By Sera Akdogan and Neil MacAlister
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music by 2 Chainz
It’s easy to reduce 2 Chainz to a party rapper making turn-up ratchet hits and coasting on punchlines, but over the past few years his music output has been so incredible and consistent that the man formerly known as “Tity Boi” should seriously be regarded as one of Atlanta’s most quintessential artists. With Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, 2 Chainz has truly solidified his place in the canon of hip hop. His strength doesn’t necessarily lie in intricate songwriting or deft wordplay (although he’s displaying a growing proficiency for both lately), but instead in his phenomenal delivery. The way Chainz delivers lines makes every trap reference and stripper appreciation sound like a flash of pure, unadulterated brilliance. He’s effortlessly charismatic, a fascinating storyteller, and has an ear for making music that masks complexity in apparent simplicity. The production is as intricate as it is catchy, and features artists such as Drake, Gucci Mane, Migos, Travis Scott, and more who all brought their A game. This album is pure Atlanta, from the Jeezy samples to the Riverdale Road references, and solidifies 2 Chainz as one of his city’s most important artists. – NM
Beautiful Thugger Girls by Young Thug
With a title based on the CoverGirl slogan, album art based on Lil Wayne’s poorly-received rock album Rebirth, a promise that this would be a “singing album” with very little rapping, and executive production from Drake, Young Thug managed to make the latest addition to his oddball discography his most perplexing record yet. With so many risky choices, Beautiful Thugger Girls (BTG) had a lot of opportunity to go awry, but instead it serves as a testament that Young Thug can do no wrong. He’s relentlessly unique, constantly reinventing his inimitable sound, and is capable of doing anything with his voice, from baritone growls to frantic yelps to some straight-up excellent singing. He experiments with everythin g from country to dancehall, samples legendary indie band Bright Eyes on “Me or Us,” and grabs phenomenal guest features from Future and Snoop Dogg. Listening to BTG is an entirely unique experience, a new direction from an artist whose sound is already impossible to pin down; Thug started out as a divisive figure in hip hop, but with each release, he proves that his strangeness and innovation are here to stay. – NM
RELAXER by Alt-J
Back again with a third album, it’s your favourite college band, post-graduation and post-adoration and fame. Alt-J’s RELAXER comes out with eight intricately-designed tracks, each representing the band’s courageous plunge into a dramatic, yet delicate, new sound.
Unlike their last album (This is All Yours), RELAXER is bold, vibrant, and uniquely scattered in terms of genre and style. Although a few tracks (“In Cold Blood” and “Deadcrush”) may sound similar to Alt-J’s usual sound — a chaotic baseline and banging guitar riffs, mixed with Joe Newman’s trademark lusty vocals — RELAXER progresses into a euphoric symphony of soothing strings and lighthearted voices.
Featuring appearances by Ellie Roswell and Marika Hackman in “3WW” and “Last Year” respectively, the stunningly soft melodies of RELAXER represent the move towards a genre more akin to folk. Even the brave decision to include a makeshift cover of a traditional folk song by the Animals, “House of the Rising Sun,” only seems to complement Alt-J’s musical evolution.
The abrupt shift from jammin’ alt-rock to a magnificent symphony of grandiose voices echoing together in unison proves to be successful as RELAXER transcends Alt-J’s once-predictable sound and doesn’t turn back. – SA
