Dangermouse - Moment of Clarity

Grey Album > Black Album.

Blasphemy? Probably yeah, but that just how I feel. Like don't get me wrong, there are amazing songs on the original Black album. 99 Problems, Lucifer, PSA, My 1st Song. However there are duds. Allure, Threat, Justify My Thug, Moment of Clarity.

Actually to call them duds would be inaccurate. The raps on these songs are fine, but the production is lackluster. Allure is probably one of the worst beats I've ever heard. The lyrical content is heavy, but the beats don't match. Its like Jay had been working on the album in his head for years, but the producers weren't on the same page.

What the Grey Album has (after the novelty of the Beatles samples has worn off) is cohesion. It shapes the feel of the song around the content of the raps that are already there so it starts to take shape. Even the use of the Beatles as a sample source gives the album a sense of weight and gravity to match the importance of the lyrics. This is Jay 'retiring', summing everything up and stepping away. It has a reverence to material that the original album didn't have.

This could also just be a product of context. I heard alot of these songs for the first time in the Grey Album form and got chills. When I heard the originals, I was underwhelmed. But thats just me. I don't expect to change anyones mind on this, just my thoughts...

But srsly, the Neptunes version Allure is garbage, so I'm also posting the awesome Ratatat version below. Enjoy.

Jay Z - Allure (Ratatat Remix)

Best.Of.2010 Honorable Mention - Brothers

When writing about Black Keys, its usually mandatory to mention whether or not they’re switching up styles, expanding their range and whether or not they’re working with Dangermouse this time around. Such emphasis is placed on sound and style these days, ideas over execution.

However I’ve always had the opinion that when approaching a new project, artists have two (not mutually exclusive) options. You can either change your sound a bit, or do what you’re already doing, but do it better. Brothers is the product of taking option number two. Its clear from the opening stomp of Everlasting Light, Brothers is the work of a band at the peak of their abilities.

While I’ve always enjoyed the Black Keys, their albums have been non-starters for me. I usually get bored about halfway through. However, Brothers is a highly diverse, fresh and interesting album despite not departing from their sound, a testament to both loosening up and having fun, despite the frequently depressing subject matter. The album knocks, like few other modern rock ones do these days. And as was said by the Weiss, “A vote for the Black Keys is a vote against the Kings of Leon”.

The Black Keys - Everlasting Light