By: Neil MacAlister and Natasha Tar
Special Edition Grand Master Deluxe by the Cool Kids
The return of the Cool Kids is a fantastic thing to witness. In the 2000s, the Illinois rap duo (made up of Chuck Inglish and Sir Michael Rocks) took over the airwaves with immediate hits like “Black Mags” and “Mikey Rocks,” becoming, almost literally, the coolest kids in hip hop. Their fashion sense was trend-setting, their music was everywhere, and their aesthetic continues to influence new rappers today. A few years into their career, however, the duo split up so that they could pursue solo careers, but the possibility of a comeback was never ruled out. This month, the Cool Kids returned with Special Edition Grand Master Deluxe.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about this album is the fact that, at 16 tracks, it divides evenly in half. The first eight songs are everything a Cool Kids fan could hope for: Chuck and Mikey trading verses about weed, women, and cars over Chuck’s signature production, sounding as fresh as they ever did. The second half, however, is overloaded with guest features. They diverge from their beloved sound to pander to ineffective R&B, awkward dancehall, or attempts at radio-friendly pop hits. Regardless, the first half makes up for the latter, and this isn’t an album you’d want to miss. – NM
Antisocialites by Alvvays
It makes me sad to say this, but Alvvays seems to have deteriorated. I enjoyed most of the songs on their self-titled album, and I liked the first couple songs on Antisocialites, but after that it got increasingly repetitive and I tuned out. Perhaps it was so mesmerizing that I drifted away? Probably not. Though I did like Molly Rankin’s lyricism on “In Undertow” and “Forget About Life,” the other songs just rolled by me.
I feel like Alvvays used to be slightly profound, in a cynical, Vancouverite sort of way. This time around it sounded like they stuck instruments and angst in a tumbleweed and hoped for the best.
If you want extreme easy listening, so much so that you forget you’re listening, Antisocialites is the album for you. Good luck staying awake. – NT
God’s Poop or Clouds? by the Jet Age of Tomorrow
Odd Future (OF) may be well and truly broken up now, but the rap collective’s legacy is one of the strongest that hip hop has ever seen. One peripheral OF offshoot is the Jet Age of Tomorrow, an eclectic duo consisting of producer Matt Martians and rapper/producer Pyramid Vritra. God’s Poop or Clouds? is Jet Age’s fourth album, and to be honest, it doesn’t differ that much from their old material. The most notable change is the divergence from hip hop; while earlier albums often included guest verses from the likes of Mac Miller or Hodgy Beats, there isn’t a single guest rapper on Clouds.
It’s an interesting album, nonetheless, tending towards very loose, freeform, improvisational jazz (a common element in Jet Age’s music), which unfortunately tends to lose itself in a single idea for an entire track. There are also parts of the album that sound too much like Matt Martian’s solo album, The Drum Chord Theory, or his work with the Internet. None of this is to say, that Clouds isn’t worth checking out. Both members are fantastic musicians, and tracks like “Buzzin’” or the Syd-assisted “The Long Way Home” are absolutely worth your time. – NM
