together PANGEA – “Badillac”

(Photo Credit: stereogum)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Offer” “Depress”

together PANGEA’s previous full-length, “Living Dummy,” released when the band was still known simply as PANGEA, is an album I’ve listened to more times than I can count. It’s cohesive, fun, loud, silly and has low-key production – everything you want from a garage rock album. And every song is unique enough to make a perfect listen. On “Badillac,” the band – with a new name and on a new label – aim to diversify their music, while keeping a cohesiveness. “Badillac” isn’t as good as “Living Dummy,” but it still hits that goal.

The first song on “Badillac,” called “Alive,” sounds ripped out of rock radio instead of a California garage. It’s almost a mission statement – that the band is branching out and expanding their sound. The production is upped, although the vocals are still beautifully unintelligible sometimes. The songs are, at times, louder than ever before, or softer. More acoustic elements are incorporated, as is straight rock songwriting. The band explores their own sound, ending with a collection of songs that are more diverse, while still cohesive. The songs on “Badillac” don’t feel as related as they did on “Living Dummy,” but they don’t try to. The band set out to make more well-rounded songs, and they’ve done just that.

From a lyrical standpoint, “Badillac” is not as strong as “Living Dummy.” I’ll never forget the latter half of the first verse of “Make Me Feel Weeeird”: “Let’s talk about you now / What kind of guy is he? / You say he hates fags / Well I think he’d like me / Get bent / Get bent.” I’ve always loved the bluntness of the verse, but the lyrics are vaguer this time around. Simpler song titles – “Why,” “Alive,” “River,” “Offer” – symbolize this. The songs on “Badillac” are not as instantly memorable as before because of it. Not entirely, of course. “Badillac,” “Offer” and “Cat Man” still grab pretty quickly. But the album’s one major disappointment is the move towards more conventional lyrics.

Still, “Badillac” is a great release and will hopefully propel the band onto a bigger stage. It’s fun and it’s easy to revisit many times – all of their music is. together PANGEA are making their own thing out of garage rock, going beyond all limitations without losing the spirit. They’ve made a new identity and sound, while still resembling the old PANGEA. Hopefully they’ll keep the trend up – this could be their year.

-By Andrew McNally

Aram Bajakian – “there were flowers also in hell”

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Texas Cannonball” “Requiem For 5 Pointz”

It’s almost easy to assume nowadays that a solo, instrumental guitarist will specialize in tender and light ballads that, while virtuosic, are usually pretty corny and repetitive. But that’s not what Aram Bajakian is about. Bajakian had been making a name for himself lately as the touring guitarist for the late Lou Reed. “there were flowers also in hell” proves that Bajakian is more than willing to step into fuzzy and noisy areas. The album opens up to a wide range of influences and emotions, often going for a more guttural response instead of a long-winded arc. There’s a lot going on, often switching flawlessly from fun rhythms to haunting melodies.

“Texas Cannonball” (an ode to Freddie King), and “Orbisonian” directly channel rockabilly bands of the past, with a hot guitar rhythm and uptempo bass and drums, provided by Shazhad Ismaily and Jerome Jennings, respectively. Bonus track “Cat Squirrel” is a lot of fun, too, as a lengthy jam. And “The Kids Don’t Want to Sleep” isn’t exactly a bundle of joy, but it’s noisy and has a pre-grunge remembrance to it.

But the album’s friendlier tracks are not the only standouts. “Requiem For 5 Pointz” sounds like a funeral, with a haunting echo and a slight clacking of what resemble bones. The song brings out a viscerally disturbing response, through what’s ultimately a quiet and simple guitar line. Likewise, “Medicaid Lullaby” has a perturbed feel to it, with an extra poetic sense. Elsewhere on the album, there’s ballads, rock songs, and songs on all sides of the emotional spectrum.

“flowers” is an instrumental album, but Bajakian doesn’t need any lyrics to tell his stories. Every one of the thirteen songs is distinctly different from the next. In fact, the only two that are similar are the two rockabilly throwbacks, and they’re both so fun that it doesn’t matter. He blends noise, rock, and jazz and many other elements without even really trying, or at least hiding it well if he is. Bajakian is a unique presence – enough of a solo presence to be expected at blues clubs, while enough of a amp-destroyer to be seen playing with noise-rock artists. “flowers” is a interesting listen for people of any genre, fans of instrumentals or not.

The album will be available on bandcamp on February 1st.

