Yeezus - Kanye West

Released June 18, 2013

7.5 / 10

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Favorites

Black Skinhead, New Slaves

Least favorites

I'm In It, Bound 2

Kanye’s sixth solo (seventh overall) album is the product of an adroit combination of calculated lyrical impulsiveness and pixilated sonic abrasiveness. And if this doesn’t make sense to you, “Yeezus” probably won’t either. A child of genre hybridization, borrowing from industrial, punk drill, acid-house, soul and dancehall, “Yeezus” is a step away from pop’s vicinity that demands to be heard. Kanye is undoubtedly still very concerned with power, who holds it and who aches from their lack of it, and this concern takes on various forms; some of which breathe out an admirable sense of social awareness and others reeking of a nefarious mishandling of his frustration. "Yeezus" is unquestionably an agitated composition, particularly throughout its opening tracks. Kanye creates and cultivates an unwavering feeling of urgency from the first seconds of On Sight to the outro of New Slaves. The thrill of the opening of On Sight is a feeling to become accustomed to. Daft Punk duo Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter co-produced this compelling entryway to Kanye's brainchild, ending it on a hair-rising note. Black Skinhead keeps the ball rolling, feeding a sense of restlessness - procured by the pulsing beat and the notable breathing sounds - only heightened by spotless production (again with the help of Daft Punk). This track makes the listener feel like they have been coerced in running away from some eerie unexplained circumstance. The regular drops in intensity do not provide any respite; in fact the opposite happens as we prepare for the instrumentals and the bassline to pick up where they left off. From a theatrical performance we're propelled in another stage of the race for our life - and yet another track Daft Punk had something to do with. I Am A God is as aggressive as its little sisters. So far, the most paranoid-sounding track; which paradoxically fits very well with the exuded cockiness, hinting at a form of self-awareness that could have been easily missed. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon announces the end of the chase: now is Kanye's time to reverse the tables on the perpetrators of his psychosis - and yes, this includes Yeezy himself. New Slaves ushers in a new demeanor. Kanye delivers hard-hitting racial commentary, hinting at the inspiration behind an upcoming track ("I see the blood on the leaves"), a somber song ("Strange Fruit") originally performed by Billie Holiday on the lynching of African-Americans. The unabashed assurance - stripped of the inklings of neurosis on I Am A God - heard on New Slaves's vocal delivery is mirrored in the instrumentals. This dark sound is deeply entrenched in Kanye's control. The less abrupt transitions between the different gears at play, the order in the drumming and the alignment of the vocals with the other layers of the song all make the track sound less rushed. Kanye now has the luxury of repeating variants of the same phrases over and over; he's no longer the prey in the nightmarish chase. By the time Hold My Liquor starts, paradigms have completely shifted. There is no question of chasing or being chased anymore. Even the pulsating beat feels different - this time it's more of a soothing force than a martial charge. The next section of the album showcases the less convincing elements of the album. In truth, "Yeezus" is plagued by unnecessary gimmicks that have survived the deep purge undergone while in Rick Rubin's hands, two weeks before its release date. Hold My Liquor suffers from a juvenile display by teenage rapper Chief Keef. It's hard to wallow in the mournful musical atmosphere after hearing Chief Keef's verse ("I can't control no liquor / But these bitches can't handle me / I can't control my niggas / And my niggas they can't control me / You say you know me, my nigga / But you really just know the old me"). A great shame considering the fascinating intro, Kanye's splendid verse and the background pressing electronic sonics build-up deflected by Justin Vernon. Not to mention the magnificent Ratatat-reminiscent guitar solo by Mike Dean (also a recurrent producer on "Yeezus"). On the other hand, I'm In It doesn't have much going for it to compensate for the completely unnecessary background moaning, Assassin's barely intelligible verse and Justin Vernon's discordant contribution - singing about grabbing ass and shedding clothes. Also worth mentioning are the gratuitous Star Wars shooting noise on Guilt Trip and the exasperating "Uh uh honey" Brenda Lee sample on Bound 2. For all its flaws, "Yeezus" demonstrates an impressive flair for placement and architecture. The sequence of outro/intro pairings is a highlight worth noting - especially how Black Skinhead's "God!" aggravated repetition leads into I Am A God. And most - not all, looking at you Bound 2 - of the samples used are beautifully inserted in the edifice that is "Yeezus" from the gutsy distorsion of the opening dancehall passage on I Am A God to Nina Simone's computerized rendition of "Strange Fruit" on Blood On The Leaves. Overall, "Yeezus" is as subtle as its architect, but just as you wouldn't go to Times Square for a bit of tranquility, "Yeezus" is not the appropriate place to look for tame music.

Favorite lyrics

"That summer night holdin' long and long, 'din long Now waiting for the summer rose and (Breathe) And breathe and breathe"

Blood On The Leaves

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