In No Particular Order: Let’s Get Loud With These 5 Albums of the Week (10/30/20)
I hope you have your speaks on full blast for this one.
As usual, In No Particular Order is where I share my favourite albums of the week, ranked in, well, no particular order.
This week’s collection is going to be loud, as I dive into the latest from Toronto punk trio The OBGMs, the chaotic hyperpop of new duo food house, and the new EP/LP from hardcore veterans Bring Me The Horizon. Plus, grime legend Dizzee Rascal makes an appearance with his new record and the smooth funk sounds of Vancouver duo Potatohead People.
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The OBGMS – The Ends
10/10
Punk
The saying “confidence is key” is at the soul of Toronto punk trio The OBGMs. Their sophomore album The Ends is the result of digging their shoes deeper into the soil and plowing forward through a rough handful of years following their frantic 2014 debut.
Fortunately, their fiery attitude and stomping instrumentation have not let out, and their sound is refreshingly polished and bigger. As a bongo sets off the record in the opener “Outsah” – a song written about not taking shit from anyone – you know The Ends is going to be fun and unpredictable. Fronted by Densil McFarlane and rounded off with drummer Colanthony Humphrey and bassist Joseph Brosnan, the trio rip through 10 fast-firing tracks in 25 minutes, keeping things short and (not so) sweet.
On songs like “Cash”, “Fight Song”, “Not Again”, and “Triggered”, they take the 4/4 time signature of punk rock but throw in hints of funk and groove to keep things interesting. There’s a Beach Boys surf rock chorus on “Not Again”, a bit of swing in the middle of mosh ready breakdown on “Triggered”, and hip-hop roots on “Karen O’s” – none of which is something you’d expect on a Toronto punk record.
And with many notable sound-altering bands, the voice at the front is an important component to their success. McFarlane’s growling, screeching voice pushes and pulls in different directions constantly across the record, acting as the band’s fourth instrument. Even for the moments when his lyrics are incomprehensible, his singing style adds a distorted quality that enhances the band’s frustration-filled and vigorous punk sound.
Just like how PUP took over the Canadian punk scene with their melodic, nihilistic punk sound, The OBGMs are right behind them, doing their own take on a genre intended to be loud and in your face.
And in true punk fashion, these boys won’t take anything less than a 10 – they will take you “Outsah”.
Notable tracks: “Outsah” // “Fight Song” // “Triggered”
food house – food house
8/10
Experimental pop/Electronic
Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting old, but I will never understand the futuristic, anti-pop music scene. It sounds like something you’d hear blasting from your basement as your forgotten 14 year old son plays Fortnite for 3 days straight while chugging Mountain Dew. But at the same time, who cares. It’s catchy, new, and extremely stimulating with its distortion-drenched, clusterfuck of textures and details.
Leading the way for the next generation of pop is the combination of Gupi & Fraxiom, releasing hyperpop music together as food house. Their debut, self-titled release is almost indescribable, as each track is extremely different than the previous; the only consistent features are the heavy auto-tune vocals and irresistible pop hooks. Dubstep, glitch-pop, hardcore, and electro-pop are thrown at a dart board of sounds and turned into pop songs from the year 2035 on food house.
Its club-ready beats and genre-carving production style would make early-day Skrillex look like an amateur, but at the same time, will probably never be heard at a downtown club thats serving $18 vodka sodas. This music is more for the rejects and the ones that like things done differently – certainly not a bad thing.
Songs like “8now”, “51129” and “curses” self-destruct with explosive BPMs and button-mashing future-step energy, while openers “sole” and “ride” introduce listeners to their somewhat “softer” side of their pop music. Although undeniably chaotic, food house still manages to be an entertaining and unique listening experience.
Notable tracks: “ride” // “51129” // “mos thoser”
Potatohead People – Mellow Fantasy
7/10
Funk/Hip-hop
For over a decade, Vancouver duo Potatohead People have been creating groovy, feel-good instrumental funk music. The pair of multi-instrumentalists Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical combine forces to produce tunes that move like Jell-O and on their latest release Mellow Fantasy, things are sugary and fluid, just as expected. Collaborating with a handful of hip-hop, jazz, and R&B artists, such as De La Soul, Illa J, Kapok, and Slum Village, the new album keeps things light and smooth, blending together for an easy 13-track listen.
