Bilal - Airtight's Revenge

What would Bilal's Purple Rain look like?

This is a GROWER

album of the year

One of em yeah

It will get a track on my singles list at the least

Weird this thread came back, been revisiting this album over the last few days

same

revisited it the other week, still slams

love "Climbing." the 'smoking some mary jane, with Marilyn, in Maryland' line just jumped out at me because i used to know a pothead girl in Baltimore County by that name.

Nice

That bass on Winning Hand.

I know, right?

10/10 aoty, rt

i'm still not over this album (love surreal) even a little bit... any ilx rnb-ists have any recommendations that might scratch the same itch?

i feel like i love a lot of records in this vein but none are coming to mind right now. first van hunt record?

Did you check the Jose James record from last year? No Beginning No End is the name.

xp ha, that's funny, my friend showed me some van hunt after i showed him this bilal, but it was a later record. i'll check out the first one.

haven't heard jose james either, will do. thanks guys!

Also Black Radio 1 (and 2) by Robert Glasper.

Anthony Hamilton with Robert Glasper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq1Nti0LuEM

check out some Anthony Hamilton too

ALSO the latest albums from Amel Larrieux (Ice Cream Everyday) and Goapele (Break of Dawn).

Pretty much EVERYTHING Glasper is gold

you guyyyyyyyys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGKs6U8xdWM

new album with adrian younge apparently, which could be good, or could be too period-focused...

yeah that's a crap shoot, but there's high upside there

airtights revenge is really underrated - ive been listening to it a lot lately. its much better than a love surreal which seemed like him doing whats expected, more or less (though maybe its time for a revisit).

love airtights revenge
hate adrian younge

i listened to airtights and a love surreal today and they both fuckin rule

Couldn't get into Love Surreal apart from West Side Girl. Agree that Airtight's Revenge is really underrated.

the like 2 second sample of "when the levee breaks" in "move on" is hilarious

I just out Airtight on at an afterparty the other night! I never really did get into A Love Surreal tho. Hate Adrian Younge too.

just put on

just started playing this and it's definitely a bilal record

it's also really good? obv

Both of the above posts OTM.

new one sounded great while making dinner last night . i want to dig in more but it sounds like his most reined in, concise album yet?

Definitely

A Love Surreal already felt fairly concise to me (if not "reined in" per se). I feel like this album applies that album's discipline to Airtight Revenge's sonic template, though I haven't yet gone back to AR to confirm whether this is even remotely close to correct.

this tweet made me download this album lol

https://twitter.com/alshipley/status/617116418518028288

:)

Finally cracked into this yesterday. Exciting record. First half sounded great to me; second half was a little harsh but I was listening on bad speakers. I run hot and cold on Adrian Younge (sometimes his retro-ness scans as schticky to me) but his work here sound good

Yeah, this is the first Adrian Younge production I've really had any use for because he's finally working with an artist who pushes against his staid-ness.

who's Adrian Younge

the live drumming on this record is pretty appallingly bad, like the worst drumming i've heard on a 'name' record that wasn't shambolic indie rock shit

did you not like the Ghostface album xp?

the live drumming on this record is pretty appallingly bad, like the worst drumming i've heard on a 'name' record that wasn't shambolic indie rock shit

lol yeah this is such a weird choice

I thought the Ghostface record was a blast, but campiness flatters Ghostface. Haven't gotten around to the sequel yet though

who's Adrian Younge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Younge

And yeah, some of his fake-vintage stuff comes across as plastic to me, esp the drums

the live drumming on this record is pretty appallingly bad, like the worst drumming i've heard on a 'name' record that wasn't shambolic indie rock shit

track examples? i still haven't gotten a chance to listen to the first half, but there were parts in the first half that just seemed like intentionally janky loops.

if this album is as good as sirens (Which was amazing, if a bit short and bitty), i think it might be bilals best album in a while. i think airtights might be his best, followed by the first one, and then love for sale.

many songs on the record are as good as "sirens" which yeah is incredddible

Been listening to a lot of Adrian Younge's productions lately and was looking forward to In Another Life. Those drums sure are hard to get past tho. :(

i would call the drums a little basic sounding maybe, but i don't think i would have noticed so much if not for the convo in this thread. after one listen today i think it's pretty great, "it's definitely a bilal record" otm