-By Andrew McNally

Against Me! – “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”

(Photo Credit: consequenceofsound)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” “Drinking With the Jocks”

In a small number of scattered homes throughout America, there are sexist Nazi punks who have to wake up every morning and draw over their Against Me! tattoos with sharpies. There is a truly despicable branch of people known as Nazi punks, who love any political punk band and can wrongfully relate the band’s liberal politics to their own hateful ones. Nazi punks have been taken on before – notably here and here – but “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” is an indirect strike. Against Me!s first five albums were sharply political and tackled political issues more directly than almost any other band. But this is their first album since singer Tom Gabel came out as transgender and announced she would be living as Laura Jane Grace. And as one of the first successful transgender singers, and certainly the most famous one in the punk community – this becomes an incredibly important album.

Grace’s transition is addressed in the majority of the album’s songs. The two opening tracks, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” and “True Trans Soul Rebel” are the most direct. “You want them to see you like they every other girl / They just see a faggot” she sings on the title track. The album perfectly balances the line between heart and anger; each song is a lesson, an attempt to teach shitheads that don’t understand the transgender life. It borders on a shock lesson – “I want to piss on the walls of your house / I want to cut those brass rings off your fat fucking fingers” she sings on the closer, “Black Me Out.” “Drinking With the Jocks” is a pounding track about recognizing differences, and “Unconditional Love” is a brutal, self-deprecating song about loving someone with identification issues. Tracks 5 and 6 are likely to go down as two of the best titles of the year – “Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ” and “FUCKMYLIFE666.” It’s shocking, even for them, but it’s necessary.

Unfortunately, some of the songs don’t hold up simply on a musical standpoint. While all good on their own, some of them blend together a little too much. The album’s middle sags under songs that have the energy of classic Against Me!, but don’t have the unique songwriting. This might be reflective of a band that has kind of fallen apart. Since “White Crosses” in 2010, two members of the band quit. Famous punk drummer Atom Willard was brought on for percussion work, and Grace just handled bass herself (except NoFX’s Fat Mike, who shows up on two tracks). Still, Gabel’s voice was always very strong, and that hasn’t changed through the transition. Grace’s vocals are strong and have a wide range.

When “White Crosses” came out, it was preceded by an exceptionally boring single, “I Was A Teenage Anarchist.” It felt like a coda; the statement of maturity felt like the band giving up. But they’re recharged on “Transgender.” They have a renewed energy and a new MO. They’re hitting territories never hit by a punk band before. This might not go down in history like the band wants it to, simply because it doesn’t have their most memorable songs, but it should still serve as an incredibly important work and stamps an intense start to 2014. Grace is nothing less than a hero, and “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” acts as a proud, invasive, angry, heartful and necessary mess.

-By Andrew McNally

Ummagma – “Rotation / Live and Let Die”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: B+

Ummagma are a little bit of an unconventional group – a sort of dreampop/shoegaze hybrid, consisting of just Shauna McLarnon from Canada and Alexx Kretov from Ukraine. McLarnon handles the lyrics and vocals, while Kretov tackles all of the instrumentation. The duo has released a single, containing “Rotation” and “Live and Let Die.” Both songs properly showcase their crossover sound in some memorable and easily listenable dreampop.

“Rotation” is a slow-building song. It starts with a low-key drum and synth beat, that kicks up around 35 seconds in. It’s centered around a repetitive synth beat, that seeps the song into a serious dreampop feel. McLarnon’s vocals sound swooping inside of a very condensed sound. The song’s medium energy and consistently full sound lend to a shoegaze resemblance, even if the guitar is only a slight factor. “Rotation” is ultimately the cross between dreampop and shoegaze, and it does both very well.

“Live and Let Die” is a much catchier song. It opens with a drum beat that’s already louder than the previous song’s peak. The song continues with the condensed, shoegaze type sound, but it features a guitar rhythm that’s much more resembling of a garage rock band. A heavier guitar presence lends to a dreamy sound, just one that’s more alt-based instead of pop. “Live and Let Die”s moderate tempo and medium volume acts as a compromise between dreampop and post-rock, and sounds familiar even though it really isn’t.

This is a very solid single, and a nice tease at anything the band might be working on. There seems to be a little something the songs are missing, just to pump up a little energy. But both songs are intricate and unique, combining a number of influences into an aura that sounds conventional until you really listen. They’re very easy songs to enjoy, dense without being unbreakable. Ummagma are doing their own thing; combining genres and doing it well. “Rotation / Live and Let Die” brings hope for whatever the band might release in the future.

