1. Nas - Life Is Good
I don't think of myself as someone who falls very hard for the endless cycle of anticipation and disappointment that accompanies pretty much any new Nas album, simply because I'm happy to let him do what he wants and not expect another Illmatic. But I also realize that most of his albums lack staying power and always sound they're best when new --Hip Hop Is Dead literally went from top 10 to not mentioned at all in my 2006 best-ofs over time. So I am very cautious in my praise of Life Is Good, because as great as "A Queens Story" sounds, it sounded better on first listen.

2. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
I kind of have more of an investment in the single off this record doing well than how good the album itself is, since I feel like they kind of perfected their sound already on the last two albums and all I really want from them now is to be bigger than the fucking Black Keys or whoever, because I want to hear them on the radio. This album hasn't gotten its hooks into me too much yet but I like how they sound with a little extra major label polish, although the difference from the indie records is really pretty minor. The texture of the guitar in the second verse of "Biloxi Parish" is the kind of subtle flourish that feels new for them, hopefully they can keep expanding their palette even if the content of the songs has remained somewhat static.

3. Eleni Mandell - I Can See The Future
Eleni Mandell is one of my favorite singer/songwriters working right now, and while I'm still slowly making my way through her back catalog, I'm finding that her last album, 2009's Artificial Fire, is still my favorite. So this album not striking me quite the same way is only a buzzkill in the sense that it means that someone this great is not necessarily still getting better and better with each record, but it's still really good, with songwriting and production that as usual flatters her lovely, languorous voice.

4. Mike Will Made It - Est. In 1989 (Part 2)
For a while I kept hearing about Mike Will's beats but not being able to really pick up on what people thought was good about them, but then Young Jeezy's "Way Too Gone" made me a big time convert, so I'm glad to not be totally perplexed by a new southern rap super producer's popularity the way I was with Lex Luger. This tape is about as inherently uneven as any producer-helmed mixtape, but there's really a lot of good shit here, especially Jeremih's "773 Love" and T.I.'s "Fightin' Words." No idea what to think about 50 Cent's "OJ," though, both musically and lyrically.

5. Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
I've always been a little mystified by the breathless praise for this guy, especially his voice. I get why people think he's a unique songwriter, although a lot of his lyrics scan as overwrought and pretentious to me, but mostly it's just hilarious to me that the most critically acclaimed R&B singer in years sounds like a cross between Ryan Leslie and Omarion. A few tracks are growing on me, but seriously, "Forrest Gump" may be the worst song of 2012.

6. DJ Jonny Blaze - The Transition
I interviewed Jonny the day this album dropped so I've kinda still been letting the album sink in. The whole Baltimore club/gospel thing is crazy, but a few tracks aren't club at all and those slower tracks kind of hold up the momentum for me. On the whole, the experiment works pretty well, though, fun record.

7. Kane Mayfield - Rhymes By Kane: Thievery Corporation Edition
Also wrote about this already but it's still growing on me. Don't know the source material at all but Kane kills these beats, "Alpha Beta" is hilarious.

8. 8Ball - Life's Quest
It's weird to say but 8Ball is kind of twee, at least by southern rap legend standards. I originally noticed a sentimental streak in his later solo records, but really going back to the '90s 8Ball & MJG records he says a lot of earnest stuff, very 'conscious rapper' type lyrics for someone who's never really looked at that way. Life's Quest is perhaps his most touchy feely album yet, and that's not really a good thing, mainly because there's a lot of R&B choruses and weak beats, which is a shame because he's been really consistent the last few years, that Memphis All-Stars record is still a minor classic to me. Still the best rap album by a fat man in the last few weeks.

9. Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't
I think it's hilarious that people inflated their expectations for a Rick Ross album to such unrealistic proportions that they were actually disappointed by this, which sounds exactly like all his other albums. He's a slightly better writer than he used to be, and has been in slightly better command of his aesthetic in the past, but in general this is exactly what he always does. A couple tracks work for me, most of it's whatever.

10. The Cataracs - Gordo Taqueria EP
I literally just realized how these guys spell their name when this record dropped, and had been referring to them as "The Cataracts" multiple times on this blog. I love their beats but man the vocals on this are pretty terrible -- you know it's a problem when you think "man, I wish Dev was singing on this instead." That single with Waka is crazy, though.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 at 8:42 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.