Albums I Adore (and Why You Should Too!): The Good, the Bad, and the Queen

     Welcome, one and all, to the fourth edition of Albums I Adore, talking and raving over the albums that are very near and dear to me. This episode, I'm covering another Damon Albarn masterwork, his 2007 album The Good, the Bad, and the Queen. This album comes from a supergroup of Damon on vocals, Simon Tong of The Verve on guitar, Paul Simonon from The Clash on bass, and afrobeat master Tony Allen working the drums. The group doesn't technically even have a name, since according to Simonon "names are for a marriage." Nethertheless, record companies, concert organizers and fans alike call the band by the name of their album. This album has roots in 2004, the same year the Demon Days recording sessions started, as Damon Albarn took a trip to Nigeria. he recorded with Tony Allen, who he recently started a partnership with recording in London several days a week before the trip, alongside Simon Tong who had just finished touring with Blur as a replacement for Graham Coxon on guitar. Along with them for the ride was producer Danger Mouse, a man who would become from my perspective very important to the album's sound, having been working with Albarn on Demon Days around the same time. The dark atmosphere of Demon Days would have a very lingering effect on this project, but we'll get to that later. Soon enough after the trip, Paul Simonon was played the demos by Damon and agreed to join the project, even if all those demos were scrapped to start over. After Demon Days had finished production, this new project was marching along before releasing Herculean as a single in 2006 and their album a few months after that. These recordings led to what I would consider Damon's best album that he has ever made. The album was described as being another dark concept album coming off of Demon Days, a "mystery play about London" and its people in times of violence, melancholy, longing and hopelessness. The London protrayed here, very much unlike the London described on Parklife and Modern Life is Rubbish from Blur, is one ravaged by wars that go nowhere and tidal waves sweeping people away. It's much less idyllic in the portrayal, one much more wrapped up in current events. This type of landscape is where our story begins...

1. History Song - This first track acts as a perfect opener to the album. It's very dark, moody and most importantly very foreboding. The track also works as not just the opening act, if you wanna think off this album as a narrative, but also on its own as a warning to people. "If you don't know it now, then it will do..." demonstrates that bad things can happen to the people who don't have an understanding of history and the wrongdoings of the past, becoming unable to prevent tragedies from occurring or even being an active participant in these activities. I really love those last few seconds as the drums and piano wind down, and the line "Sunday's lost in melancholy" works as a perfect metaphor for the London that gets described in this album.

2. 80's Life - It seems the most natural song to come after a warning to people who don't know their past would be a look into the past! I imagine this song as looking through this black and white film reel of a very idealistic view of the London of a different time. In terms of melody, it certainly does feel like one of the lightest on the album, covering up its dark lyricism. Damon says that the light has all gone dead, that everything is absolutely hopeless. Comfort is found in the sound of police sirens flying by before other tracks bring us back into darkness. The subject of war gets made loud and clear here and throughout the album, as Damon hopes for a world without endless war. This song is absolutely lovely, and its another track where I love the winding down at the very end here as well, a compliment that will extend to multiple tracks on the record.

3. Northern Whale - This song sounds like one of several tracks that sound like it could fit well at home with the catalog of Gorillaz. The synth work and pianos working together feel like something that would be right at home with D-Sides alongside tracks like Highway (Under Construction.) Tony Allen gets shafted for a drum machine here, but damn the beeps and boops of the synths here really pick up the slack here alongside the drum machine programmed by James Dring. This lyrics are about a whale who got stuck in the Thames River in 2006, whereas before the album it had been a love song towards Damon's partner Suzi as she went on a trip to Antarctica. This is also the first track to really bring tidal waves and water imagery into play on the album, which get brought up several times throughout the album.

4. Kingdom of Doom - The lyrics have some of the best imagery on the albums. I can truly picture ravens flying overhead a dingy bar filled with people drinking to ease away the pain of endless war while the band plays on a makeshift stage within. I especially like the piano work chugging along throughout. Really love the hook too. This was brought back alongside Three Changes on Damon's 2014 solo tour and I truly hope it can be brought back for any concerts for the upcoming The Good, the Bad and the Queen record for just how much fun everyone seems to have playing it. I totally get why this one has become a highlight for many people that listened to the album.

