Hurry, we forgot to put this out!
Quick! Stop reading this!
(One to catch up on: newcomer Jade Alston’s excellent Searching)
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Thankfully, it’s an episode to savour with two brand new contributions from series favourite Frank Ocean, in addition to a couple of other noteworthy artists getting involved. Three to catch up on from the week gone by, with Novel dropping off a bumper 19-track project, Teyana Taylor also getting in the mixtape hunt with her newest effort, and the second episode of our other weekly series, Sh*t You Forgot About. Head below.
Four to catch up on from this week, with the video for Usher’s Climax dropping earlier, Labrinth letting loose an all-star remix, an excellent remix of Drake’s Cameras, and the debut of our Sh*t You Forgot About series, featuring tracks from recent years that you may have forgotten about or missed entirely. Click on below for this week’s instalment.
I hope there is more of the track, as it’s a fantastic little slow jam that reminds everyone just how good this guy is. The guitar-laced production has a real Maxwell vibe about it, and Frank supplies his trademark excellence with the vocals, going so far as to double-layer his vocals for a very striking and effective first half. The second half brings out a softer approach that will absolutely melt listeners, as Frank comes through with his most ‘R&B’ delivery to date in that section, proving he can quite easily adjust to a more ‘textbook’ style where necessary.
To satisfy that requirement, Indi and myself have compiled 5 moments (we use that term loosely, as many/most of them aren’t exact moments) that we feel accurately represent and summarise 2011 from our collective perspective. As expected, we’ve cheated in places by grouping certain things together, but I’m sure you’ll all see its for the greater good. Or, alternatively, you’ll understand that we do it because we feel like it. As per every year, many of you will agree, many will disagree but frankly we’re glad you have an opinion and would love to hear it. Without further ado, click on to see the moment(s) that kick off our top 5 countdown.
It’s only a short effort at just under 2 minutes but is full of the originality and verve that makes Frank’s tracks so irresistably unique. Of course, that’s largely down to his superb command over melodies, and here he injects a raw, emotional style into the simple, open lyricism that makes for a passionate blend, without ever straying far from his naturally laidback nature. An enjoyable burst of music, and Frank Ocean fans will love this.
A decent number of posts to catch up on from the week gone by: very enjoyable new visuals from Cherri Prince, an excellent blend of jazz, soul and more from the ReGeneration project, a review of Florence + The Machine’s latest album, and finally two mixtapes from Trey Songz, the first a more hip-hop styled effort, and the other the sequel to his excellent Anticipation R&B mixtape. Click below for this week’s box of healthy, nutritious musical snacks.
Nothing to recap on from the week gone by, so go ahead and treat yourself by clicking below and gorging yourself on the treats within. The beauty of some videos is that no matter how sure you are of your interpretation, inevitably there will be a fleet of alternative perceptions. Directed by the esteemed Nabil, the video opens in very strange circumstances that immediately blend reflection and oddity together, and that combination continues as Frank drives on lonely roads whilst having flashbacks to an unusual combination of pleasure and murder. What follows is a shot of his Jordan sneakers: the Eastern outfit is merely a guise, and simply covers what truly lies beneath, almost an entirely opposite outfit. It works to represent the seeming incongruence of the lyrics with the video, as the oft-repeated ‘black suit’ is replaced by orange outerwear and street clothes underneath, driving ‘into the ocean’ is instead driving into the woods and so on. The message here seems to be to strip away that top layer and listen (or look) a little deeper for a message that relates more tightly, or live with the inconsistency of judging from the surface alone. An enjoyable video, and one to watch multiple times to really cement your interpretation. Nostalgia Lite hopefully coming soon. Frank originally provided a demo version for Bridget Kelly, but it looks like the expected course of this track has been altered, with Frank releasing official visuals for what is certainly one of his best tracks to date. The audio itself seems to have been the beneficiary of new backing vocals and mastering too, which suggests that this could find its way to an upcoming project of his. The theme of video is begins in an entirely incongruent style to that of the audio, with a couple struggling with injuries and eerie tribespeople, undoubtedly throwing the viewer off. However, a more related story unravells as the aforementioned scenes are seemingly part of a dream had by a patient Frank is tending to. The ending is equally thought-provoking, as the dream appears instead to be a flashback, as the light/ring is passed on to another loved one. Lots to be deduced from watching this one, and it’s helped by a fantastic audio track. Grab the original version(s) of the track here.
Click below for this week’s injection of harmonic, overly-emotional goodness.
A fairly decent verse too from Wiley as he brings a solid flow with on this bassy production, alongside flashes of quality with his lyrics, although they would have surely benefitted from a more emotional, intense delivery to add some real credence to a few of his more introspective lines. Still, it’s an enjoyable contribution to a fantastic track and certainly doesn’t affect the natural progression and momentum of the track.
Just the two relevant posts to catch up on from the week gone by: Chris Brown teamed up with Game for the latter’s latest video, and Modestep dropped off a monster dubstep/alternative hybrid that’s sure to be a huge hit this summer. Click below for 21 minutes and 24 seconds of R&B/pop therapy.
