music revs – jay-z – the blueprint 3

Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 – released September 11, 2009 on Roc Nation, Atlantic

Been rumored for quite a lengthy time, The Blueprint 3 has been long awaited.  It’s one of those “surprises” Jiggaman keeps throwing at us that don’t really seem to pan out because his career moves are so analyzed that they become predictable.  Much of that has to do with seniority, however, which could lead to a hit or miss to the latest installment of what is now a trilogy.  Jay-Z could undoubtedly wrangle a good number of critics that would crown him as the most important MC of the last decade, but nearing age 40 and releasing his 11^th studio album, his biggest competition is himself.  That is a bit much to measure up to.  Recently buying out his contract with Def Jam, this is his first LP on his own newly founded label, Roc Nation.

Listeners may be reluctantly fooled with the first few tracks into thinking there is semi-cohesion in the album.  But truthfully, after “Empire of the State”, Blueprint 3 becomes a disoriented and intolerable mess.  With the relative success of the first single “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, another single can be squeezed out with Kanye and Rihanna’s help on “Run This Town”.  Alicia Keys’ vocals on the NY pride song “Empire of the State” complements Jay’s flow well, but following is a collection of work that is neither radio-friendly nor creatively commendable, becoming a mediocre mix tape at best.

The Blueprint 3 is predictable and doesn’t contribute to the revival of Hip Hop that Shawn Carter promised he would bring.  The elite production and choice of collaborators can be admired, but for his stature, it’s a given.  In fact, if it wasn’t for the resources he received as Hova, which were the most of any of his previous albums, the LP would be a complete disaster, instead of a reluctant disappointment.

Rating: 3/10

music revs – yo la tengo – popular songs

Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs – released September 8, 2009 on Matador

When I think of Yo La Tengo, one word comes to mind – reliability.  This Hoboken indie group is on their twelfth studio release and they do not fall short.  It could be their abilities to play so many eclectic styles, or just sheer experience, but the new LP, Popular Songs, keeps them in the herd of go-to bands that you will probably never tire of.  If you enjoyed the last lengthy I Am Not Afraid Of You and I Will Beat Your Ass album, then similarly you will enjoy this long ride too, clocking in at 72 minutes.  Popular Songs will contemplatively draw listeners in, take them through hills of self-discovery, and reach a new enlightened sense of excitement and opportunity as a finale.

Popular songs isn’t a stretch for Yo La Tengo, so while there may not be any surprises, it is a regression for them back even further than their last album to when they explored dreamier sequencing.  Their typical epics are included and their strength of particularly making an album sound like a perfect soundtrack to a youthful, but epiphanic road trip is always admirable.  Maybe the album cover of a beat and battered cassette tape is the foreshadowing of the consequence from your next highway revelation with Yo La Tengo.

Rating: 7/10

music revs – sondre lerche – heartbeat radio

Sondre Lerche – Heartbeat Radio – released September 8, 2009 on Rounder Records

After composing a majority of the soundtrack to Dan In Real Life, Norwegian Sondre Lerche has gained some newfound fame from his Hollywood credit.  So he returns with Heartbeat Radio, emitting his daydreamt romanticism once again.  Lerche seems to be most comfortable and natural creating overly sappy tones and repetitive upbeat rhythms, but he does it well enough to not fault him for it.

Title song “Heartbeat Radio” is vexed, almost loathing, but even as such, it is performed with an affection that doesn’t fully comply with its theme.  Nonetheless, it is composed with enough attention to allow listeners to absorb its creative pop melody.   “Words & Music” continues on with dopey love sentiments, going as far as innocently symbolizing a loved one as music.  Even the most impervious cynics have to crack a little at such childlike adornment.  “Goodnight” serenades listeners to sleep to finish off the album by using an accompaniment filled with fragile violin and easy-listening keyboard pieces.

Being maudlin is probably the least of Heartbeat Radio’s concerns.  In fact, it’s its prime attribute.  However, since the album conveys some more bleak themes, the precise composition of the music style is a lot of times irrelevant to the overall LP.  Perhaps Sondre needs to comply with one mode or the other – Disney dew-eyed technique or multi-faceted emotive subject matter.

Rating: 5/10

music revs – kid cudi – man on the moon: the end of day

KiD CuDi – Man on the Moon: The End of Day – released September 15, 2009 on Dream On, G.O.O.D., Universal Motown

This is the most ambitious Hip Hop debut in the past couple years.  Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, has released his anticipated first full length, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, following the hype generated by his mixtape earlier this year, A Kid Named Cudi.  Essentially, this is a concept album based upon Cudi’s cosmic journey spanning five acts, borrowing a page from Bowie, maybe.  His resourcefulness shows too, with such collaborators as Kanye, Common, MGMT, and Ratatat.

It’s very surprising that a lesser-established artist can gain Cudi’s amount of credibility before even putting out an LP, but he retains it.  In songs like “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “Heart of a Lion”, he flexes his lyrical muscles, showing he is able to hold his own when rapping about typical personal issues, such as childhood, mortality, and staying vigorous.  Man on the Moon is not just a Hip Hop album.  Arguably, it is neo-psychedelic, space rock influenced, electro-hop.  So the Ratatat produced tracks, “Alive” and “The Pursuit of Happiness” seem naturally accustomed to the astronomical concept theme.  The latter of the two is actually the third single and features psych-synth pop stars, MGMT, contributing chorus vocals.  “CuDi Zone” also proves he can aggressively flow, impressing those who may have rejected his melancholic smash hit “Day N’ Nite” (the Crookers remix is worth checking out and is available on the deluxe LP). “Up, Up & Away” ends Man on the Moon in the final act with a very optimistic, uplifting beat.  It leaves listeners joyful and wanting more.

Kid Cudi’s debut album is not a joke. It is the kind of hip-hop album that has wide appeal, while still being progressive in the genre.  Its eagerness to force an evolution away from stale beats will inspire.  The collaborators and producers clearly had much to do with that.  The only major complaints are the ones that emerge strictly because this project strived so much.  At times, tracks seemed to not entirely fit in with the celestial premise, but more to include crowd pleasers.  Thus, lyric topics are often the same individual laments heard in mainstream Hip Hop (albeit Cudi seems more existentially tormented than most).  With that said, Man on the Moon: The End of Day is indeed a leap for a genre in need of a revival and Kid Cudi delivers a stellar adventure and album to hopefully jumpstart it.

Rating: 8/10