5. Herculean - A large part of the reason I even wanted to make this review in the first place was to talk about just how much I absolutely LOVE Herculean. First, I really dig the megaphone effect Damon is using here. This vocal trick certainly isn't new, he's been using it since Oily Water on Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish, although it's become synonymous with Gorillaz specifically for me now. It definitely adds to the atmosphere of this song I think. It's parts like that that make me feel like 2D is singing here in place of Damon Albarn, something that stretches across the entire album. It feels like 2D is taking a journey across the UK and seeing just how destroyed his home country is emotionally and making comments on them. I can also really feel like I'm actually in London with the narrator (2D or Damon or whoever) walking past the gasworks or looking out the window to seeing people's daily routines. I also want to use this song as a prime example of just how Danger Mouse's production adds to the album as a whole. The production here felt very layered and crisp. The static of the megaphone really meshes well with the keyboards and synths, which really works well with the drum machine and Simon Tong's guitar at the beginning. It's the type of production that encourages repeat listens to pick up on all the little details. The last two minutes of this track have to be Damon Albarn's finest moment in my eyes. After the second verse, the song descends into this heavenly outro where Damon's oohs are crushed behind the overpowering synths, the drum machine and the amazing choir work. The string section here provided by Demon Strings, who also worked on Demon Days, gels nicely with everything here too, even if they aren't as noticeable in the studio version as they are in the incredible live version. The outro helps to make this song work both as an incredible single and as the centerpiece to this album, as this outro feels like I have ascended to some higher plane of existence and I'm looking over London as it turns itself to hell. This track alone is proof enough that this is Damon's A-game in every aspect, lyrically and musically. It helps that Danger Mouse makes it sound like the best Demon Days track that never made it to the album.

6. Behind the Sun -  Speaking of Demon Days, this is another gem that I think could have worked well on that album, thanks to the presence of the megaphone-style effect, the wind sampling and the keyboards. I absolutely love how harmoniously Demon Strings and the keyboards work well together here. I really like the chorus for this one too, it's super pretty! The chorus also makes this song feel like it's taking a look back in time and comparing that to how the state of things is now, "looking at the people we've become" compared to that time far gone, "to the place where you played when you were young." Absolutely wonderful.

7. The Bunting Song - Now you may be asking "Well what exactly is bunting?" ...Or was that just me? I honestly didn't know until Damon Albarn pointed out what it was before a live performance of this track. As I've come to learn, bunting is this form of fabric often made into decorations for different occasions. It's often made into little triangle flags, like the bunting used at the live shows for this album, but they can come in a variety of styles and colors. Onto the track itself, it's another one with this really cool outro that only completes the sort of imagery I have in my head when listening to this thing. Kinda like the intro on Demon Days, I find myself imagining being in a haunted forest in the dead of night, searching around for something. This time around however, this expedition feels less horrifying and dark and more mystical in a sense. The pitch black skies I imagine from the Gorillaz track are replaced by rich purple hues. I imagine trees lined with bunting all around me as "the wild things" described in the song perform some kind of festival or holy ritual. As the traveler you don't quite get what's going on but you're so entranced by the experience that you don't dwell on it too much. It's a magical experience of a track, really.

8. Nature Springs - Tony Allen is at his finest on this track. While the album in general uses him very sparingly, when he is used it's awesome, this song being no exception. His drumming has a very nice groove to it that keeps this song afloat nicely. The outro also has to be one of my favorite moments from the album for just how perfectly every aspect comes together. Damon has this really good whistling section that comes in alongside a very solid Demon Strings performance, Tony's stable drumming and Paul Simonon's deep basslines, another one of my favorite parts of the track. Simon again has a really good part that blends in well to the track to make this all in all and outstanding performance from everybody in the group.

9. A Soldier's Tale - After the big outro of Nature Springs comes the quieter, stripped back sound of A Soldier's Tale. This album is filled with beauty, and this song in particular is absolutely beautiful! I adore the acoustic guitar here as Damon weaves a charming poem of a soldier and his thoughts and emotions during wartime, tying in nicely to the last track. There's also a hint of what's to come from Damon's solo work in one lyric, noting how "emptiness in computers" bothers him. Damon's solo album seven years after this one would tackle the relationships between man and technology at several points in that album. The whistling section in this one is really well done and adds to the track's atmosphere, as it did on Nature Springs. I love this song for just how calming and peaceful it sounds, it's almost like a really atmospheric adult lullaby!