The two songs are available for download and streaming here.

-By Andrew McNally

Weepikes – “We Are Weepikes”

Grade: A

Key Tracks: “Bad Valentine” “Flatliner”

“We Are Weepikes” is probably a very fitting name for the Finnish avant-pop group’s latest release. The band, which consists of Pasi Peni on vocals and guitar, Jyrki Lehto on guitar, Tomi Nuotio on bass and Ari Reiska Lehtinen on drums, is coming off a 13-year hiatus. Originally forming in 1994, they released a couple EP’s before disbanding in 1997. The reformed in 2010 and, after releasing a couple EP’s, dropped the longer “We Are Weepikes” in February of 2013.

The album has a distinct Lou Reed feel to it.  It is guitar-heavy, and stays melodic without venturing into catchy. Unlike most avant-pop groups, Weepikes focus more on the “avant” than the “pop.” Peni’s vocals align with Reed’s slightly gritty, melodic talk-singing. That’s the most apparent on “Flatliner,” a nearly six minute track of spoken word chaos.

“We Are Weepikes” has a little bit of a lo-fi feel to it, and the whole album has a heavy energy that resembles that of a 90’s alternative band. The last part of “Bad Valentine” has a particularly heart-pounding energy to it. Plus, the album is capped off with two remixes, and because they don’t exactly fit with the more straight-forward blasts before them, they actually strengthen the album’s avant feel.

“We Are Weepikes” has a hybrid alt-pop spirit, gleefully different without being too unapproachable. The band channels 60’s pop-rock and avant-garde, and every song is unique and memorable while still fitting in with every other song. It is simply a great release, and it won’t be attractive to everyone but it should fine a healthy audience.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

If you like this, try: Another recent bandcamp release, The Raspberry Heaven’s “Nascent Meadows.”

-By Andrew McNally

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – “Wig Out at Jagbags”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “Lariat” “Surreal Teenagers”

At 47, Stephen Malkmus is very much an adult. He has had nothing to prove for many years, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still play music. His last few releases have served little purpose other than establishing Malkmus as the reluctant adult he is. And that’s where “Wig Out at Jagbags” stands – it’s youthful, but definitely adult. Malkmus seems like a ‘cool dad’ that will take his kids to shows and steal the neighbors wifi. His most well-known project, Pavement, served as an antidote to to those turned off by Nirvana and Sonic Youth in the early 90′s – deceivingly catchier, while still grungy and ear-aching. But now, Malkmus is comfortable making fun and diverse alternative that’s never great, but is always an easy listen.

“Wig Out of Jigbags” has a little of everything, like a less stoned Kurt Vile. “Lariat” has keyboards. “Houston Hades” heavily features a trombone. “Rumble at the Rainbo” is a punk blast and “Surreal Teenagers” has volume shifts akin to the Pavement years. The album feels like a mission statement – Malkmus is committed to having fun in the studio. The music doesn’t have much to it, and it doesn’t have to. These are songs Malkmus wants to record, and damn if he isn’t going to.

Lyrically, too, the album reflects Malkmus’s life. Some songs, specifically “Cinnamon and Lesbians,” are steeped in poetry, but some are simply referential. “Lariat” frequently mentions listening to music from the greatest decade, without ever saying what it is, and namedrops Tennyson and the Grateful Dead in the same line. The album has plenty of songs about age – reminiscent odes to growing up, and songs about accepting it when it happens. It’s a playful record, one that accepts adulthood with the stipulation of continuing to look at life through the eyes of an inspired teen. Malkmus is only aging physically, and it’s evident in his consistent releases. “Wig Out at Jagbags” won’t gain many new fans, but the payoff is Malkmus knowing his audience.

If you like this, try: Lee Ranaldo & the Dust’s “Last Night on Earth” – Another fun and eclectic album recorded by an alt god stripped of his band.

MisterWives – “Reflections”

(Photo Credit: fistintheair)

Grade: A-

I had to choose wisely on which review should start off 2014. I couldn’t start with just anything. For a while, I’ve had a note in my phone that just says “MisterWives.” I’ll come across it occasionally and sometimes I can’t even remember what it means. But I had the pleasure of seeing MisterWives, kind of by chance. A Manhattan Fitz & the Tantrums concert was being reviewed for a paper I was writing for, and the promoter threw in tickets to see the band Pyyramids. It was a 21+ show, so I had to go in place of the usual reviewer. So it was like a bonus concert to a bonus concert. I found them inherently intriguing in a way most opening bands can only strive to be.