Three videos to catch up on from the week gone by: Teyana Taylor released a simple visual for her Marvin’s Room remix, Skylar Grey enhanced her burgeoning reputation with a solid video for Dance Without You, and finally Wiz Khalifa collaborated with Cee-Lo for the Bright Lights, Bigger City remix video. Click on for this week’s hamper of audio goodness. First off, good work by Frank and Def Jam on the timing here. They’ve launched this just as the dust was beginning to settle on the whirlwind buzz surrounding Frank, and right on the heels of his superb contribution to Tyler, The Creator’s latest single. It’s fair to say that getting some full-length visuals from Frank (this video doesn’t count) was much needed, and he’s delivered with a solid effort. Grabbing esteemed director Nabil Elderkin (Welcome To Heartbreak, Grenade etc.), Frank adopts a simple yet extremely effective tactic by slowly making the viewer experience the drug trip he so harmonically sings about. The video starts with a relatively unexciting shot of Frank lighting up, and gradually fills with apparitions of nights gone by, eventually reaching the realm of sheer fantasy and delusion. It’s most graphically signified in the distortions his face goes through, as its ‘malleability’ becomes somewhat more apparent as the video progresses (at a few points, he looks identical to Kanye). Very much worth a watch for staying true to the audio, and encasing it in an engaging and visually effective package. Re-release of Nostalgia/ultra due out July 26th. I actually deleted half of Tyler’s overhyped Goblin. Maybe I didn’t get it? I figured he’s clearly a talented individual (his videography demonstrates his creativity extends beyond purely audio) but with several lazily produced tracks and interludes on Goblin I hope someone can harness this innovation into something more ‘complete’ for his next project, Wolf in 2012. This video is the best thing about the song (one which didn’t remain on my Hitachi). Tyler, credited as director for the visuals here, crafts a comical yet in-depth story to compliment the lyrics and each verse is portrayed with three very differing scenes allowing Tyler to display his alter-ego Wolf Hayley on numerous occasions. What’s also interesting to note on this is the obvious increased budget the OFWGKTA frontman is afforded here. Let’s see what he comes up with next. Side note: I hear recently he’s also going to appear on Game’s R.E.D. Make of that what you will. Seemingly out of nowhere, the (somewhat reclusive) man-of-the-moment Frank Ocean comes through with some visuals for a track that preceded but didn’t quite make his nostalgia, ULTRA project. It’s a superb track too, with a simple piano melody being turned into an atmospheric, wintery track by Frank’s harmonic, passionate and ultimately addictive vocals. Lyrically it’s decent too, with the opening verse running through the differing tastes of himself and his lady of interest, whilst the second verse has a more emotional vibe. The video is suitably offbeat, with a dim tint effect giving the video a dark, contemplative feel, adding to the isolation of empty roads the car travels. Frank gets some much-needed camera time too, and this is a very fitting video for an enjoyable track. Track can be grabbed here.
As it’s a milestone episode, it felt like the right decision to award Frank Ocean the honour of representing this occasion. I can hear your outrage: ‘why not a staple of the episodes, like Lloyd or Usher?’. Well, we like to look forward, and frankly (sorry) I feel he’s really going to dominate this series for the next 100 episodes, and deservedly so. Click below for your regular weekly instalment: two days late, in keeping with tradition! I’ve also got a little extra something to celebrate the occasion coming shortly after this…
Very interesting lineup in this week’s episode, with man-of-the-moment Frank Ocean lining up alongside such current luminaries as Chris Brown, Trey Songz and many more. No throwback this week as there has been quite a chunk of new material to get through, but there’s lots of good stuff to get into regardless. Click below to collect your winnings.
I’m pretty huge on this guy right now (along with many others), and this (Nintendo) 64-track compilation (yep, 64!) should hopefully satisfy our desires for more Frank material. It should certainly be interesting to see how his style has evolved too: considering how refined his sound seems to be, it’ll be a very enjoyable experience seeing how that artistic development has happened.
On the strength of the tracks I’ve heard thus far, it’s evident Frank would have made it with or without the Odd Future buzz. He’s got a brilliantly smooth voice, and clearly has an adaptability that belies his relative inexperience: Swim Good was a more R&B/pop-driven track, whereas this is an acoustic/alternative track that will most certainly find a home in the playlists of a really diverse set of fans. A soft guitar backdrop weaves with his voice brilliantly to highlight his emotion, and turn the spotlight to his fantastic vocal and lyrical work, as well as his ability to write a great hook. Complete stamp of approval here, don’t miss this.
The dark lyricism is still there in parts, but he’s got a very relaxing style, and clearly has an ear for a melody as he comes through with some memorable vocals that suggest Odd Future may just have an even bigger, more diverse (odder?) future than any of us could have predicted. Dave comes through with some solid raps to round off the track nicely, complimenting Frank’s vocals well and showcasing his own versatility well. Wouldn’t recommend missing this, very melodic and thoughtful stuff. Grab the track below, and/or get the full nostalgia, ultra mixtape here. |
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