10. Three Changes - I would like to thank Danger Mouse in particular for this track being on the album at all. He took a look at three different demos the band had made and somehow sown them all together into a very coherent whole. In part one, Damon describes the violence that has only increased in this very hectic form of London while Tony makes his mark on the track with his very prominent drumming alongside the organs and horns. Simon's guitar has this loud crunch to it that it has nowhere else on the album to really add to the madness, like it's becoming just as violent as the residents of London are. Part two slows things down a notch before racketing back up for part three. In terms of imagery here, I imagine this song as being in this dangerous graveyard where people passing by it become much more prone to random acts of violence, but unlike the last interaction a Damon Albarn project had in a spooky graveyard the band acts more as observers of this bizarre phenomenon than trying to fight it off.

11. Green Fields -  We're in the home stretch of the album, as the violence has started to subside leaving only a man to their thoughts. Back to that imagery I love so much, I imagine a return back to the bar from Kingdom of Doom after noticing the late night phenomenon of the last track, where the narrator is back on the bottle and reminiscing about London and how the violence that spread in Three Changes had come to rest, leaving behind a hometown that seems unrecognizable from what it once was, the "green fields" that "turn into stone." War, the environment, and violence has destroyed London, maybe even for good. Not all seems lost, however. The ravens flying across the moon have begun to rest as Damon sings of needing only destiny and dreams. Musically, Simon Tong really steals the show here, I love his steady guitar work and how he can really show off in the outro and chorus. I just adore how raw the guitar sound sounds here. Now the narrator leaves this pub, tired and broken looking back at the state of his home. But what does he see when he steps outside?

12. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The man sees a sunrise, coming out of the clouds and judging all the satellites. People are starting to rekindle their relationships, the morning is calm and quiet and the narrator feels more alive than ever. There's the realization that despite all the troublesome times, despite the disputes and disasters, there will always be a younger generation who will be right on the front lines to combat injustice while many continue to work and play as they usually do. Maybe this whole experience wasn't quite the apocalyptic scenario it was built up to be. Because at the end of the day, there always will be a sun shining overhead. London will keep marching on. Also this is the best album closer I have ever heard from a Damon Albarn album (next to maybe Souk Eye.) This song works in a similar way to Demon Days' title track, a reminder that things won't be all so bad in the end, that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel to look forward too. I feel like any words i say cannot express just how powerful this ending feels, especially with how much the music does the talking here. The rest of this album has very powerful lyrics and haunting slow tracks to back them up. This track is a much faster and more upbeat affair to the rest of the album. Every single member fires on all cylinders as I feel wrapped up in warmth and light in over four minutes of pure power after the lyrics rest. While everyone in the group is at their A-game, I gotta give a shout out to Damon on the piano here. You can just hear the passion and feel the emotion on those keys. It's such a satisfying conclusion to this utterly fantastic album.


     So this is my favorite album ever, so it feels really damn good to just have my thoughts out there in a long-form format. It's for works like these that motivated me to even make the very blog you're reading right now. It feels refreshing to be able to flesh out my thoughts on the things that I love without having to conform to character limits. As long as I can write, i can feel fulfilled. Thank you for reading and I'll see you soon. Maybe the next post won't be about music, I'll be finding something else to tackle.

Albums I Adore (and Why You Should Too!): Gorillaz - Demon Days

Welcome to the third edition of a series where I talk about the albums I keep coming back to, ones I hold in high regard and are the best of the best. I can keep these records on repeat and never get tired of them. Last time, I had covered the latest Gorillaz album, The Now Now. This time we're stepping back into the animated band's universe for another go, this time for their sophmore outing (and magnum opus) Demon Days. It's certainly a grimmer affair compared to the summery Now Now or their debut album. Compared to the self-titled debut, everything also feels grander. It has more complex production, smoother animated music videos and boasting a larger guest list to match. The ideas and setting in place is also much grander than anything showrunner Damon Albarn had accomplished. Does the album crumble under this much more ambitious angle? Well look at the title of this post, that might tell you something. On to the track by track!

