Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana, Album Review


Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
Bandana
Album Review


Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Music

 Bandana is a new collaborative project from Indiana rap artist Freddie Gibbs and Californian producer Madlib. While this album serves as my first true introduction to both of these artists, I have heard a lot of high praise towards the two, and especially Madlib.

 What ultimately enticed me into listening to this record is the insane line-up that makes up the features. With artists such as Anderson .Paak, Pusha-T and Run The Jewels' Killer Mike, how could I say no to this album?

 Upon skimming across the tracks, I already knew that this album had a very professional and classic style that reminded me a lot of the lates Nas cut NASIR, released roughly this time last year.

 The beats initially came across as carefully crafted blends of minimalism and layering that you could find on many of last years album with stylistic similarities. I also noticed a number of production switch-ups mid track, which I can always appreciate.

 This album, in terms of context and aesthetic, is pretty straight forward; it's essentially a show off-ish album lyrically. The regular mention of cocaine does come across as a bit of a cheap trick for me. However, it isn't enough to detract from the albums atmosphere and situational immersion.

 As expected, I did very much enjoy the tracks which included the previously mentioned features. This includes "Giannis", which features Anderson .Paak and "Palmolive" which includes both Pusha T and Killer Mike. Both are very moody tracks, but "Giannis" specifically has this very cold and icy production and a beat which melds perfectly with .Paak's charismatic attitude.

 Other tracks I enjoyed include "Flat Tummy Tea" which is arguably the most energetic and fast-paced track on the album, "Fake Names" which has one of the most prominent beat-switches, and "Education" which includes a revamped rendition of the production behind "Bonjour" off of NASIR.

 My favourite track at the moment, however, is "Cataracts" which has this awesomely warm sounding guitar riff spread across the production behind it. Pairing this with the perfectly paced beat and the lyrical prowess of Freddie Gibbs, and you have an essential summer tune to listen to while driving on in the warm weather or chilling at the beach.

 While the contextual value of this album does seem slightly overplayed and outdated at this point, I can certainly regard the stylistic aspect of Bandana as its own unique thing, thanks to the consistent flows of Freddie Gibbs and the productive wizardry of Madlib.



Thank you for reading,

 Booth Boy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Danny Brown, uknowhatimsayin?, Album Review

Image
Danny Brown uknowhatimsayin? Album Review Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music uknowhatimsayin? is the fifth studio album by experimental American rap artist Danny Brown, and the first since me made a big impact with his 2016 masterpiece Atrocity Exhibition , which truly pushed the boundaries of what rap could be with its heavily psychedelic and distorted sound, along with its intense and aggressive party energy. It seemed apparent from the get go that Danny Brown wanted to take this album in a different direction than its predecessor; towards a more accessible and cohesive sound, which was something I could certainly appreciate. Furthermore, this albums first teaser track "Dirty Laundry" displayed a masterfully subtle production, in which the slightest shift would be enough for listeners to pick up on and enjoy. Two more teaser tracks followed; the amazing "Best Life", which conveyed a soulful 90's rap aesthetic and has really grown
Read more

TOOL, Fear Inoculum, Album Review

Image
TOOL Fear Inoculum Album Review Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music Theres an age-old saying that each album of music is its own different experience, and this saying has never rung more truth when it comes to the discography of TOOL. One of the flag-bearers of progressive metal, TOOL have blown the minds of listeners ever since they formed almost 30 years ago in 1990. But its only recently, that the band have made a bit of a splash after a nearly 13 year hiatus since their 2006 album 10,000 Days .  With the return of TOOL in 2019, came the entirety of their discography finally being streamable, and with streamers finally recognising the band, it would also be the perfect time to release a new album. That album has finally come, in the form of their 5th full-length record; Fear Inoculum. Ever since I started getting into metal, I have had a funny relationship with the band. I first discovered the band thanks to Guitar Hero World Tour of all sour
Read more

Xiu Xiu, Girl with Basket of Fruit, Album Review

Image
Xiu Xiu Girl with Basket of Fruit Album Review Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music We're not even at the end of February yet, and we already have a twisted and surreal masterpiece in the form of Xiu Xiu's latest record "Girl with Basket of Fruit". While this album comes to me as another introduction to an artist, said artist has been making music for a while now, with "Girl with Basket of Fruit" being their eleventh album release. Xiu Xiu are essentially a musical outfit of sorts and kind of defy genre in the sense that their music is so out there (especially in this record). After delving into some of their older material, I can tell you that "Girl with Basket of Fruit" is quite easily the darkest and most interesting album that Xiu Xiu has ever put out, and maybe even possibly the most beautifully horrifying album I have ever heard. While their previous stuff definitely shows a lot of experimentation with their
Read more