3 (feat. Benny The Butcher & Westside Gunn”) features Griselda in all of their glory, spitting bar after bar over a funky and chaotic instrumental backing. “Forever Droppin Tears (feat. El Camino)” clocks in at just under eight minutes and provides an emotional fragility rare in the genre. Remorseful instead of idealistic, this song depicts the grim realities of loss due to a sometimes dangerous lifestyle.

The penultimate track “Jesus Khrysis” is short but packed full of dense lyricism. “Lyrics written in braille, you gotta feel it to understand” is one of my favorite bars on the project due to its creativity. “Nothin Less” is a solid closer to wrap up all of the themes of the album, particularly the rest in peace shoutouts to close things out.

Overall, I was somewhat (pleasantly) surprised by the quality of this album. Conway the Machine differentiates himself from his colleagues with this record, which is a massive step up in production, sound, and lyrical content from the projects he has released previously. I’m excited to see where he and Griselda go from here. I hope this is a sign of good things to come.

Favorite tracks: “Fear Of God (feat. DeJ Loaf)”, “Lemon (feat. Method Man)”, “Dough & Damani”, “Juvenile Hell (feat. Flee Lord, Havoc & Lloyd Banks)”, “Front Lines”, “Seen Everything But Jesus (feat. Freddie Gibbs), “Spurs 3 (feat. Benny The Butcher & Westside Gunn)”, “Forever Droppin Tears (feat. El Camino)”, “Jesus Khrysis”, “Nothin Less”

SCORE: 7/10

Election 2020: The Red Mirage Theory

The 2020 presidential election is going to be here before we know it. After months of keeping up with headlines, polls, and speculation, we are only weeks away from officially casting our votes on November 3rd. Many, including myself, plan to vote early to remain safe from the mishandled coronavirus pandemic which is still spreading rapidly. Recently, Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric has implied that the upcoming election will be the most fraudulent in the country’s history. These unsubstantiated claims paired with what will likely be a record amount of absentee ballots cast have led me and others to speculate on how election night will look, and spoiler alert: it could get ugly. In this post, I’m going to describe the “Red Mirage Theory” and what it could mean for the country post-election.

It’s simple, really. Come election day, the ballots cast by in-person voters on November 3rd will immediately be processed and tallied. Absentee ballots, which are still eligible if they are addressed by election day but not received yet, will likely require days to be manually added to the popular vote count. Recent polling has shown that registered and likely Democratic voters are significantly more likely to cast absentee or early votes than their Republican counterparts who highly downplay or disregard the pandemic in large part to Trump’s admitted lies regarding its severity. Trump, who is desperately looking for an excuse to call foul play, may appear to be winning handily on election night, but in reality, will be losing according to absentee ballots and recent favorable national and state polling for Joe Biden. The theory is that if Donald Trump is falsely perceived to be winning on November 3rd, hence the “Red Mirage” theory name, he will declare victory and claim fraud if and when Joe Biden overcomes him in the electoral college as mail-in votes are counted. This would not be good.

Donald Trump’s rhetoric has incited violence in the past, and if this scenario were to take place, I imagine it would lead to significant violence yet again. What’s equally terrifying is the notion that Trump could go state-by-state and insist judges, who he has appointed, determine the path forward in counting incoming votes in the following days after the election. If judges in swing states such as Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina rule in Trump’s favor, similarly to how Florida judges ruled in George W. Bush’s favor in 2000, he could steal an election he was never supposed to win, and civil unrest would be at an all-time high.

I don’t like to read too much into the “what-ifs” which are completely out of my control, but I see the validity of this theory. Hopefully Joe Biden wins in such a popular and electoral landslide that none of this comes to fruition, but I wouldn’t be surprised if election “night” turns into election “week” or even “month” as the results are tabulated. I would, however, rather wait for correct results than immediately receive false ones. What’s important is that we get out and vote. To make sure you’re registered, use the link below. Thanks for reading.

VOTE: https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

For The Record: A Vinyl Series (Part 1)

What’s old is new again. The cyclical nature of pop culture, style, and social trends tends to occasionally repopularize relics of the past as new shiny objects of the future. Whether it’s chunky dad sneakers, polaroid cameras, or in my case record players and vinyl, anything which was once “in” is subject to come back in full force in due time. Before moving back into my downtown Atlanta apartment last month, I was given the early birthday gift I had been pining after for a very long time by my parents, which is a stellar bluetooth record player and accompanying booming speakers. My propensity and tendency to collect things has predictably bled into this new area, as I’ve been playing catch-up by purchasing my favorite albums on vinyl over the past few weeks. In this series, similar to my “Best Foot Forward” series, I will be highlighting and discussing various selections from my collection in each installment. Who doesn’t like a little bit of show-and-tell? Let’s get into it.

Record 1 (Upper Left): Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple

It feels appropriate to feature this album first on this series because it was the first record in my collection. Fiona Apple rightfully received huge critical acclaim after the release of this project in April. Since then, it has slowly become my favorite album of the year so far. Sonically and thematically, Apple is able to capture the essence of tension associated with the unstable state of affairs in the country. This two-sided double LP sounds fantastic on vinyl, as the multi-instrumental tracks allow each layer to shine, all while being complemented by Apple’s haunting vocals. Great album, and one I’m glad to have in my record collection.

Record 2 (Upper Right): To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 magnum opus To Pimp A Butterfly is one of my favorite albums of all-time. This project is able to tackle immensely complicated topics such as self love, systemic racism, generational inequality, and Black identity simultaneously, all while fitting into a genius narrative and providing hit after hit. This project has a vintage and nostalgic feel even when not on vinyl, but this sense is amplified (quite literally) when the record is spinning under the needle. This was a must to add to my collection.

Record 3 (Lower Left): The Money Store - Death Grips

One of the most experimental and trend-setting albums of the 2010s, The Money Store influenced countless artists after its release. Abrasive, aggressive, but catchy at the same time, Death Grips provide an aesthetic here so unique that I can’t accurately compare it to any other album I’ve ever listened to. My Edifier speakers handle the sometimes obnoxious and sound-heavy moments on this record beautifully. I’m happy to have this album in my collection, and will likely be picking up Bottomless Pit soon, too.

Record 4 (Lower Right): Pure Comedy - Father John Misty

It wouldn’t be right to own a record player and not have my favorite album of all-time on vinyl to spin on it. This limited-edition and exclusive red marble pressing looks absolutely stunning, and the sound quality is fantastic, adding another dimension to an album which I never imagined could become deeper and more meaningful to me. This is likely going to be the album I play the most on vinyl since it’s the one I played most on streaming. If you haven’t listened to this project yet, stop reading. Go now. Listen. Do it!

I think I’m a collector by nature. Whether it’s clothes, sneakers, video games, or records, when I start getting into something, I’m quick down the rabbit hole. It has been fun exploring record stores like Criminal Records in downtown Atlanta as I learn more about vinyl and continue to add my favorite albums to the collection. Have you ever owned a record player? Thanks for reading.