Album review: Tyler, the Creator -- Goblin

Read my original review here
Tyler, the Creator has rapidly turned into the infamous face of 2011 - he's everywhere. If he's not gracing the cover of the NME, crown and all, stating, in no polite terms, that he "doesn't give a shit about the royal weddin"', he's being thrown into a cell by LA police for disturbing the peace, or overseeing a riot at an autograph signing.

The Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All hip-hop pack figurehead put blogs into a spin last year with his articulate, breath-of-fresh-air underground debut Bastard (which featured one of 2010's best tracks - 'French'), and the collective's media stock has soared this year thanks to the incredible performance of 'Sandwitches' by Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats on Jimmy Fallon's US chat show, and the bizarre story surrounding the whereabouts of youngest member Earl Sweatshirt - prompting shouts of 'Free Earl Sweatshirt' at every Odd Future/Tyler appearance.

If Tyler, the Creator was one hell of a bastard last year, he's evolved into a grotesque goblin in 2011 - and he doesn't care. His confidence knows no bounds in Goblin and he constantly pushes the limits of taste and morality throughout. Bastard's quirky interplay between Tyler, the Creator and his therapist returns in Goblin, and it provides a disturbing insight into the messed-up, self-loathing young man's fragile mind. Although portrayed as the dialogue between the pair, it plays out as if Tyler, the Creator is wrestling between the good and bad sides of his conscience - Tyler, the Creator acts the devil, but the therapist takes the angelic role.

Goblin's brilliance is Tyler, the Creator's uncompromising ability to throw all taboos, stereotypes, prejudices and bigotry into the mix and literally fuck them up. It's chock-full of shocking moments, like Tyler, the Creator's urge to repeatedly stab whiny pin-up Bruno Mars in the oesophagus in the wonderfully addictive 'Yonkers', or in the horrifying, synthy 'Tron Cat'. He should be sectioned for a lyric like "Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome".

The confrontational 'Radicals' - an anthem for all angst-ridden teens across the planet - starts with a humorous random disclaimer which jokingly pleads with listeners to take the messages in the song with a pinch of salt. But with a chorus like 'KILL PEOPLE, BURN SHIT, FUCK SCHOOL" it's easy to see why his autograph signing turned into a mob riot. The up-tempo horror show 'Transylvania' follows a similar misogynistic premise as The Pharcyde's classic '4 Better of 4 Worse', but Tyler, the Creator douses a fresh dose of vitriol all over it as he pulls out the hook: "It's because I'm Dracula bitch/Don't got a problem smacking a bitch/Kidnapping, attacking, with axes and shit".

Technically, Tyler, the Creator is a solid, if unspectacular rapper -he admits this in opener Goblin - but he's creative and his style is alluring and clear. Obviously, Tyler, the Creator's lyrics are designed to create controversy and provoke reaction; and it worked this week as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation slammed his lyrics as inciting homophobia and containing violent misogyny. There's no denying they are correct, but you cannot see Tyler, the Creator putting his lyrics into practice - otherwise he would have been locked up years ago.

If you're easily offended, it's best to avoid Goblin, but if you can flick your PC switch off for an hour, you'll immerse yourself in a warped, daring and sometimes brilliant, trip through the darkest depths of Tyler, the Creator's mind. Tyler, the Creator and OFWGKTA have given a stale hip hop genre a fresh injection of controversy and hype not seen since the days of Eminem. While it seems unlikely they will attain the wealthy heights of Jay-Z and the ilk, their creativity, their passion for relevancy, and desire to connect with youth through Twitter and social mediums easily spawned a hardened band of devotees, and rightfully transformed them into underground idols.

If anything, Goblin proves an exciting period lies ahead for hip hop as this motley crew attempts to regain the genre's lost prestige and rebuild the devalued foundations laid by their rap ancestors.

LIVE: Swimming at Dot to Dot 2011, Bristol, Fleece

SWIMMING'S exciting melange of kaleidoscopic melodies and gorgeous soundscapes washed over the Fleece crowd at Saturday's Dot to Dot 2011 festival.
Luminous Plectrum's Rory McKeown put his trunks on and immersed himself in Swimming's vibrant performance - arguably this blog's highlight of the day.
We captured part of the midlands five-piece's opening track before our Flip camera ran out of battery.
Boo.

Album review: Fleet Foxes -- Helplessness Blues

I’M not ashamed to admit (ok maybe a little) the Fleet Foxes gave me one of those cringeworthy ‘zen-like moments’ driving my car the other day -you know the situations where everything just seems perfect at that very second?
It was a gloriously sunny day and, driving my car along a country road, my surroundings were awash with strikingly beautiful daffodils in bloom at either side of the road, swamping the landscape.
Radio 1 DJ Greg James introduced new single Battery Kinzie and the rest is history.
It was just so right.
Not only did my drivers’ arm glow from the sun’s rays, but my soul basked in the glorious interference-damaged tones emitting from the muffled speakers.
Anyway, now we’ve put that self-indulgent drivel to one side, I’m pleased to proclaim Fleet Foxes’ second full-length Helplessness Blues is a revelation, building one 2008’s wonderful self-titled effort and reaffirming their status as folk’s pin-ups – a tough ask after producing such a critically acclaimed debut.
The glorious opener Montezuma is a welcomed summer’s wake-up call thanks to frontman Robin Pecknold’s soothing vocals and tricking guitar melody, and the enormous Battery Kinzie is a daring horseback ride across a vast valley of decadent drums and epic backing vocals.
Modern folk hymn Helplessness Blues grows from a campfire sing-a-long to a superlative biopic of a hardworking man’s struggle to pass through life as best as he can, penetrating the heartstrings with each decisive strum.
Penknold’s alluring voice is at its spine-tingling best in the icecap-melting crooner Someone You’d Admire, and is tested to the limit in the seven-minute opera of The Shrine/An Argument; a dizzying country anthem of biblical proportions.
You’ll be pushed hard to find many low points on Helplessness Blues but The Cascades, the album’s shortest inclusion, though a delightful insight into the band’s faultless musicianship, almost becomes a parody of the famous banjo scene in Deliverance, and Lorelai tries its best not to drag, but fails to touch the album’s sky-high standards.
In 2008, Fleet Foxes’ blend of warm rootsy guitars and Pecknold’s limitless, smouldering vocals, gave the alt-folk genre a welcomed boost, and became a staple inclusion to coffee house soundtracks across the globe.
Three years on, their formula has remained largely the same – retaining its instantly likeable rustic, organic and raw quality.
For Fleet Foxes to achieve regular radio airplay, sell hundreds of thousands of records and reach our to millions of listeners was arguably the last thing they expected, but Helplessness Blues, based on the success of their debut, should propel them to stadium-filling status in no time.