1. Intro - YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE HARMONIC REALM! I would love to see anyone propose a better way to start off an album. Seriously, I'm up for any and all challengers. This intro feels like a walk through a vicious hellscape. Just imagine that it's the middle of the night, and you're walking through a forest. This forest isn't like any you've seen before. The trees are all dead, the sky is grey and lifeless, and it's filled with demons crawling out of any corner. They are not quite on the attack but lurking patiently with their hateful eyes lusting for a chance to strike. It's perfect for setting the mood!

2. Last Living Souls - This album has just begun and already one of my favorite tracks from this band's entire discography shows up! The wind sample from the intro crossfades here very nicely as this track expands on the feeling of traversing upon a hellish land. I love it when the acoustic guitar kicks in towards the middle of the track and the piano works so well underlaying it before that amazing string section kicks in. It all feels just so natural and the production so layered as the strings continue on into a reprise of the hook.  I am floored every time I listen to it, and I just stop doing whatever else I am doing when I'm listening to it just to take this track in. This is a song that encaptures you into the broken, jaded disaster of a world the album takes place in and promises to not let go. This paired with the instrumental intro is everything needed to prepare oneself for this experience, and it does this in such a captivating way.

3. Kids With Guns  - One of the best basslines on the record is right here! Demon Days was a record made with the troubles of modern day society clearly in mind, as this tackles the violence seen in everyday life. The Columbine shooting was no doubt on Damon Albarn's mind as he wrote this tune of guns "turning us into monsters." Desire is a powerful thing, and it can turn even the cleanest of human minds into destructive beings, both for themselves and the people around them. This track drills into you by its chorus that desire can lead people down violent paths, even the youngest and most fragile among us. I love the huge explosion of a crescendo this song undertakes in the last minute too, but it will not be the last of its kind on the album.

4. O Green World - Can this be the theme song for that new Swamp Thing TV series that's coming out? But in all seriousness, this is Demon Days leaning on alt-rock, as the guitars twang along to 2D crooning about the polluted, deserted environment he finds himself within. It's another great piece that helps to truly flesh out the setting. This world is dirty, distorted, lacking of purpose as it screams to be cleaned up and brought back to a better place. I really dig the synths kicking it up a notch more and more as the song reaches its dramatic conclusion, changing up from noise to loneliness with only the lone bell playing.

5. Dirty Harry - In true Gorillaz fashion, it seems like it's time to bring in collaborators. While those last three tracks were 2D by his lonesome, with the exception of some backing vocals in the end of Kids With Guns, here in the album is where the collabs really come to the spotlight. This track is also one of the most explicit in its politics, with Bootie Brown's reference to George W. Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech. May 1, 2003 was when Bush made an announcement signaling what was supposed to be the end of the Iraq war. Little did the world know on that day that the war was far, far from over. Two years on from that speech, leaves Bootie Brown playing the role of a soldier who feels like he's been played for a fool and wants to return to his normal life. The use of the children's choir works nicely alongside 2D and I'm pretty fond of the catchy synthwork here. This song helps to ground Demon Days back to earth, to keep it feeling integrated with our reality.

6. Feel Good Inc. - HAHAHAHAHAHA! This was my first exposure to Gorillaz, as had been the case for many around my age. My oldest sister played this track a lot on her computer back when the song was popular, and I heard it blaring on radios all the time during the mid-2000's. The music video was also immensely familiar to me when I first got into the band and watched all the videos, even if I'm not exactly sure how I saw it. Maybe they played it back when The N used to play music videos in-between shows? Was it online or on MTV? However I came across it, Feel Good Inc. became the first thing that many think of when they think of Gorillaz or even Damon Albarn or De La Soul. Mainstream radio isn't wrong in liking this though, this song is great! The transition is seemless between alt-rock and hip-hop, the bassline is sick, 2D is in top-form vocally and De La Soul pulls off a great performance as well.  There's a great hook and the laughing feels like the perfect addition, because it helps add to that oppressive vibe the track has. As a centerpiece to the album, it's just about perfect. And who do I have to pay to get a flying windmill island of my own?

