For those of you who aren't familiar with the group (I'm well aware that this is the case for most readers, but if you are willing to expand your horizons at all please continue reading, or at least scroll down and look at the rating) I really can't articulate what you should be expecting. My above description of the group's genre is about as specific as it can get, but with the two albums I have discussed sounding so different, Young Fathers really sends their fans in blind to each new project. While they are labeled as hip-hop they have never made a habit of having much in common with traditional hip-hop expectations, so don't expect any basic drum lines or snares to constitute the instrumentation of the album. I personally believe Young Fathers walks the line between pretentiously experimental and actually good music very well, as while their sound is hard to explain, it does contain some elements of pop that if you are willing to really listen, give the music some flavors of mass appeal. Before choosing to delve into this group too deep I suggest listening to the song "I Heard" from Tape Two. If it isn't your flavor then you may as well stop reading now.
As far as expectations go, it is really hard to have any given the ever evolving sound of this collective. They could easily take a turn sonically that I simply don't enjoy, or they could make a change that puts their music over the hump, and really create an amazing album. Your guess is as good as mine, so let's just get into this.
1. Still Running
Due to my own unreal expectations for this song, it was dissapointing, but let me explain. One of the few consistent things between the last two albums was the fact that the first track was the best on the album, and I was simply expecting for that to be the case again. What I got instead was a very good song. Upbeat with catchy melodies and vocals. Banging drums along with guitar and a playful use of bells and chimes made this song extremely enjoyable, but not the high intensity that I was expecting. Listening to this song objectively I actually enjoy it a lot, it just wasn't on par with the level of explosiveness on the openers on the other two albums. Still, a very good Young Fathers' song that sets a nice tone for the album.
2. Shame
Immediately with the instrumental and vocals we get more of a LO-FY effect and it actually sounds pretty dope. The instrumental is pretty simple consisting of mostly percussion, a bass line, and background vocals that serve as part of the instrumentation. What makes this song really enjoyable are the rough vocals. The lack of mastering make them sound very gritty in contrast to the very upbeat nature of the vocals themselves. There really isn't a trace of hip hop here as the vocals are completely sung, and offer a lot of catchy melodies. The glitchiness near the end of the track also offers a really cool contrast in the soulful and upbeat vocals. Very cool song sonically that has a lot to offer.
3. Feasting
An even more minimalist approach on this one that doesn't quite click like the songs that preceeded it. The vocals come in sparingly and the latter half of the track is occasional screaming that is hard to make out under the instrumentation, and what sounds like the jingling of shackles over a simple drum line and other effects. The real problem here aside from the lack of vocals is the fact that it doesn't sound very good. When you mess around with sound as much as these guys do this is bound to happen occasionally. Skip this one.
4. 27
I have always personally loved organs on hip hop beats, and this is no exception. The instrumentation is beautifully done with a combination of chimes, organs, and banging drums. Likewise, there is a lot offered here vocally too. It honestly sounds like an alternative pop song you might hear on the radio, only really good. The hook is catchy as hell and is simply sung with no other effects going on. which is refreshing, and over the verses there is a cool overlapped vocal that is more similar to rapping than most of what has been heard thus far on the album. Definitely what the album needed to get back on track, and probably the best song on the album so far. It's to be noted that only four tracks in we have already been exposed to such a broad spectrum of styles and sounds. Really is amazing that these guys are even trying this stuff.
5. Rain or Shine
This is one of the stranger songs thus far in the album. The vocals are drowned out heavily given the LO-FY nature of the recording, but that doesn't hinder the quality whatsoever. The off kilter high pitch vocals offer a cool sound that coincides with the fast paced slamming of keys more or less. It almost sounds as if the vocals were recorded over an existing instrumental on a garage band app, and they just rolled with it, but rather than making it sound unprofessional, it sounds very grimy and soulful, and offers an endearing sound that you can't really liken to much else that is being done in music. Another successful experiment, and highlight on this album.
6. Sirens
With this one there begins a distinct shift in tone on the album. The pace slows to a creeping. methodical pace, and the overall heir of the music is more serious and soulful. On this song we continue to hear the vocal styling of the group's front man carry the bulk of the attention on this track. We also get more of a look into the meaning of the album itself, which presents itself more overtly later on in the album. There are rumblings of talks about police, guns, violence, and an overall uneasiness that takes over the track and is really chilling. What is actually being said doesn't hold as much weight as the fact that he is mentioning all of these words in the same breath. It's almost like you are being told something, but I can't quite figure it out. Still, really good song.
