This week I want you guys to explore the wonderful sounds from Taylor Mcferrin’s debut album Early Riser. Taylor is a Brooklyn based producer, son of Bobby McFerrin who you all probably know for his famous song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy". Released on Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder, Early Riser is piece of work that, in my opinion, beautifully blends together various aspects from jazz, R&B, soul, and electronica but in a balanced fashion.
The record starts off with an engaging build up of layered drums, synths, keys, and ambient sounds. Postpartum emotes feelings of a beginning - the start of something fresh and new for both the listener and Taylor. Early Riser doesn’t have a flashy sound, nor is it particularly moving in any tangible sense of the word, but it is fluid both in structure and sound - the vocals flow in and out and have a tendency to sort of reel you back into the sound when you least expect. Taylor is able to keep the chilled out vibe of the record by utilizing a light sub-bass along with airy synths and electronic sounds. It’s the type of sound that allows the listener to ease into the genre without it being too jarring or experimental. Taylor’s style is sort of like a sophomore version of Flying Lotus’. Not in a “Flying Lotus is better than Taylor McFerrin” kind a way, but in a “Taylor’s sound is probably more accessible than FlyLo’s to the layman listener”.
I think the album’s title describes the feel perfectly. It’s a bit drowsy and chilled out, and even with the tracks that have a more powerful sound, the heaviness and instrumentation are eased into and then eased back out of again. The track Decisions (featuring one of my favorite vocalists Emily King), showcases not only Taylor’s songwriting, but also his talent as a producer. I think the way he takes samples of various sounds is intriguing; he does it so that it doesn’t confuse the listener or alienate the lyrics/vocals from the rest of the sound which is hard to do when lots of different pieces are being used.
Early Riser is easily one of my favorite releases off Brainfeeder. It’s an album that has a consistent theme but still embodies Brainfeeder’s vision of pushing the boundaries of electronica and finding ways to creatively weave different genres of music together.
I don’t want to ask questions as I’m interested in a more organic response to the album, but I would like to know why you liked and/or disliked certain tracks. Happy listening!
Driving down a coastal road, the sun hitting the water at a perfect angle...grassy hills cascading into the horizon behind me, waves crashing down on the rocks below my feet...
ReplyDeleteAt least, that's the mindset listening to this album puts me in. Postpartum sets the tone for what is to come: it's beautiful, understated, funky, atmospheric, and well produced. Florasia incorporates a Thundercat-esque bassline into the more laid-back atmosphere McFerrin creates on all of his songs. Place In My Heart, probably my favorite track on the album, sounds just like Kid A-era Radiohead at the beginning, before turning towards R&B and female vocals. Invisible/Visible is an awesome jazztravaganza. PLS DNT LSTN has some seriously kickass drumming.
I love this album. It is an example of an electronic producer who actually knows what he's doing: first and foremost, incorporating real instruments and obviously, having real talents. There is so much complexity here, but it's all so understated and beautifully done. Let me say it again: I love this album. Good work Maz!
I'm so excited that you enjoyed it this much. I was hoping someone would "get" it and you did. He's a great producer and his talent shines throughout this whole record. He has a few other tracks and remixes on his soundcloud if you're interested in checking that out.
Deletehttps://soundcloud.com/taylor-mcferrin
I thought the exact same Radiohead thing, Sam. Cool.
DeleteThe first time I listened to this I was cleaning a pool as the sun was rising on a beautiful day. This was definitely a good place to hear this for the first time, even if I'd rather be like, on a beach, instead of cleaning this dumb pool for the fourth time this week. Regardless, Early Riser is an apt title.
ReplyDeleteI like this album a lot. I think it has the obvious connections to FlyLo's work, but also to a lot of the new wave of British electronic producers today... 'Degrees of Light' and 'The Antidote' share a lot of similarities to Jamie xx and Flume's work; 'Decisons' is basically a SBTRKT song (not that it's a bad thing, it's probably my favorite song on the album). 'Florasia' is a pretty standard neo soul-type song that just happens to everything right. 'Postpartum' is a fantastic opener that sets the stage for what's to come.
The jazz elements are clearly there and shine through in songs like 'Already There' and on some of the shorter tracks. The drums are quite excellent and entertaining on several songs, and I really don't have better words to explain that because I don't have experience with drums or basically any other instrument whatsoever. My b, you guys were the ones that invited me.
If there's any criticism I have of the album (and it's a light one), it's probably of personal taste. I think that it lacks a little bit of ambition, or at least of high points. In my opinion, it aims to pique your interest rather than capture it. There are plenty of good albums that do this, and that's fine. There's a reason I listened to this four times and will definitely listen to it again. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Favorite Tracks: Decisions, Postpartum
Spot on with the comparison to Flume and Jamie XX, I get that too. And I agree, he incorporates a lot of neb-soul but balances it super well with the electronic components.
DeleteI also get your critique. I think I don't mind the fact that it doesn't capture your interest because I dig the overall vibe a ton.
Yeah, I wanted to listen to SBTRKT every time I heard "Decisions".
DeleteLike the album title suggests, I tried this out early in the morning (also around 4am). This was clearly the correct choice as it proved to be a fantastic way to start the day. It is mellow, but also has an energy that permeates throughout the work.
ReplyDeleteThe instrumentation is impressive. It combines funk, jazz, electronic, R&B, and more. I particularly enjoyed the lines in Florasia and the drums in PLS DNT LSTN like Sam mentioned. There is some serious talent on display, but it's done in an understated way. The music is complex, but it manages to never overwhelm. The use of vocals is interesting as well. While at times it is in the forefront (to great success) they are also used in other places as more just a piece of the mix. They meld into the music like another instrument.
Favorite tracks : Postpartum, The Antidote, Florasia, and Invisible / Visible.
I enjoyed this a lot. This isn't the sort of thing I'd listen to without a recommendation, so thank you for that Maz. I hope to hear more from him in the future, the talent is there for him to do some big things.
You're welcome! Check out his soundlcoud page, he has another EP and some other tracks on there
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ReplyDeleteMaz this album was a super enjoyable album to listen to. It was basically the soundtrack to my first full week of college so that's pretty cool. Dragging myself to 8am classes every day was slightly less painful cause I had Taylor with me. I'm not sure I ever listened to the whole album all the way through unfortunately, but I listened to it probably 6 or 7 times total while I was walking places throughout the week. I like the way you described it in comparison to FlyLo because that's what I really liked about it. It has a similar vibe to his stuff but is much less demanding of attention so, though less mind-blowing, it's better for having just rolled out of bed or when I'm trying to read something at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThe songs that stuck out the most were probably "Decisions" and "PLS DNT LSTN". I liked Emily King a lot and would love suggestions of other of her music to listen to. "PLS DNT LSTN" is obviously just really fun to listen to but also I like that it was kind of a change of pace from the rest of the album. I thought of it kind of as "ok, now you've had time to wake up, get on with the day" in the context of the Early Riser title. Great pick again, Maz, I'm going to consistently be looking forward to your weeks now so DON'T SCREW IT UP.
Just now getting to your comment, Emily King's vocals are amazing. Id check out Down, Distance, and Out of the Clouds. Glad you enjoyed the album so much, hopefully I can keep this streak up
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