Once again the concept exists as a cool backbone for the sound but that alone does not distract from the quality of the production. You wouldn't even need to know the concept behind the album to appreciate how interesting, textured, and precise every piece of this project is.
Could definitely be considered the most quintessential musique concrete album ever. The premise is almost cliche. Like an annoying writer's depiction of what experimental electronic music is. But when listening you can realize it's far more than just some gimmick. The sounds they create are incredible. The beats they make Go HARD. Every sound allows you to appreciate both the object itself and the careful manipulation. Again, it's far more than just a neat concept. The prowess in ... read more
Supremely heady and actually quite groove-y. Some really nice beats get developed on many of the songs here. Minimalism done right
The quirkier more click-y electronic sibling of the previous album. And while it's less traditionally groove-y its just about as cool
Funky to the utmost degree. Every song is just a groove. Sometimes they go on a little long without quite enough evolution and I always prefer a bit more bold exploration but still, it's hard to dislike much of anything here.
This is one of the rare instances of where I just do not get an album. I mean I can sort of get some of it. And I know my main problem is just that this style of sample-based music just does not appeal to me. I am not a fan of the old-timey sample sound, even before it was tik-tokified. Songs like The Story of Hip Hop I just find to be obnoxious. And I just don't get anything out of pretty much any other part of the production. I don't even like it as a sound collage/field recording ... read more
Despite being progenerative for so much this still has more punch, dissonance, noise, and intensity than much of what was directly inspired by it. (sorry sonic youth I still love you)
This is definitely one of the top contenders for Nina's greatest collection of tracks, although thats a tough argument. But besides every song just being great and beautiful it's really those last two songs that take this album to another level. Strange Fruit and Sinnerman together may be the single greatest ending to an album ever. Those two tracks are so fucking perfect in every way and going from one to the other is one of the most powerful choices of sequencing just ever. I ... read more
Corrected Review:
CORRECTION. I was wrong in my original review. Was just talking about of my ass and now its egg on my face! The reason this is a really shit Wu album is cause it's not really a Wu album, it's more mathematics. It was my mistake for thinking RZA had evolved his production. Will not make this mistake again! Oh also my opinion hasn't changed. The heavy Wu inclusions just make the album feel super disjointed and all over the place. And I think the verses are just ... read more
A step up from New Plastic in just about every way. Some of the best noise rock Ive heard ever. Love it through and through!
Amazing noise, love the shrieking. Nothing quite like it at the time I feel
They got a feature from LINGUA IGNOTA!!! AND DID WHAT!?!?!? Ok Lovely Murk is good. But like damn. This is not it. Pretty much feels like old old Oxbow but not even with as good of songs and riffs and everything. They got a feature from The Most Powerful Artist Of The Last DECADE and this is easily their least emotional, least tortured work to date. Like sorry if I was Expecting them to make something painful but the last time Eugene Robinson teamed up with one of the most emotional vocalists ... read more
Oxbow RIDES AGAIN. The greatest noise rock band you've never heard of unless you're a FREAK!! Roars back to life with one of the greatest art rock albums ever???!??! From the ultra-depressing art-noise-rock of The Narcotic Story Oxbow returns with one of the most lavishly instrumented albums ever. The builds are just Crazy on this album. The swells of instrumentation are so gratifying and just sound so Full. Host especially. It truly feels like you are in the court of The Duke. And ... read more
There we go. Now that's the best album ever. I knew they would do it!
Just about everything great about Oxbow reshaped, refined, and painted into one of the most intense, tortured, and also BANGIN rock albums everrrrrr. Like omg they went SO Hard. Down a Stair Backward!! Are You Kidding??!? The Geometry of Business brings back some of that blues sound but has such a great build and payoff. And OMG A Winner Every Time. That's their best song. Like it just is. Beyond Incredible. ... read more
Get Yo Freak On. A documentary on how to be the lit-est you can be and FREAK OUT over EVERYTHING. I CARE SO MUCH!!! EVIL EVIL EVIL!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. Sorry. Goes NUTS. Blues rock taken to a place beyond anything. An infernal place. A band performing in the most unbearable heat imaginable. Beaten down and exhausted to the point of hallucination.
Maybe my only complaint is sometimes the typically oxbow sporadic song structure gets in the way of when they really find some great grooves. Some ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
On Wu-Tang Clan - Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman
"@DavidEbner my mistake, replace every mention of Wu with mathematics and include a long side tangent about ghostface killah being a loser. There fixed!"
On Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
"@Flapjack483 TRUE. One of my favs ever"
On Brogotmehyped's review of Iosonouncane - IRA
"I totally understand what you mean when you talk about patience. I had a very similar experience attempting to listen to Swans To Be Kind and only later being able to finish it and love it. Having that experience before listening to IRA is probably what made this such an easy listen for me personally. It is truly a profound experience to have in terms of learning and growing in your ability to consume art. I will fight you a little bit because this album has also had a life changing effect on me. This album may be the single most inspiring piece of art I have ever experienced. I have thought about this album every single day since finishing it because every day I feel a fundamental Need to make music like this. It truly is a special album."
On Eminem - The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)
"@Mychal I've listened to his back catalogue Extensively, trust. This is the same lines about pronouns and Caitlyn Jenner for like 10 songs. Don't worry girl, I get it. The idea of slim shady doesn't just go over my head. Like I said Guilty Conscious 2 was decent cause it was the actual "Death" part of that concept. The rest is just an attempt to adapt slim shady to the modern day and failing miserably. He sounds like an "anti-sjw" edgelord in a Rainbow 6 lobby. It's just corny and cringe"
On Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
"@Dallamalla For me touching a good amount of other genres doesn't always mean that it's diverse. Yes it hits on pop, altpop, electronic, indie, synthpop, even a bit of rock, etc. But to me a lot of the diversity in that kinda gets washed away under the soft alt pop style. It all has a cool soft blue filter over it. It takes a lot of different inspirations but makes them more one note. And that may not be a bad thing cause with some albums it can make them cohesive, which it does do here, but I also think it takes away the flavor of those influences. To again reference the synths on Chihiro, they stand out on the album, but there's just not that much more to them outside the soft pop sound, ie not much diversity."
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