Kelela - Cut 4 Me

Yeah, that was a tangent. But Tim otm.

hah if ever further proof were needed that tim is la puta madre when it comes to sweetening up disses

Lovely listen, this. Currently on "Floor Show"

Only about half way through but not feeling this at all. With a better vocalist it might have worked but her voice is kind of thin and the songwriting isn't really good enough for it to work as R&B. Also the beats are so torpid and lacking in energy even when they're fast.

i gave it another try and it's not the negative space in the beats i don't like, it's the fucking stop-start lack of a groove - like on "cut 4 me", which is probably as strong as the album gets, even there you have that pretty good loop which just PAUSES after every iteration for no reason at all. kingdom started out making infinitely better vocal music than this so it's just massively disappointing.

Yeah I don't think this realizes the potential of forward-looking production and R&B vocalist.

It sounds like most of these guys aren't giving Kelela their best shit and her writing is pretty boilerplate at times. This crawls to the finish line. I still like it, but it's not quite there yet.

Lex, have you every considered the idea that you might be rhythmically inadequate or deficient, and not this music?

For Fans of: FKA Twigs, Ruby Goe, Aaliyah

i'm good

I've not paid much attention since The Perfect Lullaby but kinda despairing that this is the sort of R&B that Nguzunguzu decide to make when they get the chance.

This tape sounds pretty good to me, but I understand the indifference. It epitomizes everything that's meh about R&B in 2013: tiny voiced singers who mistake minimalism for substance; production that sounds like it came from glass studios where you can't touch anything; songs that don't stick; AlunaGeorge-isms, etc.

this sound just codes as super yuppie to me atp

This tape sounds pretty good to me, but I understand the indifference. It epitomizes everything that's meh about R&B in 2013: tiny voiced singers who mistake minimalism for substance; production that sounds like it came from glass studios where you can't touch anything; songs that don't stick; AlunaGeorge-isms, etc.

― Evan R, Friday, October 4, 2013 10:21 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

bingo. this style is dead as ... dead. heroin's coming back in a big fuckin way

Y'all have never been so wrong.

ILM you disappoint me.

evan otm. it does sound "pretty good" but...that's it

also idk who "josephine" is but i'm calling sock at any poster who seemingly only shows up to snark at me

get over yourself, b

whenever i see this thread title i hear the weeknd singing "take a cut for me"

FWIW I'm not grading its quality either way, just expressing a general ennui w/ the entire approach

haven't really digested this whole thing yet and though i think evan's assessment has an element of truth to it, "enemy" kinda refutes the idea that this is all very precious

production that sounds like it came from glass studios where you can't touch anything

i think this is less of a problem here... a lot of these beats are hard. one of the best things about this record. they would break glass studios! i understand the lineage you're referring to but i think it's a red herring here.

when the songs fail it's because the producers misunderstand timbaland's genius as purely related to his drums instead of his drums rubbing against the textures of traditional, soulful R&B. production nerd problems, i'd wager.

but i like this record. i don't think it's GREAT but the songwriting is stronger than i anticipated. i also think the vocals are generally pretty good except when she sounds too much like cassie (my main prob with "bank head"). also i think this leans closer to so so def-era bass music than it's getting credit for.

that said i do sympathize with lex in that i wish there were songs here that had momentum. there's a lot of banging up and down here — and i like that about it, "enemy" and "floor show" and "cut 4 me" — but not enough pushing forward

i'm with rev, this is great.

lex is right that this needs to be more danceable though lol

it's like two albums worth of good slow jams crammed into one which sounds good but is kinda boring

actually it's funny that evan made the "glass studio" quip when there's literally the sound of glass shattering in one song

lol, does 'guns & synths' use the gchat notification sound on the backbeat every so often? it's tripping me out.

i think this is plenty danceable in its way, thought that was the whole idea.

Up and down but not forward is a v good description of the beats (and why I don't get with them)

do you mean like in terms of dynamics (structure, builds, etc) or just how the grooves feel?

How the (NON) grooves feel I guess?

the actual slow jams (minus minimal dance beats) at the end of the record are stunning

This is growing on me a lot. Wish "Go All Night" was a full track.

the glass thing is probably one of Jam City's?

I thought it was the NA track?

I thought this would be boring like jessy lanza, but it's actually pretty nice. I'm all for night slugs/fade to mind + vocals.

yeah lanza did cross my mind too but it def doesnt deserved to be put it with that ilk

jeez.. deserve to be put in

none of these melodies are sticking in my head at all but it doesn't matter, i can't stop listening to this.

it's the beats, but they wouldn't work at all without the vocals, there would be nothing there.

"Enemy" has been in my head all the time (as well as "Bank Head" obv), but otherwise true

Up and down but not forward is a v good description of the beats (and why I don't get with them)

― lex pretend, Friday, October 4, 2013 10:54 AM Bookmark

I actually agree with this, in that they're meant to BOUNCE

'bank head' is an exception for sure, although it still reminds me of 'stillness is the move'.

Up and down but not forward is a v good description of the beats (and why I don't get with them)

― lex pretend, Friday, October 4, 2013 10:54 AM Bookmark

I actually agree with this, in that they're meant to BOUNCE

― The Reverend, Monday, October 7, 2013 5:19 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark

yeah i don't think it's a negative across the board, just wish there was a bit more variation

re: bounce, i agree, they're built like dance beats but feel like rap beats.

'floor show' is pretty hooky too i guess.

oh yeah, that one too

"floor show" and "enemy" are easily the best two imo except for "go all night" but i'm not counting that

that morris beat is so majestic tho

The refrain from the title track is the earwormiest thing here for me.

"floor show" and "cut 4 me" are the best two imo (and the only ones which approach keeper status)

A similar sense of desolation

Definitely the best thing she's done, but I'm a complete sucker for jungle breaks.

idk know Take Me Apart had more variety, and the songwriting isn't up to SZA's.

Raven is so, so good

thrilled to be seeing her live again later this year

so good I have to un-hide it: Raven

really digging the *Rave:N, The Remixes* album. so dreamy and cool.

https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b27342be66dc114499902e3a4d15