MisterWives, and their new EP “Reflections,” are in the same realm as Grouplove. Their music is soulful and fun, combining many influences at once. The result is a very complex sound made out of relatively easy parts. Each of the six tracks on “Reflections” is centered around easy rhythms on conventional instruments. But while one song sounds soulful, the next is more electro, and when one is vocal heavy, the next is focused on guitar. It’s a surprising balance for an EP of only six songs. They maintain a relaxed, fun and folksy sound throughout the balance.

The standout of the EP is the title track, which relies on some strong vocals. It has a resounding pop vocal harmony over a slightly funky guitar, and it sounds primed for crossover radio. Each track on the album, in it’s own way, sounds ready for radio – it’s telling that all six songs range from 3:06-3:33. But they stand out enough to make for a promising debut. I’m a little ashamed I didn’t get to see their full set now, so I’d like to highly encourage you to seek out MisterWives yourselves. “Reflections” is a fun and carefree release with some genuinely original songwriting.

If you like this, try: Grouplove, whose song “Shark Attack” was #20 on my 2013 list. (Incidentally, Pyyramids also made the list, with “Don’t Go” at #28. That was a productive concert for me.)

-By Andrew McNally

Obligatory Tediousness in Numerical Form,

Or “Best of 2013” lists. I’ve done an objective list of songs and albums, but I feel like my own blog deserves a more subjective (Kanye-less) list. I’ll save you from the normal “it’s been such an important year” intro and instead say that I am just one man, and I did not quite hit as many albums as I intended to this year. As I type I’m finally giving Pharmakon’s “Abandon” a proper listen. I never got to Eleanor Friedburger, A$ap Ferg, Kings of Leon, Fall Out Boy, or Chance the Rapper (etc). These lists are purely subjective, just the songs and albums I enjoyed the most this past year. Plus, I threw in some other stuff at the bottom.

Top 30 SONGS (album tracks included):

30. Phosphorescent – “Song For Zula”

29. Mwahaha – “Rivers and Their Teeth”

28. Pyyramids – “Don’t Go”

27. Roomrunner – “Wojtek”

26. Arcade Fire – “Normal Person”

25. Cold War Kids – “Lost That Easy”

24. Chippy Nonstop – “Bang Bang”

23. Deafheaven – “Dream House” (the most ferocious song of the year)

22. Lorde – “Team”

21. kitty – “R.R.E.A.M.” (the artist formerly known as Kitty Pryde)

20.  Grouplove – “Shark Attack”

19.  Queens of the Stone Age – “My God is the Sun”

18. A$ap Rocky (feat. Drake, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz) – “Fuckin’ Problems”

17. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Sacrilege”

16. Nine Inch Nails – “Copy of a”

15. FIDLAR – “Wake Bake Skate”

14. The Naked and Famous – “Hearts Like Ours”

13. Chelsea Light Moving – “Alighted”

12. Lorde – “Royals”

11. Waxahatchee – “You’re Damaged” (the saddest song of the year???)

10. Savages – “I Am Here”

9. Foals – “Providence”

8. Janelle Monae – “Dance Apocalyptic”

7. James Blake – “Voyeur”

6. Lakutis – “Too Ill For the Law”

5. The National – “Sea of Love”

4. J Roddy Walston and the Business – “Heavy Bells”

3. Pissed Jeans – “Bathroom Laughter”

2. Parquet Courts – “Stoned and Starving”

1. Savages – “She Will”

For your convenience, I made a Spotify playlist of 28 of these tracks (“R.R.E.A.M.” and “Too Ill For the Law” are not up, Youtube them).

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Top 30 ALBUMS:

30. Frightened Rabbit – “Pedestrian Verse”

29. Body/Head – “Coming Apart”

28. Sky Ferreira – “Night Time, My Time”

27. Franz Ferdinand – “Right Thoughts Right Words Right Actions”

26. Roomrunner – “Ideal Cities”

25. The Flaming Lips – “The Terror”

24. Future of the Left – “How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident”

23. Phoenix – “Bankrupt!”

22. Phosphorescent – “Muchacho”

21. Foals – “Holy Fire”

20. Arcade Fire – “Reflektor” (If I separated them by disc, disc 1 would be top 10, disc 2 wouldn’t crack the top 50)

19. Melt-Banana – “fetch”

18. Parquet Courts – “Light Up Gold + Tally Up All the Things That You Broke”

17. Danny Brown – “Old”

16. David Bowie – “The Next Day”

15. A$ap Rocky – “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”

14. Lorde – “Pure Heroine”

13. Deafheaven – “Sunbather”

12. The National – “Trouble Will Find Me”

11. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – “Whenever, If Ever”

10. Vampire Weekend – “Modern Vampires of the City”

9. Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories”

8. Waxahatchee – “Cerulean Salt”

7. Savages – “Silence Yourself”

6. Streetlight Manifesto – “The Hands That Thieve”

5. kitty – “D.A.I.S.Y. rage EP” (an EP, but I can’t resist including it)

4. Chelsea Light Moving – “Chelsea Light Moving”

3. Pissed Jeans – “Honeys”

2. FIDLAR – “FIDLAR”

1. Foxygen – “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic”

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OTHER CRAP:

Best album cover – Deafheaven – “Sunbather”

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Worst album cover – TIE – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Mosquito,” Black Flag – “What The…”

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5 (or 6) Great Songs From Bad Albums-

5. “Twin Size Mattress” – the Front Bottoms

4. “I Wear Black” – Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin

3. “Mind Your Matters” – Pearl Jam

2. “Cut Me Some Slack” and “Your Wife Is Calling” from the Sound City – Real to Reel compilation

1. “Sacrilege”, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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Best Album Titles:

5. Ty Segall – “Sleeper”

4. Alkaline Trio – “My Shame Is True”

3. Cold War Kids – “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts”

2. David Bowie – “The Next Day”

1. Marnie Stern – “The Chronicles of Marnia”

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5 Most Disappointing Albums:

5. Laura Stevenson – “Wheel” (Her previous two albums were inviting, but I felt an unintentionally cold alienation from this release. Laura, if you see this, I love your music more than anything, keep on goin’ and ignore me)

4. Lady Gaga – “ARTPOP”

3. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Mosquito”

2. The Front Bottoms – “Talon of the Hawk” (Their previous is one of my top 10 all-time favorites; this was almost unlistenable)

1. Jay-Z – “Magna Carta Holy Grail” (Total shit. And Jay-Z has all of my personal information because I was dumb enough to download the app)

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Best still-no-new-album-come-on-guys: Brand New

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10 Great Debut LPs (or are, to the best of my knowledge, debut LPs):

10. I Kill Giants – “I Kill Giants”

9. CHVRCHES – “The Bones of What You Believe”

8. Mwahaha – “Mwahaha”

7. Parquet Courts – “Light Up Gold + Tally All the Things You Broke”

6. A$ap Rocky – “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”

5. Lorde – “Pure Heroine”

4. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – “Whenever, If Ever”

3. Chelsea Light Moving – “Chelsea Light Moving”

2. Savages – “Silence Yourself”

1. FIDLAR – “FIDLAR”

I messed up that last list. Whatever, I’m really tired. Here’s to a strong 2014 and so on, and so on.

Beyonce – “Beyonce”

(Photo Credit: thisisrnb)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Mine” “Flawless”

Long live the queen. Beyonce caused an internet explosion the other night by nonchalantly dropping sixteen new songs (and videos) on iTunes, with no promotion or even any announcements. How no one knew it was going to happen is still astounding. Magazines and websites have taken down their year-end lists and re-tooled them accordingly. She is in no way the first to do it, Death Grips did the exact same just a few weeks back (also with video – and there’s was free), but this album is different. Its lack of a title and unannounced release back up the album’s theme of self-confidence and self-realization. At sixteen songs and a few minutes past an hour, it doesn’t always keep the listener interested, but it’s diverse sonically and consistent thematically.

This album is a little tough to classify. It’s pop, it’s R&B, it’s hip-hop. But unlike most genre-mixes like this, “Beyonce” has a mission statement, bringing lessons about mixing fun and family with a feminist touch. Beyonce has been married since ’08, and she sings a message about being independent within a marriage. There’s tracks about partying, tracks about a strong, independent composure and still, on “Drunk On Love,” lines about remedial marriage chores like doing the dishes. “Beyonce” is devoted to teaching feminism as an internal motivator, teaching that it is as much about self-confidence as it is equality. The album’s lyrics don’t always hold up, but when she is upfront (especially in the album’s latter half), they’re very strong.

There’s only five guest spots across sixteen songs on the album, cementing the album as a Beyonce effort – she’s front and center (as if we were unsure of it at all). Frank Ocean’s majestic talent is again wasted in a meaningless role, as it was on John Mayer’s recent album. But Drake shines in the very respectful song “Mine,” where he takes both a rhythmic background and a strong forefront in his verses. The other three guest spots hardly constitute as “guest spots” – Jay-Z gets a verse in “Drunk On Love,” as song about their marriage, Blue Ivy Carter’s voice is mysteriously droned in a finale song about Blue Ivy Carter, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gets sampled reading her poem, “We Should All Be Feminists” on “Flawless.”

So Beyonce establishes herself as the queen we already saw her is. The promotion works, the well-placed guest spots work, and her lyrical narrative is largely strong. Is the music actually good? Yes. Of course it is. Bey raps on “Drunk On Love,” and raps well. She boasts “I sneezed on a beat and the beat got sicker” on “Yonce.” She’s alternately sweet, on “Superpower,” booming on “Rocket,” pained on “No Angel,” and funky on the Pharrell-produced “Blow.” In other words, she’s human. She has a bunch of inconsistent and complementing emotions, that come through in a set of consistent beliefs. She believes in herself; she believes in all of us. “Beyonce” isn’t so much an album as it is a reflection of Beyonce as a person. Which is probably why the nameless album has been dubbed “Beyonce.” In a world filled with celebrity feuds, drama and boasts, Beyonce and Jay-Z have established themselves as the power couple – rich, powerful, respectfully boastful, and talented, while remaining focused on family and marriage. But Jay-Z’s 2013 contribution was a forgettable release, while “Beyonce” is not. It’s doubtful that they’re competing at all, but if they are, then Beyonce is winning.

-By Andrew McNally

Childish Gambino – “Because the Internet”

(Photo Credit: hiphopwired)

Grade: C-

Key Tracks: “I. the worst guys” “IV. sweatpants”

I’ll be upfront and say that I’ve never really gotten onboard with Childish Gambino. “You See Me” is one of my favorite hip-hop songs ever, but I find most of his other work a mix of tepid and unbelievable. Gambino is the alter ego of Donald Glover – Community’s Troy Barnes, founding member of Derrick Comedy and writer of 30 Rock’s classic “Funcooker” episode. Glover will always be Barnes to me – the endearingly naive manchild/football star. But Childish Gambino is more than a Wu Tang-generated name, it’s a whole persona. Gambino is moody and stubborn on this album, and it’s impossible to tell if it is sincerely reflecting Glover, or if it just fits into a crazy narrative.

The album is split into five parts, although the first two don’t really have any strong narrative structure. Each song is prefaced by Roman numerals, restarting at each section, which gets confusing. The first section is just two seemingly unrelated songs, “crawl” and “WORLDSTAR.” The former is dull, and the latter features some incredibly lazy rapping. The second section also seems to have no arc, although features some of the better songs (including my two key tracks, the first of which features Chance the Rapper). The third bit is a concise and slightly disturbing look at regretting throwing a party and wanting everyone to leave. It’s a cold and alienating bit, in both good and bad ways. Finally, the last two bits are much longer and more experimental, dishing out on the ironic alienation of the internet. It’s the most concise and interesting part, although it does feature a lot of clunky internet lingo like “GPOY” pretty frequently. Still, the tone of the last few songs is hauntingly engaging.

Gambino is a product of the internet age. He released the album online and promoted it online, as many others are doing. Wikipedia’s entry for the album even has the cover as a .gif instead of a .jpg. The messages about how the internet is becoming our universal language are all true and convincing, especially coming from someone of the right age. Without the original online Derrick Comedy sketches, he would’ve never been noticed by 30 Rock in the first place. The album just feels inconsistent. At points, Gambino’s rapping is urgent and frustrated, at other points it’s sluggish and too apathetic. The ideas and the experimentation are largely successful, and this ranks as one of the more original releases of the year. It just feels forced coming from the man who uttered the phrase “It touched my butt’s mouth” in the Community season 5 trailer that came out one week later. “Because the Internet” is a zeitgeist for my generation, about the headlong dive into the technological era. But it’s less experimental than Kanye’s “Yeezus,” less moody than Earl Sweatshirt’s “Doris,” and less online based than Death Grips’ “Government Plates.” Had those albums not come out within the last few months, “Because the Internet” might be a more important release. Surely, though, Glover will be back before we know it. I’ll be glued to my TV when Community comes back on.

If you like this, try: Earl Sweatshirt’s “Doris.” Though not one of the most memorable rap releases of the year, it’s one of the most consistent, and a deep look into a disturbed man.

-By Andrew McNally