7. El Manana - Best track on the album by far, and it's in my top 10 favorite Gorillaz songs (maybe I should post that somewhere?) It's a stunning piece of chamber pop and I'm really into how the string section accentuates the track. It feels kind of like a preview, alongside the next track, of the musical direction of The Good, The Bad, and the Queen that was recorded after the sessions for this album and released almost two years later.  The odd time signatures make this track very feel unique. I really love the imagery that this song creates, one of stormy days and loneliness, of long nights of self-reflection, finding yourself trapped in thoughts and feeling lost and powerless. It envokes a man who's lost something, or everything he held dear, preying to some higher power and hoping to restore happiness or a sense of well-being to their life. It's truly a masterpiece that deserves to be mentioned among the greats in the animated group's career, and Danger Mouse's finest work on the record.

8. Every Planet We Reach is Dead - First of all, is this the best Gorillaz song name or what? The title feels like it would be for some post-apocalyptic psychological horror sci-fi film that becomes a cult megahit after doing mediocre in the box office that everyone who's seen it says that everyone else "just didn't get it." This is also the best use of the string section on this album, because they add so much gravity to this track, making it feel otherworldly and even theatrical. Ike Turner's piano feels very sporadic and the synths unorganized, leaving in its wake a cacophony that can be heard out in SPACE SPACE SPACE SPACE. It feels grand, it feels bold, it feels chaotic, and it feels fascinating. This is 2D baring his soul for what's left of the world to see. I can truly bask in this song's emotion, get myself lost in its world as I am swept up in its world. It gives me chills, lots of chills.

9. November Has Come - MF DOOM. That is All.

Ok, maybe that can't be it, right? Of any of the guests here, MF DOOM dominates the track he is on the most. With his staple flow and odd lyricism, he makes his presence on the album known without compromising anything. There's some pretty nice guitar here from Noodle and 2D delivers a fine hook, adding to the dark atmosphere, but all other aspects of the track just pale in comparison to DOOM doing what he does best on the track. Everyone's favorite supervillain doesn't disappoint with his dastardly deeds here.

10. All Alone - "I've finally found a place where I can be alllll..... ALONE." 2D takes a backseat here, even moreso than on the last track. Roots Manuva and Martina Topley Bird take up the majority of the track. May I say that Martina's part is heavenly? The hard hitting synth beat ceases, almost like a slew of lights are pointing directly at Martina during her voice as the string section plays and Noodle strums along. It almost feels like there was a faint glimmer of light in this bleak world, before harshly getting pulled away from it before the listener gets too comfortable basking within it and finding themselves trapped in darkness once more. Let's not forget the other collaborator, Roots Manuva. His bars are nothing short of passionate and fit really nicely into the groove from the synths. He's definitely one of the best performers on the record for sure.

11. White Light - So I read this comic a month or so ago called Buzzkill. It was a miniseries about a superhero who got his power from abusing drugs and, relevant to this next song, alcohol. This feels like the track that would be going through the main character's head as he fought crime. He became reliant on this alcohol, he needed it to generate his powers, even if it was destroying him. Now it's all I can think of when this song comes on. Otherwise, White Light feels like a throwback of sorts, going back to 1999 when Blur's 13 was released. It was an album that shocked fans, both newer and older. 13 had a sound much heavier, more abrasive and definitely less commercial friendly than anything the Albarn-led quartet had released before. It's sound leaned much more heavily towards punk rock and art rock, mixed with experimentation with keyboards and synths that would eventually lead to the experimentation found on the self-titled Gorillaz album. White Light calls back to this era with its wailing guitars and simplistic synths. It's not too unlike tracks like B.L.U.R.E.M.I. or Battle in a way, it's just given the Danger Mouse touch. It also has another "looking towards the light" moment like All Alone did, as the electric guitar is swapped out for an acoustic one and 2D is replaced by a lovely choir that slows things down for a moment before picking right back up where it started. The band is all around sounding great here, with Russel's pounding drums and Murdoc's bass sliding alongside.

