thread of miguel

just went on Spotify to see if they had the new EP, they don't, but they do have a single he apparently released in 2011 called "Strawberry Amazing," which i had never heard anything about before, pretty good, very lo-fi Prince

something i noticed on the Art Dealer Chic liner notes -- Miguel self-produced the whole thing (except for one co-production from Fisticuffs, who did "Quickie" and "Girls Like You"). afaik Miguel didn't really do any of the production on the first album, so it looks like he's really stepping up and getting more involved in that side of things.

"Strawberry Amazing" was on his 2008's Mischief, too, and he co-produced that entire mixtape with Fisticuffs. That mixtape was super lo-fi; it sounds like he recorded it with a Casio and a boombox, but you can definitely hear a lot of echoes of the new EP in it.

i don't really feel like the Jive album sanded off the edges of that aesthetic much at all, give or take a few of the more established producers' contributions

Yeah, I agree. When I first heard the Jive album, I was actually surprised by how low-budget it sounded at times, especially the Fisticuffs productions. Because it came out so quietly at the time (this was before "Sure Thing" had any legs) I was wondering if Jive had cut corners and were just trying to bury the album. It definitely took a few listens for some of the more muffled production to make sense.

I kind of think of that hazy, reverbed vibe as the album's distinguishing characteristic. Gives it a very warm, intimate feel. Although a lot of that is down to Miguel himself, too.

like Strawberry Amazing but always hear a little Lenny Kravitz :/

i don't think anything on the EP touches "adorn" but that's the single of the year so far, so no biggie

― J0rdan S., Sunday, March 4, 2012 6:24 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark

'adorn' is great but the single of the year so far is obv 'climax'

"Climax" hasn't really hit me yet. I'm an "Adorn" partisan.

'adorn' is great but the single of the year so far is obv 'climax'

wanna say "dayo otm", but i guess i got something to listen to when i get home

My ex is friends w his little brother lol. Apparently he sings too tho not professionally afaik

I like miguel. Sure thing was never my thing but he has a great voice and feels like a genuine original

I think EZsnappin nailed it on tumblr where he said "Adorn" sounds like early-80s Marvin. The greater trick though, is that he achieves that vibe without any air of tribute or homage.

ban dayo

"adorn" is so killing me atm

i agree with dayo that "climax" is better than "adorn"

"Adorn" makes me think of Prince fwiw

it makes me think of Prince less than 80% of his material but he definitely wrote it in part because he couldn't write another song called "Adore"

nbd, just a cross between marvin gaye & prince

vol 2, tomorrow

my neighbors always know when I come home because I bump adorn 4 times

^____^

http://www.rap-up.com/2012/03/27/new-music-miguel-art-dealer-chic-vol-2-ep/

haha i d/led it from miguel's site which requires you to fill out a non-optional "Hopes and Dreams" box to download lololol smh

I think I like "Arch n Point" even more than "Adorn"! This is sooooooooooo good... even on my shitty laptop speakers it just sounds fantastic

"Broads" is a tad wacky

yeah, it's just terrible. Like, delete-from-iTunes bad.

god damn "arch n point"

yeah I'm unchecking 'broads'

I love how fucking LOUD "Arch n Point" is... that guitar!

wow, "...all" might be better?

"arch n point" could def be a trey songz album track, but like 10x better

man, "...all" is almost threatening to be organ house

this shit bangs

yeah, i think "...all" might be my favorite from this one

Didn't realize we had a Miguel thread! Although in retrospect, duh.

Vol. 2 > Vol. 1 I think, although Adorn >>>> all the other tracks from the project.

naw, i think (although my opinion on this might change) "gravity" > any of the tracks on vol 2 also

yeah listened to volume 2 today and nothing stuck with me at all really, kinda disappointed

but then went back and listened to vol 1, all i want is you, and mischief, so all is good. i seriously slept on all i want is you for so long

i kinda wonder how many people on this thread are still sleeping on all i want is you

did you ever come around on the title track?

I didn't know about Mischief, d/ling that now.

yeah i came around on the title track, although the salaam remi stuff on the album is still generally my least favorite

mischeif is not mindblowing or anything, miguel's voice is obviosly the main draw but the production's not great and the songwriting isn't nearly as strong as his recent work

oh word

There are small, scattered moments on Mischief where everything clicks and its like, "oh right, I love this guy." I've gotten a ton of writing done to that mixtape over the last couple of years; it's good background music that still kind of jams

I just still can't believe that he did the hooks on that Blu & Exile album from back in 2007.

saying "gravity" is the best thing off these tapes is clinically insane

you are underrating "gravity", which is amazing, but i don't think anyone said that

yeah i misread you

i'd still rate them as adorn > ...all > arch n point > gravity

the thick bassline + the harmonies on the "shoo-di-doo da-di-da da-di-da-dah" chorus >>>>>>

'broads' is cute enough, what's the big problem

haven't heard his very earliest stuff but at least on all i want is you there was a clear pharrell/nerd vibe going and 'broads' is just some more of that writ a little too large. can't pretend it's not there though

i'd even argue you can make a case for still being able to hear trace elements of it in the new good widescreen stuff too really, but then i guess your imagination would need to stretch to what a decent latter-era nerd song would sound like

in any case it's true what rev says about miguel's elision of "any air of tribute or homage" whoever he may happen to sound like - a very nice trick to have

'broads' is cute enough, what's the big problem

agree with this.

late on this but his new single with Lil Yachty is fantastic imo, might be my favourite track he's released in ages:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRSjYiF490

i don't love it but it's a weird track (in an interesting way), especially the outro

yeah outro's my fave bit as well, love it when miguel gets weird

Not bad

animal collective ass song lol

lol otm

uhh I do not like this

he's on a jessie reyez song that recently came out that's pretty nice

finally there's a new Miguel's album, 'CAOS'. Did anyone listen it already?

the single was a little in one ear and out the other for me. how is the album?

vibes on this are kinda industrial -adjacent? wish he'd fully commit to that

pretty underwhelming overall on first listen

Yeah that was my reaction, though I am sufficiently emotionally invested in the concept of Miguel having a big comeback in 2025 that I am prepared to give it a few more listens

I'm not hearing much of a change -- it's of a piece with the rest of his catalog. The short self-produced ones are my least favorites.

I like it.

yeah im a little disappointed. there are certainly moments, like the stretch i am assuming alfred is talking about from "triggered" to "oscillate," but it isn't comppelling me to revisit in full

tickets going on sale for his latest tour and I think I might skip him this time

I'm not hearing much of a change -- it's of a piece with the rest of his catalog.

This is why I was just underwhelmed on my first listen. I like Miguel's voice but I don't want to hear him simply copy the song structure arrangements he has used in the past. Also, I don't hear anything as catchy as "Sure Thing" ...

I'll have more to say in a couple days. And I envy that you have the option to say no to a show.

How did I miss the track he did with Justice...absolutely gorgeous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1T1VWxazC8