So I’ve decided to start doing a pick of the week, as a big lover of music it feels like a good thing to do. You may or may not agree with my picks but that’s not the point. All I can hope in this small portion of my thoughts is that I influence you to listen to some different music plus it’s a good excuse for me to get stuck into some new album’s myself…
Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Album: Damn
Ah where to start…as a huge fan of Kendrick Lamar’s past work, naturally I was excited for this highly anticipated release. It is no big secret that ‘Damn’ is receiving praise across the board from fans and critics alike and it’s very tempting, (if you haven’t listened to a lot of Kendrick Lamar before) to avoid the hype train as everyone is bangin’ on about it. However I am here to talk about a few solid reasons why you should give it a good listen.
Kendrick is known for his clever, deep, interesting and bold writing and ‘Damn’ is no exception. I’ve found myself listening to this everyday and each time hearing new things whether it’s instrumentally, musically or lyrically. Never before with any other artist have I found so many layers and sides to their work, this whole album is thought out from start to finish all the way down to the track listing. With every listen you find yourself enjoying it in more and different ways.
Lyrically the album is still blowing my mind, there are piles and piles of information in there but every detail is thought out and every song has so much to take from. This tied in with Kendrick’s technical skill to acrobat around and break words married up with the instrumentation, beats and sounds, you really start to see why this is an incredible listen. Not to mention sonically the album literally sounds great, real high high’s, low low’s and a crazy range of sounds, effects and manipulation it’s a pleasure to listen to from an audio nerd’s point of view too!
The stories, truths, tales and thoughts that Kendrick puts across in this really get you thinking just as ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ did and still does. I just appreciate the all round artistry in his work and how this album is so deeply woven and interleaved to the very end, it takes some real vision, skill and creativity to achieve this.
I think what I’m trying to say in this little post is that whether you’re a fan of rap and hip hop or not, this album is totally worth your time and attention and not just for the reasons I listed. Even if it’s only to appreciate it for what it is, but I guarantee you’ll take something away from the experience! Give it a good go I dare ya! I double dare ya!
Let me know what you think, get stuck in.