Switching between instrumentals and features, Mellow Fantasy is filled with bounce, especially on the hip-hop tracks “Baby Got Work” and “Ungodly”, while “What It Feels Like” and “Break Even” slow things down for R&B-infused hits. The addition of vocal performances on the record helps elevate their crisp instrumentation which can become repetitive and hypnotic on its own.
Mellow Fantasy is an easy to enjoy record, not stepping too far from its opening track for the duration of the album. Although the rest of this week’s picks are more enegetic and loud, Potatohead People keep things cool and down to earth with this one.
Notable tracks: “Baby Got Work” // “Ungodly” // “All the Way”
Dizzie Rascal – E3 AF
8.5/10
Rap/Grime
The King of UK grime is back with one of the year’s best hip-hop releases, E3 AF. With almost two decades worth of experience, Dizzee has not slowed down and still has a lot to offer on his latest release. Cramming together trap, garage, house, and dubstep beats, E3 AF‘s production makes for a strong foundation for the London artist to shine overtop, weaving together fast-paced rhymes, snappy quips, and club-ready bangers.
The phrase “E3 AF” comes from the derogatory nickname “E3 African” he had growing up, but on the record Dizzee stands tall and sturdy, dusting off the haters from his past. Opening track “God Knows” is the album’s strongest track, kicking things off with his familiar swagger and confidence over a powerful trap beat. “That’s Too Much” and “L.L.L.L.” keeping the pace flowing, but the album really comes together when he features his friends, most notable Kano and Ghetts on the ode to his neighbourhood on “Eastside”, the Smoke Boys feature on “Act Like You Know” and the tongue-twisting “Don’t Be Dumb”, featuring Ocean Wisdom as the pair go off with some of the fastest and most articulate verses ever.
On his seventh full-length, Dizzee is stronger than ever as he combines power-hungry production with his iconic flow and punching social commentary.
Notable tracks: “God Knows” // “Eastside” // “Don’t Be Dumb”
Bring Me The Horizon – POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR
7.5/10
Metalcore/Electronicore
Bring Me the Horizon are calling their new album POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR an EP because they plan on releasing four over the next year to combine for a full-length. However, it’s nine tracks and over half an hour so I’m calling it a full-length on a technicality. Fight me. (It’s the perfect soundtrack for it). And if the other three “EPs” are the same length, then it’ll be a 4LP release.
Regardless, it’s once again a hard-hitting, loud, and blistering release from the mainstay hardcore band. After taking the plunge into cleaner, more electronic-influenced music on their 2019 album amo (let’s ignore the follow-up experimental adventure Music to Listen to~Dance to~Blaze to~Pray to~Feed to~Sleep to~Talk to~Grind to~Trip to~Breathe to~Help to~Hurt to~Scroll to~Roll to~Love to~Hate to~Learn Too~Plot to~Play to~Be to~Feel to~Breed to~Sweat to~Dream to~Hide to~Live to~Die to~Go To), they’ve blurred the lines between genres on POST HUMAN, this time not holding back from their heavier side while welcoming in the future of the genre.
Opening track “Dear Diary,” reminds fans why they’ve remained loyal to BMTH all these years later, stirring up memories of 2008’s Suicide Season with its heavy musicality and screaming vocals. Leading singles “Parasite Eve”, “Teardrops”, and “Obey” begin to switch over into the world of electronicore, bringing out pop melodies into their guitar riffs and hardcore style, but still finding a way to be as engaging as usual.
It all boils over with “Itch For the Cure” and its partner “Kingslayer”, which slams together dubstep, metalcore, and Japanese metal thanks to BABYMETAL. From there on, the rest of the record stays fast and aggressive, but switching into more post-hardcore elements with its cleaner vocals and melodic hooks.
Unfortunately, the band slip off for the final two tracks “Ludens” and the Amy Lee lead ballad “One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death”. Lee’s voice and the song’s slow build are certainly powerful in their own way, but considering what BMTH managed to do for the previous half hour makes it feel somewhat of a cold finish.
Nevertheless, this long-playing extended play follows their experimental trajectory, providing new takes on their signature metalcore sound. Similarly to fellow UK group Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon continue to evolve with the genre, remaining true to their roots with their unapologetic tenacity and speed, but without shying away from being ahead of the curve.
Notable tracks: “Dear Diary,” // “Teardrops” // “Obey”