12. DARE - I guess this album needed more singles? DARE encourages you to get up and dance along like Noodle is in the very well animated music video for it. It's an odd switch from the punk rock of White Light and an even weirder transition to the next track I'll be talking about, but that doesn't mean it doesn't serve a purpose. It's a lighter song on the album, one where you don't quite feel like you're trapped in the gloom and doom of a deserted dystopia even as the catchy lyrics might be saying something about peer pressure. It's got a pretty OK chorus and an alright instrumental to dance along to. Shaun Ryder is certainly a cool addition and bounces off of Noodle well. It's almost like this song lures you into a sense of comfort before the rag quickly gets taken from under you later on....

13. Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head - The instrumental hits hard on here. I mean REALLY hard. I'm pinning that one on Russel being on his A-game here in possibly his finest moment on the album. Dennis Hopper also completely nails it on the head with his spoken word tale of invaders intruding on peaceful creatures and bringing darkness into their lives. "There were no screams. There was no time. The Mountain called Monkey had spoken. There was only Fire and then... nothing." That line especially is delivered super well. This is one of the more politically charged tracks on the album, except unlike Dirty Harry the relations to the foreign wars for oil and resources is portrayed through tales of strange creatures. 2D after Hopper's last line talks about a small town in the USA to firmly ground the album back into reality. If it didn't before, it will now. Maybe this horrific, violent, polluted world isn't quite a sci-fi premise, but something very near. The demon days are now, in every town in America, and possibly the world at large as it succumbs to darkness. Brilliantly done, Gorillaz.

14. Don't Get Lost in Heaven - Corruption is everyone, and 2D notices it, from the cities to the mountaintops. A choir warns against going too far into the world of addiction, because it might be a world one may never return from, at least not fully intact. The piano is very lovely on here, but this song acts less as an individual chapter in the saga of Demon Days and more as part one of the final track....

15. Demon Days - The crossfade is incredible and every moment of this song is absolutely breathtaking. Never has any piece of music since Kom Susser Tod stirred up so many chills in me, from the beginning strings to 2D's falsetto to the choir in its full intensity to the almost reggae influence in the beat change. This song is brewing with pathos. Everything comes to a head here, all the lessons learned from the album are wrapped up, telling tales of the world becoming worse with each passing day. How does humanity respond to all this horror? They don't. They numb themselves with mindless forms of escapism just for a day, an hour, a minute or even a sliver of a second away from things. If you find distraction, than the realities can become seem much farther away. But maybe, just maybe, it's not too late. What if there's still...hope? Maybe, just maybe, we can turn our heads around and see that there's a light. It's a light that's burning so brightly because it represents all the optimism and goodwill and pride and hope and happiness and humanity that can be found on earth. Even when it seems like the world is so hopeless, maybe we can all just look to the sun, observing just what exactly makes earth so great to begin with, and start to pick up pieces from there. It's a brand new day after all.

It's certainly been a great experience revisiting this album and being able to put my thoughts into words. It's works like these that motivate me to write, so that each and every day I can get just a little bit better, a little bit more wise in my use of words, to be able to truly convey my experiences and even understand myself more in the process. This album is simply a masterpiece that defies all genres and expectations to create something that's still just as groundbreaking and relevant now as it was in 2005, and I will never not be astonished by that fact. I hope that I did this album justice, and that the people who end up stumbling upon my blog who somehow never heard Demon Days do. It's a modern masterpiece of music and animation that cannot be praised more. Thank you for your time.

Circle of Friendz - Human(z?)

Ok, so that was a minute. Haven't made anything resembling a proper blog post with proper structure since June 28th, when I tried cashing in on the hype of The Now Now with my own two cents on the album. Hopefully my writing chops, minimal as they are, haven't gotten weak. Back to business with the Circle of Friendz!

