http://lowbrowthehypnotic.bandcamp.com/album/open-ep
Hey everybody, I've decided (mostly by way of lack of sleep) that I'm going to review an ep! Hooray! I had a really difficult time deciding what album from Lowbrow The Hypnotic. to go with, considering they're all absolutely fantastic, but ultimately decided on "open ep" because a) it's newest and b) I don't think I can make myself not review the last song on it. In all honesty, there isn't a single beat that Lowbrow has made that isn't sheer gold, and I'm really excited to "hit [him] up" to tell inform him of this review for many reasons. Primarily, I'm just looking forward to telling him how in love with his works I am. I guess I should probably do this review thing.
Oh man, let's start with "mercy", a really nice, saxophone heavy, one minute intro that really could stand to be better only through making it longer. It's a really beautiful piece, and despite it's length there is a lot to say on it. Few things make me fall more in love with a song than a really lo-fi filter being placed on it, and then suddenly being removed to reveal some just... lovely layering. The saxophone, the beat, the reverb, the violins in the back, and whatever that wet reverse sound is in the middle make for a truly beautiful track. Our one minute wonder is followed up by it's twenty second longer relative "on the rocks". What saxophone was to "mercy" trumpet is to "on the rocks" with a really nicely sampled and looped track on top of a really calm beat. It's gorgeous, and so far this ep has done nothing but make my head nod and my jaw slack. All I can think of when I listen to "on the rocks" is this old song I had from Dean Martin, it was some live recording of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes" wherein he stops halfway through the song, slurring slightly and telling a joke that seems to escape me at the moment, and then begins the song again. That's where the song takes me, at least. I like it.
"circles" takes the stage, sitting at a full two and a half minutes, makes for a really nice beat. It's repetitive in the best of ways, which I think we can all agree make the best beats sometimes. In this case, that is just a true fact. I'm not sure what the sample is from, but I really like it. I feel a sort of J. Dilla vibe from this. I'm not saying it's exactly the same, it just makes me think of some Tribe Called Quest songs... I can't think of which in particular, but it's just what comes to mind. Now, usually I'd review "superior smoking" but I really want to review "MANORMACHINE" considering it was my "b)" point. So, on to "MANORMACHINE", the song is very distant from the other tracks on the ep, it takes a more chillwave approach that I honestly was not expecting. From the vocal sample and the incredibly deep sidechain on the kick, it gives it a very glow-fi vibe. I'm just absolutely in love with it, and I wouldn't mind his next ep taking on this glow-y, pop-ish, vibe while still being a nice track to rhyme over. It's fantastic, with the combinations of mosquito buzzes and bright glowing samples and the house/disco beat towards the end, I can see Lowbrow making a really nice name for himself, and maybe even doing his own split eps of his own work in different styles. I dunno, but I know I can dream.
I'm at a loss for words when it comes to choosing a favorite on the ep, between the lovely samples and beats on the first five songs, and the really nice and glowy direction of MANORMACHINE and "thedark" it's really tough. They're all fantastic and I honestly don't think anyone can listen to a Lowbrow album or ep without thinking to themselves "is there some way that I can pay for this? Because it's nice. It's really really nice. It's almost insane how awesome this is." I doubt that's just me. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment