#and this particular track shifts into 6/8 time when that piano kicks in

[prettywordsyouleft]

Through His Eyes - Part 5

Summary: Losing your sight after your accident was traumatic, and Jaebum’s guilt of knowing it should have been him instead creates an intricate bond between you both, as you overcome adversity and try to find your way in life again.

Genre: angst / romance

Characters: Im Jaebum x female reader

A/N: This story is emotional and raw compared to some of the content on my blog. It is in no way an attempt to glamourise or undervalue the lives of those who suffer from something similar. This story is purely fictional.

Through His Eyes will be posted every Tuesday at 10am NZST.

Index: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 [M] | 13 - FINAL

Clicking the door to his personal studio shut later that day, Jaebum approached you as you were slowly feeling your way around the room. “I’m not going to break anything, am I?”

“Here, let me help you to a chair.” He guided you to the seat beside him and then turned on his computer. As he logged in, Jaebum glanced over at you again. Your face was glowing with excitement. It made him smile further and he focused back on his computer, going into the files and pulling up the software he used to record.

“What are we going to do now?”

“I thought we could record a song together.”

“What?” You shook your head. “No way.”

“Why not?” Jaebum watched as you retreated further into your seat. Reaching for your hands, he shifted them forward. “The keyboard is right in front of you.”

“I can’t play music.”

“Can’t, or never learned?”

You sheepishly glanced away. “Both.”

“Today you learn then. What good is it having you here if you cannot help me with my job?”

“Funny, I only remember your name as being the talented producer, not mine.”

Jaebum laughed and shifted your chair closer. Turning on the keyboard, he then lifted your hands right onto it. “Just try. We can do this together.”

“Well, I do know some basic children’s songs from years ago on the piano.” You mentioned anxiously and then started to fumble around on the keys until you found a C. Your hands seemed to move more easily as you tested the keys and their sounds. Soon you were playing, albeit a little rusty, but Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sounded around the room. Jaebum turned to his computer and clicked on a couple of synthesisers, before moving closer to you.

“Let’s build on this. You keep playing that, and I’ll add to it.”

“How?” you asked but continued to play your segment, Jaebum’s own hands reaching around yours and adding to the sounds. It was impromptu yet fun and soon you had played for ten minutes together. Jaebum stopped playing and then reached for the mouse to replay the creation. You listened quietly as the music filled the room again.

“What do you think?” he asked and noticed your eyes were closed. Jaebum gazed at you, trying to understand all your emotions across your face. Suddenly your eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times, surprised by how rich the colour your eyes now were.

“How did we manage to turn my basic music into something so intricate?”

“That’s what I do every day. Play with sounds, and build on them. Shall we try again?”

“Something more than a nursery rhyme though?” You looked at him hesitantly and Jaebum tilted his head, waiting for you to speak again. “Can you teach me something better?”

“Can I be honest?” You nodded. “I need you to move.”

“Where to?” You stood up immediately, and Jaebum pushed your chair out of the way. Without any thought to it, he sat you down on his lap, pushing you both closer to the keyboard. He could feel how stiff you had gotten and swallowed himself, shaking his head from all thoughts and focusing on the task. Jaebum moved your hands back to the keys and placed his over yours.

“Relax, we’re playing music, we need to be fluid.”

“You were pretty fluid in getting me to this position. Should I remind you of your skin-ship issues?”

“How else was I meant to teach you if you cannot feel it properly? I’m not going to break my back leaning over your chair.”

You nodded softly and relaxed. “Point taken. Okay, teacher, let’s start.”

The music you began to produce had no particular style to it and was simply played in repetition until it was your hands doing all the work. You played through the sequence once more before clapping your hands together with joy.

Jaebum grinned. “I take that you are happy?”

“I never thought I could do something this cool! I always have listened to music, but now that I can only rely on listening, it seems more, I don’t know how to put it.”

“Soul reaching?” Jaebum suggested and you nodded happily. “I’m glad. Should we listen back to it?”

“Definitely! Oh, wait. I just need to check something.” You pressed a button on your watch and the time sounded out around the room. “It’s seven-thirty! How long will it take to get me back home?”

“Half an hour? We’ve got all-”

“Mum gave me a curfew of eight!” You jumped up and smacked into the edge of the desk, a yelp emitting from your mouth immediately. Falling back into his lap, Jaebum quickly grabbed you, making sure to not let you fall.

“Are you okay?” he asked, seeing tears spring up in your eyes. “I can drive you home now.”

“I’m so clumsy, did I break anything?” You moved your head around as if to survey for any damage. “Ugh, I can’t see if I did!”

“Nothing’s broken, except you. Adding another bump to your collection,” Jaebum teased and you began to cry. He softened his approach and held onto you, wondering why you were crying so much. As if you read his mind, you tried to stem the flow of your tears.

“I want to be able to see again. I want to see this room; I want to see everyone I met today. I want to read the words to the new song instead of trying to memorise it. I want to understand where I am, and not worry about how much time it takes to get from places as my only way to measure what I’m doing. I just, I want to see again, Jaebum. I want… I want to see you.”

Jaebum didn’t know what to say, his throat drying up at your emotional confession. He had no idea what to address first from your words and blinked back his own threatening tears. He held onto you, letting you cry, and feeling incapable to grant anything you asked for. Today had been his plan, his hope to bring happiness into your world. To make you feel normal again. Instead, it had highlighted so many things Jaebum took for granted. He kicked himself for not thinking to get a Braille translation of their song before the day started out.

“I’m sorry Y/N,” was all he could say, holding you until your tears stopped falling.

The car ride back to your home was silent until your phone went off. Tiredly, you reached to answer it and Jaebum heard your mother’s voice connect on the other end. “Sorry Mum, we’re in the car coming back now… I’m not far I’m sure… No, I’m fine. I’ll be there soon.”

“Was she worried you went past your curfew?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll apologise when we get there.” You made no effort to reply, your head falling back down and the silence enveloped you both again. Apart from telling you to look out for things as you headed into your apartment complex, Jaebum felt defeated to improve your mood. You made it to the front door and your mother opened it, and you took off your shoes and put on your slippers. Wordlessly, you turned to bow at Jaebum and then walked off into the house, your mother looking between you and him, trying to decide on whom to talk to first.

She climbed out onto the first step and closed the front door, facing Jaebum worriedly. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry we’re late. We lost track of time.”

She waved him off and searched his eyes for her answer. “She cried?”

“She broke down completely and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t realise I would upset her this much.”

“What happened?” The older woman asked and Jaebum sighed before explaining what you had said. She had tears in her eyes as he finished and reached out to pat his shoulder maternally. “Jaebum, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I should have been more aware of what I take for granted though.”

“Y/N will learn that some things are going to be hard. I think she had a wonderful day with your band members. She clearly had a great time with you in the studio too. But Y/N got overwhelmed and drained from the day out. It was a big outing for someone who has been stuck at home so much so don’t feel disheartened. You gave her hope. You should have seen her this morning. I haven’t seen her so animated since the accident. She was having a meltdown over what to wear to impress you all. She didn’t care about being blind. She simply acted like any other girl getting ready to meet some special people.”

“Really?” Jaebum smiled lightly, remembering back to his first reaction of seeing you earlier in the day in your dress.

“I know in the past, I told you to return to your place. You never listened, and I knew you wouldn’t. She never wanted to let you go, even though she would say it to you and me all the time. That was her insecurities of looking silly in front of you.” Your mother smiled warmly and glanced at the door as if it would let her see her daughter. She then looked back at him with a firm but warm expression. “Now, I see you as one of her healing paths. Because you can push her in ways I cannot. She’s returning to her studies earlier than I thought. She’s growing more optimistic by the day. Sure, Y/N will struggle; she will take falls and feel hopeless at times. But she has you to help her back up each time. I don’t know what your relationship is with my daughter, but your presence in her world is helping her live again.”

Jaebum nodded softly, not knowing what to reply back with.

“You’re a busy idol though. Tell Y/N when you can’t be around her. Let her know the schedule is too tight. But don’t abandon her. Jaebum, you’re her hope.”

“I… I uh-”

“I’m going to go inside now and try and comfort her. Goodnight. And thank you for bringing her home safely to me. The hardest thing for me is letting her out the door.”

Jaebum remained on the steps even after the mother had disappeared inside the apartment. After a while, he managed to pull himself together and walk back to his car in a daze, hopping into it and then staring into nothingness through the windscreen. Slowly, Jaebum began to feel his emotions fall, unsure of why he was crying. He had felt so numb just a moment before that the tears now seemed to surprise him.

I don’t know what your relationship is with my daughter.

The sentence repeated over in his head, confusing him. He didn’t know what it was either. Jaebum had felt friendship and selfishness all in one when it came to you. Some days, he needed to hear your voice just to concentrate, like a coping mechanism and a way to relieve his guilt of knowing you could be struggling somewhere. Other days, he just felt true friendship, as if he had known you his whole life. You had become so close in such a short space of time, that he had never questioned or defined what your relationship was.

“Do I need to?” he asked himself, wondering why the words had affected him so much. Jaebum tried to guess if you had any validated definition of what you both were. His mind shifted to BamBam’s bias question earlier in the day, something Jaebum had never put emphasis into before. Had BamBam been standing in his spot on that day, would you have done the same thing as you had for him? Jaebum didn’t hesitate to conclude you would have. This made him feel bitter, and yet he couldn’t fathom why. Jaebum would have pushed BamBam, or anyone, out of harm’s way as well.

“Let it go for now,” he ordered his brain, shaking his head and starting up the ignition to the car. Pulling out of the car park and out onto the road, Jaebum headed back to the studio, his mind reeling over the songs you created together. He knew there was one thing he needed to do first before I saw you next, and that was to produce them.

_________________

[Part 6]

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[bloodraven55]

V6 Soundtrack Review

Here it is... my more organised thoughts on the soundtrack. This is of course just my opinion, and music is very subjective, so feel free to disagree. I’ve covered each of the full songs including the acoustic and remixes individually, and then briefly mentioned some of my favourites from the instrumental pieces at the end since there are a lot of them and I’m not an expert on composition or anything.

Anyway... enjoy!

RISING

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: Love’s the choice we made

Thoughts: I love the shimmering synths at the start and just the general energy. Especially the way the groove picks up with the second verse. Speaking of that part, Casey's deeper vocals there sound amazing. And the rapid beat of the bridge is a surprise but a very welcome one. The lyrics are very uplifting and I like the use of nature imagery. Maybe my favourite opening song.

MIRACLE

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: Desire to preserve life/Is powering the light

Thoughts: I absolutely love the way the opening builds with the drums, piano and guitar combining. And Jeff and Casey's alternating vocals are brilliant. The brass touches are wonderful and very catchy. The creepy, almost discordant bridge is extremely chilling and I like the tonal shift a lot, especially with the way the upbeat section then takes over again almost like the song being taken back from pessimism. The lyrics perfectly embody the show's theme of hope in the face of adversity and they make me feel optimistic.

ONE THING

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: A single light, a single friend/But you’ve made that end

Thoughts: I feel incredibly sad for Neo after this song. I think it was an excellent choice to give her a song since she has no voice or way of expressing her feelings in the show. It really gives her depth and makes me feel a lot of empathy for her. It has a good rhythm and a very memorable melody. I love the way the instrumentation cuts out on “What a sweet release/When you rest in peace” to really add to the impact of the line and emphasise the harmony of the vocals. Also Casey's overlapping vocals on the final chorus are a great addition to enhance the ending of the song. Apart from that the other thing I'm taking away from it is that Cinder is so very dead 😄

LIONISE

Rating: 8/10

Favourite lyric: Watch them fall as I am glorified

Thoughts: I really appreciate how dark and twisted this song sounds. It's the perfect match for Adam himself. Jeff's vocals are almost unhinged and nearly screeching at times, and it fits Adam's mindset well. The lyrics paint a very accurate portrait of how arrogant, narcissistic and self-centred Adam was and how he only wanted power for himself and revenge on all of humanity rather than to truly help the Faunus or to gain equality for them. In particular the shift from “we” to “I” over the course of the song is very clever and a good representation of that. All in all it's not one of my absolute favourites sonically but it's an interesting look into Adam's backstory and a very good track.

BIG METAL SHOE

Rating: 8/10

Favourite lyric: You would be great and terrible but only if you had a brain

Thoughts: The music box intro is wild but it's unique and it makes sense with the nursery rhyme/fairytale lyrics. The guitar riff kicks so much ass and this song just has an amazing groove. Again Casey and Jeff taking turns on the mic creates this wonderful back and forth exchange that really adds to the track. I love all the nursery rhyme and fairytale references in the words and given I didn't expect to like it that much I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm a fan of this song.

NEVERMORE

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: Nevermore/You’ll torture my heart and my head

Thoughts: This song just contains so much relief and freedom and it makes me so emotional. Adam had haunted Blake and Yang for so long and they didn't want things to end the way they did but he left them no choice. This track just feels like a release of so much emotion for both of them and it's so intense. They've suffered a lot but now they can finally move forward together without that shadow hanging over them and it's a lot. The references to Lionise with the sole purpose of tearing it apart, plus the use of dialogue from the confrontation in the show, are all fantastic touches to make it even more meaningful too.

Musically, I love the mixture of Blake and Yang's individual styles/themes with the piano and the guitar and the sound of the song really lines up with the lyrics and creates this hugely cathartic anthem for them overcoming their personal demons. Especially the way the music softens and quiets as Blake looks back on her hopes for Adam and the WF that never came true before it kicks back in with a vengeance as she accepts what she has to do to end all the pain that he's caused.

INDOMITABLE

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: Though our body is weak and breakable/The spirit is indomitable

Thoughts: I cried. A lot. It sounds breathtaking. Casey's performance is spectacular. You can feel how much everyone involved in the show and the song love Monty in every second—every note—and it's probably my favourite on the album. I don't know if I can say any more without getting emotional but yes, it’s absolutely beautiful.

FOREVER FALL

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: You’re my forever fall

Thoughts: I cried at this one too. I miss Pyrrha. She didn't deserve the ending she got, but also she died doing what she felt she had to do and she wouldn't have regretted it. She was a true Huntress through and through. I feel so bad for Jaune as well. It's just a whole mess of emotions but it’s a gorgeous song.

ARMED AND READY (ACOUSTIC VERSION)

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: There’s nothing that I won’t do for her

Thoughts: BEEHAW! Okay but seriously it's just crazy and hilarious and brilliant. It's so out there but Casey sells it completely and I love it. Her and Jeff's dual vocals on the chorus remind me of a father/daughter country duo and I can't. It was the last thing I anticipated but I am not complaining at all.

THE TRIUMPH (KAIRI REMIX)

Rating: 7/10

Favourite lyric: We’ll be the ones to touch the sun/The triumph will be ours!

Thoughts: Not much to say here. Remixes are very hit and miss for me but I quite enjoyed this one.

THE PATH TO ISOLATION (HEAVENVIEW REMIX)

Rating: 6/10

Favourite lyric: Mirror, help me/Who am I?

Thoughts: This is one of my favourite RWBY songs of all time in its original form but this version didn't completely do it for me. It just felt a bit weird to me but I didn't mind it, it just wasn't really my thing.

FAVOURITE INSTRUMENTALS

Protecting Each Other - every part of this is so powerful, but the triumphant reprise of the Nevermore melody near the end is what always gets me thought the melodies from This Time, Lionise and Armed and Ready and the choral vocals are great too.

Silver Eyes - it's very calming but those Red Like Roses and This Will Be the Day motifs have me fucked up.

A Delicate Balance - the almost ethereal vocals are awesome and it has a really grand feel that I like.

Our Creation - it's very mellow and chill for the most part but the sudden reprise of Divide and the eerie strings near the end caught me off guard in a good way.

Down the Cannon - it's just straight up badass with the guitar and the choir and the use of Bad Luck Charm is noice.

Trouble Aboard Argus Limited - it's just very epic and bombastic and it gets me hyped.

Flight to Atlas - it's a really nice closer with several character themes included and a cool dramatic ending.

Jaune's Arc - I love the way it swells and the hint of Rising at the end.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

[thebandcampdiaries]

Pane Introducing Brand New EP Release: So Lost

A one-of-a-kind take on R&B and hip-hop with a distinctive twist.

English recording artist Pane is back on the scene with a brand new studio EP titled “So Lost.” This release features 9 tracks, each bringing something quite special to the table. The EP has a lead single titled “Redemption,” which really serves as a perfect introduction to Pane’s music. The song has a very atmospheric, mood-driven and dense production, which is a perfect match with Pane’s distinctive vocal flow. His singing is bold and confident, yet breathy and soft-spoken, covering a huge range. Inspired by genres as diverse as hip-hop and modern R&B music, Pane developed a very personal and dynamic sound, which is a perfect match with his songwriting style and his lyrics. This EP feels like a very cohesive sonic experience because there is a sense of consistency that really binds these songs together, in some cases even going as far as all continuing on the same instrumental beat, such as on “Moving On” and “Cheating On” you, which are almost like the yin and yang of one another.

Song by Song Spotlight:

1) Redemption (Why Would You)

This song serves as a perfect introduction to this release. I love the smooth piano chords and soothing vocal parts at the beginning. When the 808-style beat kicks in, the payoff is incredible, shifting the song’s mood and taking the track to a whole different dimension. Fans of artists such as Frank Ocean as well as Juice Wrld would definitely enjoy the sound and feel of the track. It is not surprising that this is actually the lead single!

2) Lonely

This particular track feels like one of the most introspective on the album. It highlights the artist’s ability to come up with honest lyrics and great melodies, combining R&B hooks with modern indie-type production vibes. The cool thing about this song is that you keep waiting for a big beat to come up but it never does, going for a more moody and introspective vibe. This allows the set list to breathe more!

3) Forbidden Sex

If the previous song was super minimalistic, this one has a music bigger production, with some killer synth sounds from the get-go. One of the catchiest tracks on this release, the artist has a distinctive voice and a lot of attitude, with upfront lyrics and a soaring beat. This song reminds of artists as diverse as Drake, XXXTENTACION or Joey Bada$$, but of course with a more personal feel.

4) Aliyah's Interlude

As the title might suggest, this is an interlude, which has some cool vocal parts and echo effects, giving the track a very experimental, cinematic tone. It almost sounds like ocean waves and wind drafts in space, floating in a cosmic background as the artist keeps creating honest and personal verses.

5) Fall For Your Lies

This track kicks off with a darker atmospheric background and a bit of a lo-fi texture. It maintains a low-key atmosphere through and through, and it is probably one of my favorite songs on the album, especially when the drum beat kicks in, bringing so much extra depth to the lyrical flow of this release.

6) Moving On

In this song, Pane’s voice is as smooth as it gets. This is the kind of voice that you’d want to fall asleep to on the radio - that kind of soothing, yet confident spell that makes his lyrics so magnetic and personal. With such a cool beat and a distinctive vocal delivery, you really can’t go wrong. This is probably the most universally appealing track on the record, and it is amazing to hear how the song unfolds.

7) I Cheated On You

This song is a continuation of Moving On, and it is based on the same beat. Pane’s vocals are honest and personal, making me think of artists such as Kele Okereke.

8) Stunt On You

This song combines lush synth parts with a cool background texture and one of the densest vocal productions on this release. I love the pitch-shifting and tuning effects on the vocals, giving the song a unique touch.

9) Player Love

Last, but definitely not least, this song has a cool intro, with some cool piano chords and swell effects, adding more depth to the instrumental. The vocal part and the beat kick in at the same time, and it somehow makes me think of artists like James Blake or Nosaj Thing, but with a more direct feel leaning towards modern R&B.

Ultimately, this is definitely a record with a diverse range of sounds, ideas, and influences. I have always been a big fan of music that always keeps you on your feet, and one of the most special features of this EP release is definitely the fact that each song takes the sound in a completely different direction, thus setting the bar higher. The first thing that you might notice is certainly the artist’s remarkable capability to endow his work with personality and energy, and the flow of this release is absolutely groundbreaking. Each line cuts through the mix, not only in terms of sound but also in terms of meaning and attitude. The songwriting feels personal and relatable, and it is refreshingly far removed from the usual cliches of the genre. The sound of the instrumentals is also really great, with beats that are very sonically balanced, offering a unique portrait between next-level power and groundbreaking detail.

Don’t pass up on this one if you are a fan of artists like Frank Ocean, Juice WRLD, Earl Sweatshirt or Kanye West, because this release will definitely resonate with you.

Find out more about Pane, and listen to “So Lost,” which is now available on your favorite online streaming platforms.

https://www.facebook.com/PaneSTL/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqKzGTMvnuVfsiRc9TKA6Tg

We also had the opportunity to ask the artist a few questions: keep reading to learn more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

With me, the beat is where I get my vibe, my feeling, my atmosphere. It tells me what I need to bring to the table. If one of my producers sends me a selection of beats, when I feel the urge to write I’ll simply cycle through them one by one, jumping from topic to topic in sync with the atmosphere of each beat. Especially with my introspective records like “I Cheated On You”, I could never really focus on the melody first as my self-reflections come naturally, they are rarely planned. Now, when I do more up-tempo stuff, like some things I haven’t yet released I may already have a rhythm, so to speak, and then see which beat vibes with that best.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

I can’t really answer that right now. Being a new artist, I haven’t really planned to perform live, but it is something I’d love to do.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

I think it would have to be Redemption. The song captures my style very well; slow, soft, dark, and downtempo. I do have other styles, some of which you’ll see in “ProPane”, my next EP, but as of now, I’d say Redemption.

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

To be innovative is to simply be musical, in my opinion. To forget the constraints of the genre, gender expectation, and ‘fitting in’. Simply be musical; wherever the music takes you, go with it, and you will be original and creative. I would say, though, that I think we are in the most original era of music ever. People are producing records however they want, and writing about whatever they want. Genre’s are their most loose as they have ever been, and artists of all shapes and sizes are accruing a following. It is truly an exciting time.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

I cannot wait for you to hear “Propane”. It is, truly, an evolution of my sound and production. I think, personally, that my artistic admiration of Future and everything he represents is more apparent on here. I think it’s something people will love.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:

I’m on all major streaming platforms, and on Facebook:

http://facebook.com/PaneSTL

[flint-fox]

R.E.M. - Reveal (2001)

1) The Lifting; 2) I’ve Been High; 3) All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star); 4) She Just Wants to Be; 5) Disappear; 6) Saturn Return; 7) Beat a Drum; 8) Imitation of Life; 9) Summer Turns to High; 10) Chorus and the Ring; 11) I’ll Take the Rain; 12) Beachball

After Up's deeply personal, soul-cleansing exercise, Reveal carries an aura of reconnection with the greater world. As incredible as Up was, the primary impression it leaves is its very insular sound and mood, where you have to dig a little deeper to find the still strongly beating heart of R.E.M.'s songwriting. Reveal, then, presents as much of an 180 turn as Up did. The traditional band roles in more prominent display again again (including an increased presence of session drummers), even if there's still a lingering element of R.E.M. taking cautious steps forward as a three-person incarnation in tune with Up's soundscapes, with programmed drums, frequent synthesizers and emphasised keyboard parts making up much of the album. But as albums, they're night and day - where Up was the melancholy late hours spent awake lost in thought; Reveal is the brand new morning. It's a decidedly more upbeat album, full of harmonies rather than controlled chaos. There's a clear desire for the band to smile again, resulting in a shift in gears to a more traditionally R.E.M.-esque album. Even the opening song welcomes you in: "Good morning! How are you? The weather's fine, the sky is blue..."

"The Lifting", the said opener, is a grand start and continues with the band's tradition of strong openers, and is in fact one of the best in that regard. It's light as a breeze, bouncing on every step like a liberated free spirit, throwing an infectious hook after another as Buck's familiar jangle appears and the drums carry an infectious rhythm. Stipe has entertained the thought that the song is about the same overworked soul as Up's "Daysleeper", and thus it's another semi-intentional shedding of the previous album's weariness, bringing the melancholy narrator to the open sunlight. It's an overwhelmingly joyous song above all, but doesn't aggressively try to be one, like e.g. the decidedly hyper-upbeat "Stand" or "Shiny Happy People". There's genuinity to it and its spiralling conclusion, with Stipe yelping full of energy, is a moment of honest delight - and in that sense, it leads the way perfectly. Reveal is open and inviting, in tone and in music - positive, melodically rich and full of hooks. After Up's experimentation Reveal places simple songcraft back in the spotlight, and while there's still great importance placed on the production of the material, the songs presented here are first and foremost guided by their melodies.

Much of what makes Reveal jump alive is still how the band treat the studio as an integral instrument in its own right, and the ambience that's pushed through the ideas making up the album's world of sound. There's a level of obsession in details prevalent throughout, carefully layered sounds and minor parts forming into a greater whole as R.E.M. seek a particular feeling throughout. Reveal is a pastoral album, a record aimed for summer through and through - the cover, the May release date, the constant lyrical references to the season and especially overt touches like sampling crickets make it abundantly clear, and the sound itself is appropriately lush, warm and inviting. The production is pristine enough to let all these details come through clearly, but there's not a trace of studio sterility. The instrumentation emphasises bright keyboards, clean guitar parts and gentle touches of electronic programming, with Up's dissonance brushed away as far back as possible. Even in its more introspective moments the band reach out their hand rather than wallow away.

The production's other main role is tying together Reveal's different strands. R.E.M. are in transition here, with one foot in the electronic soundscapes they've played around with for the previous couple of years, while the other foot is kicking back for a full band feel. Thus Reveal is, despite its unifying atmosphere, a diverse album. The traditional R.E.M. band sound makes a comeback frequently, but with a twist in how it goes about its arrangements, though there is a precedent. Before Reveal, the band released the (fantastic) soundtrack single "The Great Beyond", re-introducing R.E.M. as a full-band rock act but one with an expanded sonic palette built upon Up's studio wizardry and the willingness to tap into new soundscapes through precise arrangements, and it's like the blueprint that Reveal's foundations are based on. Thus for example the guitar-driven "Disappear" and "She Just Wants to Be" sound like natural extensions of where the band were in the 90s, but there's a kind of grace and aural richness that sounds new. It's at times akin to a 21st century update on studio magic of 60s classic pop psychedelia years.

The first two singles, "Imitation of Life" and "All the Way to Reno", are such great examples of this - and they are among the band's most obvious hits in how irresistibly melodic and sing-along-y they are. To R.E.M.'s credit they don't sound remotely like they were engineered to be so and instead they are, once again, rich and soulful. The former is an unashamed pop anthem with one of the band's most simply thrilling choruses (and some fine, contrasting lower-end string stabs and the suddenly bittersweet bridge cutting through the song and reducing the risk of saccharine overload). The latter is a relaxed, effortlessly lush melodic stroll rich in harmonies and arranged gorgeously: of all the songs in Reveal, it carries the strongest comparison to "The Great Beyond" and goes for the same almost-wistful euphoria, successfully as well. In complete contrast, "I'll Take the Rain" is a gut-puncher - a bittersweet, heartaching ballad among the band's most fragile, swerving Reveal's final run with a sudden emotional curveball. With one of their most poignant choruses, it goes all the way to the top, its sadness piercing through with Buck's chiming guitar lines (and an actual guitar solo!). It's a powerful song, utilising Reveal's warmth in a wholly different way than the rest of the album.

The keyboard/synth-oriented songs on the other hand are dreamy, serene moments of still among the lively full band cuts. "I've Been High" is arguably the most extreme of the lot, as there's nary a trace of live instrument in its pseudo-synth pop sound. It's a colossally beautiful, haunting deep cut however, full of graceful melancholy and soothing dreaminess breaking through the sad haze - and its last minute, from its career standout bridge to the rise it takes in its finale and Stipe's evocative lyric lines, is absolutely incredible. "Beat a Drum", "Summer Turns to High" and "Beachball" on the other hand are prime examples of what I mean when I talk about Reveal as a summer album, evoking the spirit of the season and the lazy holidays with their warm sound. The latter two directly make the comparisons, the electro-acoustic "Summer Turns to High" obviously so while the mellow float of "Beachball" somehow manages to take the feeling of watching the sun go down at the end of a perfect summer's day and turn it into music, gently bobbing along with its minimalistic beat. "Beat a Drum" is a little masterpiece as well, with Mills taking control through his softly swaying bass riff, the gentle piano leading the song and enriching the chorus through his backing vocals. The chorus, incidentally, is another one that manages to evoke so much so effectively through what is in the end a very few lines and a fairly straightforward progression; and yet, it's one of the album's most magical moments, a true blooming of warm summer air in music.

The one song most driven by the production, "Saturn Return", is a little marvel on its own: all tightly-wound atmosphere with little elements bouncing back and forth between the headphones, constantly switching its lead instrument from Buck's feedback-heavy guitar line to Mills' delicate piano, floating on top of a persistent drum machine up until the near end when the live drums kick in for a moment. It's the most Up-esque moment on Reveal, a bridge between the two that reminds the band haven't completed moved away from it. It's quietly one of Reveal's key tracks: an unassuming oddity at first, eventually revealing itself to be an integral centrepiece and a curious shadow cast over the album's summer day.

The one remaining song, "Chorus and the Ring", is a strange one, not really going anywhere yet towards its end it reaches a certain kind of crescendo of its own ilk where you find yourself strangely captured by the song. It's an odd one out on an album that otherwise has a very direct touch with its songwriting ("Saturn Return" included), and perhaps the only slightly dimmer spot in what is otherwise one of R.E.M.'s very finest records. That's not a light statement, but it feels almost borderline obvious, because Reveal seems to have it all. Stipe is in brilliant lyrical form, with so many great lines that lead your imagination flying, the production is golden and everyone involved with the actual playing of the music are delivering a sharp performance. And as an album, Reveal is certainly one of their most melodic: it embraces a type of songwriting which leans on harmony and goes for hooks within hooks, almost overwhelmingly so. That's always been a strength for R.E.M. and Reveal revolves around it, making it the core theme for the album together with the lushness and the summer vibe. If you can think of a picturesque sunset on a peaceful summer's evening following a pleasantly hot day, and experiencing that comforting feeling of everything being perfect and carefree in life like the best summer vacation you've had - that's where Reveal wants to take you. And it does. "Beachball" closes the album with Stipe repeating "you'll do fine" as the sun goes down in the horizon, and you can tell that after all the sadness and uncertainty, there was hope again in the band's ranks.

[whatscoolaccordingtodom]

June 2018

June is the beginning of summer in the Northern hemisphere. American artists traditionally begin touring around this time with many of them even kicking off their world tours with a new album to promote because it just makes marketing sense. Initially I was going to write only about the G.O.O.D Music releases and how interesting this 7-song album every week for 5 weeks concept is, but “Conspiracy Theory” Dom could not ignore the spice brought in by The Carters, or the instant classic by AKA. June produced a definite shift in the way albums are released with many of the bigger artists opting for fewer songs. Select artists are also shying from promoting runaway bubblegum singles and then putting them on their albums in the name of sales; a more cohesive amount of plays-per-song is being favoured, proving artistry beyond the ability to make radio bangers bringing Tyler the Creator and Mashayabuqe to mind.

Starting on the 25th of May with Pusha T’s – Daytona. The G.O.O.D music President who has crafted a respectable roster, most recently signing Valee and 070 Shake who both released their debut tapes under G.O.O.D Music earlier this year, titled GOOD Job You Found Me and Glitter respectively. 070 Shake features on “Santaira”, singing the chorus, which is almost haunting. Push has built a career off his dark braggadocio cocaine inspired raps, almost every song is layered with references to or stories about cocaine, he also happens to be a top-tier lyricist with a respectable stash of flows. Daytona saw him stay very much in his lane on top of crisp Kanye produced beats, definitely falling in the top half of his discography, yet really left me wondering what King Push would’ve sounded like? “What Would Meek Do” is a highlight as well as “Hard Piano”, but it’s “Infrared” that landed the Drake publicity assist. He was baited, causing him to release the “Duppy Freestyle” where he attacked Kanye and Push’s fiancé, “The Story Of Adidon” in response held no punches. It is said Drake recorded a career ending reply, which he was advised to not release, it was then hinted the song would be released on Scorpion, but we never got it; a disappointing end to entertaining beef.

Same day as Daytona, New York’s favourite son and leader of the A$AP Mob, A$AP Rocky released his released third official album titled Testing. In my mind’s eye it’s less of Rocky trying new sounds and exploring the boundaries of rap, and more of him putting in an honest effort and staying true to the sounds of Harlem. A$AP Rocky is a rapper’s rapper who dabbles in fashion and takes on the fulltime gig of being his New York based mob’s front man. His influence pool has grown expanding his signature style. He’s been forced to grow up over the past few years, on “Changes” he speaks about exes moving on, getting married and having kids and on the album addresses sexual harassment which various mob members have been accused of. Anyone who’s been paying attention must have noticed that Rocky really gets along with OF frontmen Tyler and Frank, and of late him and Frank Ocean have collaborating quite a bit with “Purity” as a fitting addition to their growing joint catalogue. “Praise Da Lord” is the albums highlight, following the trend of featuring Skepta -as if the UK has no other fire rappers- Rocky crafts a banger that’s well worth the listen.

June 1st saw Kanye West his release his 8th solo album. Starting with the haunting “I Thought of Killing You”, the song/album is in line with his experimental journey with Hip-Hop and his influence, a journey which has seen him gain and lose millions of fans in waves. The ebbs and flows of public acceptance every changing, in his most recent efforts however has without doubt been the most controversial and most irreversible with millions vowing to boycott Ye after his slavery statement on TMZ. The album is filled with what seems to be snapshots of Kanye’s life in 2018 much like TLOP did in ’16. It is the snapshot of a rebellious boy with white in his beard, three kids, a supermodel wife, and a company destined to be worth $1bn dollars (in his own words). Kanye is no longer the weird beat making kid who wanted a chance, he has grown into an attention grabbing, outspoken erratic who is learning to apologise for his mistakes. “Violent Crimes”, one of the most talked about songs on the album is just a father trying to give his daughter a relevant song in 2018 that hides none of the truths. This made Ye come off as questionable, wishing his daughter has a terrible figure so niggers won’t ogle her. Ye is the story of Spider Man, except he never listened when uncle Ben told him “With great power, comes great responsibility”, he’s had to learn that for himself the hard way. Now at 41 years old, the artist seems to be settling into his place in the world, but is it too late for the black guy who shares dragon energy with Donald Trump? TLOP’s most underrated song was “Highlights”, here too the beautiful “Butterfly” goes almost unnoticed.

One week later on the 8th of June, every G.O.O.D Music fans most impossible dream came true. Most of the original dream team and a plethora of others came together for an unforgettable classic where they also addressed mental health issues. Laying confidently on top of obscure samples and Kanye’s over the top production is a project with simple lyrics but a strong message. Kid Cudi sees his return to G.O.O.D Music, of course he has appeared on every Kanye album since the 808 album, but this is more. The Kudi Sees Ghosts album, in typical Ye fashion was a credit mess, no doubt a law suit or two will spring from the 2018 G.O.O.D Fridays after wave. Mos Def features in the title song and gives a striking verse which is very relevant in the African context; “Civilisation without society” is a dream many Africans have, but would never dare to say out loud.

On this side of the pond, Potchefstroom based creative collective, The Faculty dropped their debut tape What Do We Call This released exclusively on Soundcloud June 8th. Find them on Youtube and Soundcloud @TheFacultyWorldWide.

Future released his soundtrack for the movie Superfly. This project highlights his talent beyond making songs, it saw him craft a playlist where you can almost imagine the movie even if you hadn’t seen the trailer.

June 15 was heavy with releases starting with the North’s favourite son, uBaba kaKairo released his 4th and final album Touch My Blood an interesting take on long projects. AKA gave us 16 enjoyable songs. The Supa Mega’s biggest irk is his need to place outdated runaway singles on his albums in the name of sales, to his credit the rest of the songs on this particular album were not mere fillers, they bang. “Fela in Versace” is a definite highlight. “Jika” will eventually find it’s place in the South African Wedding Song Hall of Fame alongside legends like “Marry Me”, sidenote on how AKA is actually fixated on making songs for this strange demographic. It’d be nice to hear what Touch My Blood would’ve been without “Caiphus Song” and “The World is Yours”. In true bitch with long nails fashion, AKA dragged and mocked his enemies the whole way through his project. Relief came in the form of his many features, picking and choosing from the elite few from home and giving us his now to be expected Nigerian fire feature from Kiddominant; anyone remember Burna Boy’s big local break? I must also note that L-Tido was better than decent on “Amen”, it wasn’t earth moving or anything, just didn’t dislike it. Stogie T is a solid rapper, but he failed to show it in the “Star Signs” music video, it kind of makes the song hard to like now since the video was ruined by his awkward visuals.

The spirit of the youth going independent and doing things their own way is best embodied by The Wrecking Crew Collective. A Reece brought it and 2 of his friends for L3 (Long Lost Letters), with his Wrecking Crew mates Ecco and Wordz, they deliver a compact project, filled with jabs at exes and haters. B T P H a graphic ode to P**y,[NDW1]  is so smooth and sees the rappers trade lines almost like a freestyle session. A-Reece takes time out to throw jabs at Nasty C, and we’ll absolutely see them returned on Friday the 6th of July when he releases his album. “Better Daze” is a stand out track for it’s message, it’s really just a group of friends who are happy their Youtube page hit 1 million views, a relatable goal currently being pursued by many African youths in the hopes that Youtube will give them the income the job market so clearly won’t

Jay Rock released his 3rd album, titled Redemption saw the TDE artist who is currently on tour with his label mates release a Kendrick assisted album. As usual Kendrick handed him his single with a bow tied, and even a memorable Future feature in the form of “Kings Dead”. This album is filled with enjoyable tracks though, the title song sees SZA and Kendrick come through while the clever “OSOM” features J Cole. But “WIN” takes the cake, the track is infectious and easy to remember but doesn’t come off as a pop single. The album is well structured paying homage to the traditional album layout, but it is carried by Rocks talent and the Kendrick assists.

Nasir had one job. Be better than 4:44, that’s all. In many ways Nas achieved this goal, the production was tailored to let him shine and his lyrics were well thought out, if at times a bit conspiracy theory-ish, somebody can somebody say not for radio? Nas has refreshed himself, we are given a similar message but we do not get bogged down in the typical patterns of his previous works. The disappointing release of this album reflects how men with abuse allegations are treated in current times, showing quite fairly that women are no longer sitting on the side lines and that abuse in the music industry can no longer be tolerated. The album didn’t do so well in the first week but the core fan base came through allowing many of the artists in this category enjoy Gold and Platinum status for their latest releases, it seems we can only be outraged and boycott when the hashtag agrees not when it actually matters.

My favourite by far in the pettiness series is from House Carter, directly from King Beyonce when she said “HOVA, BEYZUS. WATCH THE THRONE”, I shouldn’t have to explain how petty this line is. These jabs saw The Carters rain on Kanye’s G.O.O.D Fridays roll-out and Nas’ album by releasing their project on Saturday the 16th of June, the day after Nasir was released. Some sort of pleasure was found in the fact that their album with all its drama was still not able to secure the Number 1 spot that week. Everything is Love is the final chapter of a ‘true’ story we all lived out with The Carters as they threw stones in their glass house. If Lemonade opened the can of worms, 4:44 let us know that Jay was owning his situation; Everything is Love is their victory lap around Tidal subscribers and ticket purchaser’s cheque books. I mean, releasing a joint album while already on tour, they could potentially redo venues with a different show. Talk about the dream team. “I want you to come inside right now, so you know just how I feel”, B always uses lyrics that her more innocent listeners can sing along to in oblivious abandon, but on this album,  she also finds time to make Jay-z a bitch not just at that cringe worthy moment on “Love Happy”, the rest of the song more than makes up for it, but still. In terms of delivery, her rap game is fire. On “Nice”, the Jay-Z verse is him at his usual braggadocio self, it’s the pleasant feature from Pharrell that tells on how his voice has improved over the years, it’s only that high note that separated them; where Beyoncé took it in her stride. Skateboard P had to bring in the autotune; she managed to out rap Jay and to no one’s surprise, out sing Pharrell, on one song. Jigga Boo is upset that the faceless award givers now consider him too old for consideration, perhaps it’s time for him to join their ranks. I mean, how many Grammy’s is enough Grammy’s? He’s also tired of being famous which also gets him sued, Hov is so tired infact, that he shows up now to court without a suit, that’s when he does show up to court.

Keep That Same Energy, a line seemingly borrowed from Ye’s Wouldn’t Leave, really showed what the team at G.O.O.D Music had to go through to finish the series off strong, after Kanye took it upon himself to bite off more than they could collectively chew. Mike Dean, Ye’s producer of choice went on a drip after KTSE was released, exhaustion we’ll assume. Teyana’s album was the one I feared for most, having never heard an album from her before, but loving all of her contributions since joining G.O.O.D, notably the songs she appeared on for Cruel Winter; I was ready for Kanye to be tired and bring out a less than great album, and at first listen I thought I was right. The 7-song structure was bumped up to 9, and the songs themselves are generally quite low energy. BUT boy was I wrong, KTSE is RnB, it manages to house tracks with interesting messages like “No Manners” and “Hold On” while sexually inspired ballades like “3 Ways” ft Ty Dollar $ign make one reminisce on old RnB. It’s a fitting coming out party for the mother of one and wife of Iman, the 2 characters who feature quite prominently in her work, it’s almost as if she made the songs for them. I don’t know her personally, but I feel like Teyana has a lot of faith in Kanye, waiting all these years to bring out her album, I’d say it was worth it. As she herself says on “Young Love”, she isn’t just a musician, and I mean come on; who hasn’t enjoyed watching her dance? The album stays true to Kanye’s theme of Love, “Self-Love” focuses more on telling people that you have to love yourself first.  

Like G.O.O.D Fridays all grown up, but this is experimental Kanye, one who changes his entire album the week before release because he upset every black person, he tweaks tracks just before release and changes track names after release. Kanye West, formerly but still Yeezy, now Ye did his best to surround his releases with the theme of love but in true Kanye fashion he made a complete mess of things. From his affiliation with Donald Trump to the headline grabbing slavery comments, his version of the press-run before the album did not go well, nor did the actual album roll-outs. The game has been hinting at this faster roll out strategy for years now. Music culture has been speeding up and becoming more exciting, but what does this mean for the longevity of the art? Also, can an album reach classic status anymore in a time when they have only one month to live, where the first week basically decides the albums fate.

On the 29th of June, Drizzy Drake released his 5th studio album titled Scorpion. It has his face featured prominently on the cover, so an emotional album is to be expected. His brave attempt to give us two albums paid off, Disc 1 is for his rap fans and it is laden with good songs, “8 Out Of 10” is first to mind. Disc 2 is for his singing fans, and they received what they had been waiting for in spades. Drake shares his love for putting break away singles on his albums with AKA and here no fewer than 3 of those songs appear, the truth is anyone listening to the album must skip “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” because at this stage there is no need to play these songs in your own company. “Talk Up” see’s his pettiness feature Jay z so the 2 of them can send subliminal shots at the G.O.O.D Music crew, Jay z manages to give one of his most disappointing verses this year on a song he really didn’t need to rap on. “Don’t Matter To Me” signals where Drake is in his career, the top of the rap game, he’s figured out longevity and now he’s fulfilled his obligations according to his Cash Money contract; the Michael Jackson feature is a flex. Scorpion is an addition to Drakes catalogue and stays true to the playlist format of his previous album, it plays like a rap playlist from him and then an RnB one, there is no true cohesion or album theme other than his trademark complaining and emotional whining. BUT what does it matter what I think? His Editors Note on Apple Music mocked, silenced and uppercut the critics and haters before they could say anything. The man is an obvious legend who will go down as one of Hip Hops greatest, even if he never releases another album or chooses to never rap again, his place in the history books is cemented.

S/O Ty Dollar $ign and Jeremih for taking the baton from The Dream and running with it. Such artists are often under valued for their independent projects, but the value they have collectively added to a plethora of other artists albums this year cannot be understated. These 2 artists have contributed in a massive way and it wil culminate in a joint album later this year.

S/O  the artists Nasty C – Stings and Bling, Zakwe – Cebisa and Future – Beast Mode 2 all released on Friday the 6th of July.

Also, who knew Jay z could cook?

Love Dom