RIP TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith

PITCHFORK is reporting tonight that TV on the Radio's bassist Gerard Smith has died after a battle with lung cancer.
TVOTR have issued a statement on their website.
Sad news.

Arctic Monkeys turn into Black Rebel Motorcycle Club circa 2003 for new song

Oh dear.
It's like Arctic Monkeys rediscovered Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's sophomore effort Take Them On, On Your Own.
The rather drab Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair is on the band's fourth album, Suck It and See, out on June 6.
And here's the artwork...
Right....

Album review: The Vaccines -- What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

OUR friends across the Atlantic have been blessed with a stellar roster of guitar bands capable of creating colossal works of thrilling pop music.
Throughout the past decade, the land of the free has berthed The Walkmen, The National, The Strokes etc – mouth-watering acts capable of thrusting six-strings to the forefront of their unrivalled sound.
Now it’s the UK’s turn to topple the American behemoths in the form of The Vaccines – albeit ten years late.
The London-based four-piece, who only formed less than a year ago, have been touted as saviours of the UK indie scene by the likes of NME, the BBC and Clash magazine – similar to the soup of excitement served up for the Arctic Monkeys. Back in 2005, Monkeys lead singer Alex Turner exclaimed “don’t believe the hype” at the beginning of the video for breakout single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. Thankfully, the frenzy surrounding the Sheffield scallywags was justified. Debut album Whatever You Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not provided a humorous mouth-piece of post-teen life in everyday scenarios that listeners could connect with.
But can The Vaccines’ What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (note the similar quirky album title) dive into hyperbole and emerge with their early promise in tact?
Well, it depends on what you were really expecting. If you yearned for 30+ minutes of occasionally stimulating, hook-driven indie pop, this is the album for you. If you thought you’d found the UK’s version of The Strokes or The Walkmen, prepare to be disappointed.
The Vaccines are at their best when making anthems perfect for beered-up football terraces.
Riotous opener Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) is fantastic; an urgent 80-second blast thumping drums and punk-driven, distorted guitar melodies, while front man Justin Young screams from the roof tops.
If You Wanna continues Wreckin’ Bar’s energy, forming a galloping pop number on the tribulations of a failing relationship, and its catchy chorus “If you wanna come back, it’s alright” instantly infiltrates the mind, while bouncy pop-punk Norgaard resurrects the much-missed The Rakes with its energetic strumming and candid lyrics on the fairer sex.
The Vaccines are also a dab hand at ploughing through shoegazey epics, such as the grandiose Blow It Up and the dizzying All In White.
But what stops The Vaccines from breaking through the ceiling of mediocrity is their inconsistency. For every catchy pop track (Wreckin’ Bar, If You Wanna), there’s dreary filler (Wetsuit, Under Your Thumb).
Also, Young clearly has the talent to unleash his emotions and inner-most feelings onto paper in some tracks, but in others the lyrics seem rushed and half-hearted.
Post Break-Up Sex is a song that should reflect the fragile, mind-fuck of break-ups; the insecurity, the fear, the sorrow, the sense of loss – we’ve all been there. Yeah, the lyrics are on par (I can barely look at you, don’t tell me who you lost it to/Didn’t we say we had a deal? Didn’t I say how bad I feel?). Unfortunately, the end result here is dry, insipid and rarely goes above second gear.
There’s no denying WDYEFTV? is a solid, if uninspiring debut, but the hype surrounding The Vaccines and regular mainstream airplay will ensure success, regardless of how good the music is.
So I guess the question that needs to be asked is “what can we expect from The Vaccines future?” Hopefully an album of consistent quality, either consistently great or consistently shit. Either way, it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to write about.

A typical Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All post

Swaaaaag.
IT’S been a manic week on the announcements front for post-rap, hot-on-everyone’s-tongues sensations Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All .
First, underground blog Altered Zones premiered Toro y Moi’s sinister-yet-stripped down remix of Tyler, the Creator’s French – the stand-out slab of in-your-face anger from last year’s critically-acclaimed Bastard.
And a little while later, AZ’s sister site Pitchfork announced MellowHype signed to label Fat Possum, while reporting the remastered version of BlackenedWhite will be released this summer.
Luminous Plectrum believes the future is odd, very odd.

Listen: Tyler, The Cretor -- French (Toro y Moi remix)

....and why not check out Odd Future's first live TV performance on US chat show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. It's awesome.