7. Old Rock N Roll
Here we have the climax of the album as I see it. The lyrics here much more explicit than on the previous track. The lyrics talk about an angst, about growing tired of holding back, once again producing an almost tangible feeling of tension. The lyrics then discuss how racial roles can be adapted by people of different skin colors. Saying that the "white man" role can be filled by a black man, and vice versa. To me this is saying that the term white man as an oppressive power is a blanket statement for oppression, and isn't all about race. The vocals become extremely zany and screechy as tension builds on the track, until the somewhat simple beat also deteriorates into madness. The whole song feels like a brilliantly composed narrative of the world around us. Very impressive what these guys are able to do with music.
8. Nest
This song takes the soul sound that Young Fathers has developed on this album to a new level, as powerful vocals and a clapping rhythm makes this sound like an extremely catchy church hymn. The song's varied pitches and tones throughout really keep emotions running in all directions, and the crescendo of vocals during the portion of the song that repeats, "hey Mr. I really think you're wrong, sister" that leads into an explosion of instrumentation is almost a euphoric sensation. The song just makes you feel really good and triumphant almost. The customary banging drums add such an intensity to the otherwise lighthearted beat of bells and chimes. that really just sonically blows your mind. This song is a shit ton of fun.
9. Liberated
This song begins with almost a preaching approach to the vocals, rather than the singing we heard on the last track. It also comes along with a very similar tone to the one we heard on the last track. the main difference here is that I actually heard more elements of actual hip-hop on this track. To this point I have now realized that there has been almost nothing in the realm of something the average person would see as hip-hop. There are portions of this song that do resemble rapping though, until it reverts back into a choir like hook that sounds equally terrific. Not quite as mind blowing as the last trsck, but still pretty awesome.
10. John Doe
A return to the more LO-FY approach on this track, as well as even more "rapping" than on the last. It still doesn't sound anything like a 16 bar verse from Nas, but rather a sing song for of rhyming that does connect to a hip-hop sound, no matter how experimental it might sound. While it doesn't carry as much weight sonically as the last two tracks did, and it is brief in running time, it is a fun track that gives us something different yet again. The latter half of the song is mainly a phrase repeated over and over again, as well as some really catchy whistling, which with the unmastered vocal track, on the wrong stereo will murder your ears. The pitch mixing with that sound resolution is a dangerous game to play, so watch out for that.
11. Dare Me
Almost a more epic approach to this track, we are lead in with nothing but organs, and a soft singing voice comes in, speaking of a poor boy who never really stood a fair chance in the world, presumably underprivileged, and you can really feel the emotion in the vocals as he is saying these things. The vocals then become much stronger over the hook, bringing them back down once again, only to have some crazy drums come in and turn this into much more of a hip-hop song than one would have expected after hearing the first minute. Somehow the drastic change I'm tempo works masterfully as the chanting/rapping transitions right back into the singing seemlessly as the song feels extremely cohesive for no reason at all. I know I've called just about seventy percent of this album a highlight, but this was my personal favorite track. The strong, epic vocals mixed with the softer singing, and rapping sends you on an emotional Rollercoaster. This is more reminiscent of an song on Tape Two that really got them noticed, and I can't say the style has stopped working even at all.
12. Get Started
Something had to happen after that last track, and I think this is the only thing that would have worked. This rather slow, melodic tune feels final, something of an outro, but still manages to entertain thoroughly. This is the closest to conventional rapping we get on the album as the verses are kind of spoken word over a relatively simple beat that kind of lulls you into a peaceful feeling. Some really nice piano comes in and more preaching/spoken word verses constitute the song until its end. The song feels as though it is bringing the album to and close, which is always satisfying when an artist is able to do that while still putting on a good song rather than opting for an instrumental outro.
Rating: 4/5
If at times during this review it seemed like I was being wordy or unclear, I have to apologize because it is almost impossible to describe what this album has to offer. At times I didn't know exactly what I was hearing, and it almost felt weird reviewing it, given the fact that this site does strictly hip-hop reviews. That being said, I do know music, and I know what sounds good, and this album is a sonic adventure that will leave any listener satisfied. There isn't really a feeling that I didn't get from this album, and I have always made it clear the importance in music's ability to invoke certain emotions from listeners. At times chilling, and at others uplifting, this album had everything you could ask for and more. I'm not ready to say it's an improvement over Tape Two but I can say that at this point in time I find myself enjoying this album as much as I've ever enjoyed one of their releases. If you are a strict hip-hop traditionalist then obviously stay the hell away from this, but if different types of experimentation and noise pop are your thing, then definitely check this out you won't regret it.