Tobacco has a decidedly dark and
grimy sound. The vocals that exist in here are subjected to heavy distortion
and always bordering on nonsense. Every song is surrounded by a kind of
fuzziness that stands in contrast to the high polish of other electronic
producers. Each track is very melodic, containing all of the structure of a
rock song, but with entirely different instrumentation. Fucked Up Friends was
created using only analog electronic tools, which gives the album an almost otherworldly
feel. This choice is fundamental to the psychedelic sound of this album. It’s
not that digital equipment doesn’t pop; it just doesn’t pop like it does with Tobacco’s
work.
The only real theme on this album
is a defiance to being subjected to any single category. The album is a strange
blend of genres. While instrumentation is completely flooded with electronics,
many of the beats on this album are heavily influenced by hip hop. The album
also conjures up images of lo-fi or psychedelic rock as well. Tobacco has also
said that his albums have cohesive theme, but that this theme is highly contextual.
Some of that context can be provided through the artist himself via the album
art and production choices, but listener interpretation is also valued on this
album.
For me this album has changed as I
have listened to it. My first impressions did very much fall under the feeling
of being unsettled in a completely enthralling way. However, as I have given
this album more time, it has shifted from this dark mystery into soundscape I
can get lost in. Like a lucid dream it brings me to a place that is both
surreal and comforting.
I'm going to get right to the point and compare this album to Oreos.
ReplyDeleteFucked Up Friends is like a classic Oreo. It's pretty good. But the more you think about it, the more that you realize what else is out there -- double stuffed Oreos, mint Oreos, hell, even cinnamon bun Oreos. And so while you may enjoy this Oreo, you will also realize that you could be eating something better.
On the positive side, the beats are good, the sound is pretty unique, and reminiscent of RJD2 at times, which I enjoyed. On the negative end of things, the album dragged on for something that's less than 40 minutes, and overall was just a bit monotonous.
I like what he's doing and I've always admired Black Moth Super Rainbow without listening to many of their songs, but just because they are unique and original and have a cool sound. It can backfire, though, as it can get too "same samey", and that happens here a bit for me. Cool album, I'm not sure if I'll listen much in the future but I'm glad I did.
Erik, I love this album. It's definitely one of my favorites that has been suggested so far. There are catchy parts and there are groovy parts and it's deliciously weird throughout. I walked to class listening to this album a lot and it made a great soundtrack to crossing the street without getting hit and trying to walk faster than everyone else and the rhythms kept fitting into my steps which I love.
ReplyDeleteOne highlights for me was "Truck Sweat" which I actually used in my friend's art project last night. The project was to draw blindfolded while listening to music so you're like "drawing a song" and this one finished with a pretty cool drawing. And it made him say "wtf is this nora" so like, mission accomplished. I also really enjoyed "Gross Magik". It reminded me of that song "I'll stop the world and melt with you" but, again, deliciously weird. The song featuring Aesop Rock was cool too. I had never heard Aesop but he sounds a lot like Busdriver and I love Busdriver so maybe I'll check him out too.
I pretty much enjoyed this cover to cover. It was the perfect length so I wasn't sad when it ended but I never lost interest. It was also nice in that I felt like whether I was listening to it while reading a textbook or just listening, I enjoyed it equally. It was the right level of entertaining but not too abrasive to be background music and also intricate enough to hold my attention when I was giving it my full attention. Can't wait to listen to more Tobacco. Good pick, Erik.
This album has a lot of elements that I actively seek out when looking to find new music: weird synths, funky rhythms, and a distinct flavor. This guy uses a lot of great synth textures, and many of them remind me of some of the vintage 70s synth music I've heard. I especially like the use of that flute-like instrument... the name escapes me, but I've definitely come across it before. I really like the songs Hairy Candy and Gross Magik, specifically because they implement that airy vocoder. The vocoder use is something I really liked about the few BMSR songs I've heard, and I'm glad it has a place on this album in a few places, but I feel like he could have done more with it. The Aesop Rock song was also a highlight juts because it stood out and offered something a little different. Also, honey bunches of oats is a really good cereal.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there was a lot I didn't like about this album, too. Many songs are somewhat indistinguishable from each other, and I'm not a huge fan of that. It's one thing to have a similar sound throughout your album, but it's another to just use the same chords and try them out with every different synth in every combination possible. For that reason, I think this album sort of sounded more like a raw library of random compositions with little to no filtering when it comes to weeding out songs based on whether or not they contribute to the album. However, I can definitely appreciate this album as pleasant background music.
When you started your introduction with "Let's get weird" I was expecting some wild stuff. I found the prospect quite intriguing and was excited for my first listen.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't as out there as I was expecting, but it is a very nice album. I enjoyed it very much. The sound saturation creates a very rich experience and on an individual level the songs are very interesting. I love the use of vocals more as an instrument than as the lead. That's something I love about shoegaze music. Actually I feel like the two have a lot in common. The term "wall of sound" could definitely be used here! On the other side of the coin, the Aesop rock feature was totally unexpected and awesome. It stood out from the rest and showed some range.
Standing out. That is the main problem I have with the album though. A lot of the songs do not stand out from one another. Maybe that was done on purpose? It was odd, when I was heavily focusing during my listens the album seemed to drag due to this, but when I had it on as background music, the album flew by because the songs ran together.
All in all, a cool and interesting pick Erik. Enjoyment = yes.
Alright, when you said "let's get weird" I was seriously expecting to not like what I was about to listen to but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I really dig the psychedelic-electro feel to it but I can also sense some of the songs have some funk influences as well (particularly Berries that Burn - one of my favorites). I couldn't tell you what the cohesive theme in this album is and while that tends to bother me at times, I think because this is a highly instrumental album, I appreciate the blend of genres that add different layers of texture to the overall album. The latter half of the album is super strong to me, maybe because the beats are more hip-hop and funk influenced. But songs like Pink Goo, Tape Eater, and Dirt were memorable tracks.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do agree with Tyler that the album did drag on at times. On my first listen I kept on feeling that it would be over but a next song would stop playing. I've noticed this tends to happen with albums that are more instrumental rather than vocal heavy so different people are going to experience it in different ways. Nonetheless, it's a pretty strong record for me and I've saved some of the songs I've enjoyed to come back to, so thanks for the rec!