Who is this by? Rag'n'Bone Man
What did he do for Gorillaz? Sung on The Apprentice, found on the deluxe version of Humanz.
When was this released? February 10, 2016
Where was this recorded? somewhere in the UK during 2015-2016
Why is should you listen to this?
Rag'n'Bone is the most recent to the music scene of the artists I have covered thus far. Human is his debut, and so far only, full-length album. He also had some EPs, both solo and with collabs, but this is his first major outing. Damn, is it a great first impression! Speaking of great first impressions, the opening track Human certainly works as one for themes the album comes back to later. It's a song of, simply put, humanity. It's about how the narrator isn't some holy power that everyone can come to thinking that their problems can be solved, getting mad when he gets honest in his responses. This record seems to cycle through different parts of humanity, such has family on the tracks Life in Her Yet and Odetta and death in the tracks Lay My Body and Die Easy. The album seems the most focused on love and relationships, both ones that are failing or have failed like in Fade to Nothing or Skin or relationships that are on smoother waters like As You Are. I think this diversity in subject matter under the very basic premise of an album around humanity works well with the diversity in sound thanks to the several different producers. It all meshes well together for the most part, thanks to the almost divine voice of Rag'n'Bone Man. He's got this really deep, soulful voice that brings with it this power to each track. His vocals nail whatever emotion he's trying to envoke, be it loneliness, hope, anger or anything else. 

I will say however that I'm not big on the track Wolves. It's just an OK track, certainly not one of my favorites on this record but it's not untolerable. I just feel like it's darker sound doesn't quite fit inbetween the smoother sounds from the rest of the album, particularly the two tracks it sandwiches itself inbetween, Lay My Body and Healed. I wouldn't mind seeing Healed and Lay My Body switch places after removing Wolves. Healed could work as a good way to complete a character arc for the narrator, finding a light in darkness and feeling, well, healed! Lay My Body would still work as a reminder that no matter what, all humans have to pass on, some in darker ways than others like a suicide. Healed would be like the Good End to Lay My Body's Bad End, like in a visual novel where two different routes lead to different results. 

Even with this minor setback here, there's still a great album within this. So many great tracks about different parts of the human experience can be found here, and the instrumentals are all strong. Special props goes to Odetta, which gives me some Everyday Robots vibes from its beat (and it almost sounds like 2D is on backing vocals?) The effects on Skin are really cool in the first verse and bridge with that muffled effect to the instrumental. Be the Man is another one of my favorites here, having this really nice beat that doesn't leave your head and a nice message about having faith in a relationship to boot. He may just be a rag and bones, but he certainly has more than enough backbone and support to have a bright future ahead of him in the industry. I'll be cheering him on all the way.

I give Human by Rag'n'Bone Man a 9/10.

It's Freedom Day

Hey Hey It's FREEDOM DAY in the land of the burger that we call America! So how's everyone been doing? Grilling, fireworks (I'll be seeing that movie on saturday!), deep frying things, grilling after deep frying things? Wait shit I dunno if anyone is actually reading this but whatever because IT'S AMERICA DAY and I'm off and I'm doing very american things like watching Teen Titans because somehow I just remembered an hour ago that there was a fourth of july episode of Teen Titans (and I mean the original and not GO but maybe GO has one but I dont care about that right now) and it's called REVOLUTION!!! I had those three exclamation points because they're like the three colors of the flag even though I'm not even using those other two colors because I don't know but blue is cool and the color of cool people such as myself so let's roll with it. So this episode is basically about Mad Mod basically hypnotizes everyone in Jump City to be all British and shit and the ALL AMERICAN ANIME INFLUENCED Teen Titans to start KICKING BRITISH ASS (oh my god can I say that its a cristian blog and i have my parents permission pleas dont tell my mom oh gofd please) I like that this was better than the first Mad Mod episode which was shit other than the montage which was based. Speaking of based this whole episode is about KICKING BRITISH ASS which is absolutely based (oh fuck im sorry uk im sorry i like your music honest) and STarfire is all cool and shit giving out her monologue about compromise which is by the by FUCKING BASED AND WHAT AMERICA BASICALLY IS. The background is all sketchy and looks like old drawings of London and stuff and it looks cool but what's cooler are the Teen Titans KICKING BRITISH ARSE! Beast boy's british accent in this episode is basically what i imagine in my head when I give out interviews for my totally real and not imagined platinum selling album witha  five season cartoon tie in where I talk about the creative process and the state of the animation and music industries combined and people love me on youtube and write essays about my taste in anime on 4chan. Beast Boy was still dropping some truth bombs about the real ass tea party that THE MAN doesnt want the people to know because they got something to hide. We know you have something to hide, THE MAN, I know. 

so basically teen titans is good and cartoon network is better than Nick. Thanks you all and have a happy freedom day 

USA

USA

USA

USA

USA and i love this echo effect doesn't this look like an echo it's so based