My initial thoughts after running through the entirety of Young Fathers’ Cocoa Sugar, was how long have they been around and where the f*ck have I been? If I may borrow some British lingo(?), they’re bloody brilliant. Like a lot of today’s music, trying to put a label on or even describe their overall sound is damn near impossible. It’s a little bit of pop, a little bit of punk, a little bit of electronic, a little bit of hip-hop, and a whole lot of countless other influences. It all sounds highly experimental, and a bit chaotic, but never so much that they lose their cool. Even when a soft ballad like “Lord” breaks down into heavy vibrating synths, it feels appropriate and almost otherworldly. There is a loose narrative to the proceedings and they make vague allusions to social issues but they leave it hazy at best instead relying on the emotion of the song to carry their message forward. It’s at time anxious, at times full of rage, and at times full of wonder – but it all feels organic. Young Fathers have crafted something special here and I’ve found it difficult to pull myself away. This one is a must experience.
XXXTENTACION said his goal was to show his versatility on this project and although a lot of the stuff here is watered down representations of said genres, his talent is undeniable and his renditions turned out better than I ever would have expected. Now most of it feels like teasers/unfinished versions with only two tracks going over 3 minutes, but sonically there's more than enough here to keep me coming back. ? is as enigmatic a project as XXXTENTACION is as an artist but there's an undeniable draw to it and to him that continues to surprise.
Ty Segall pulls out the full arsenal on Freedom's Goblin delivering a 19-track ride that goes all over the place. In lesser hands it might feel disjointed or convoluted but with him it just shows how truly gifted he is and just how in tune he is with the craft of rock. He clearly marches to the sound of his own beat and it's incredibly exhilarating. Freedom's Goblin is one hell of a ride and further proof that he may just be a mad musical genius.
Hurts' latest is full of formulaic festival anthem music that at times can feel aggressively generic but thanks to his great voice and touches of soul I couldn't help but nod right along with the melodies. There's some signs of true musicianship here but for the most part it's a clear ploy for chart-topping success, and whether they'll really find that success and acclaim is yet to be seen but it's a very crowded field they're playing in.
“I wanna be king until I am
A man is just a man, I understand
Has everything gone to plan?
Don’t say it out loud, just let me dance”
Have you heard Cocoa Sugar? What’d you think about it? What’d you think of their crazy amalgamation of sounds? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions to the album.
Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar Reaction
Conclusion
Like a lot of today's music, trying to put a label on or even describe their overall sound is damn near impossible. It's a little bit of pop, a little bit of punk, a little bit of electronic, a little bit of hip-hop, and a whole lot of countless other influences. It all sounds highly experimental, and a bit chaotic, but never so much that they lose their cool. Young Fathers have crafted something special here and I've found it difficult to pull myself away. This one is a must experience.
Fuego!!!
In My View
Holy Ghost
Toy
Lord
