Kelela - Cut 4 Me

i like kehlani more but i get why kelela gets more critical laurels

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40)

the Kehlani album is really fucking long, as much as I love it (this doesn't address your point, I know).

this album is nice to put on but i was expecting a few big songs. i don't hear anything as good as "rewind" on here.

i was listening to this the other day while walking to get food, when i got to the place i took my headphones out and ciara "promise" was playing & i thought "damn there should be a song as good as this on here"

"altadena" is really nice tho

I love the idea of an album that builds on the rhythmic inventiveness and warmthness of the OiaM/Empty/Promise continuum! But I don't think this is that album. I love the idea of the concept of this more than the actuality. Where you guys hear "sustained exploration" I hear meandering with texture and mood hiding the lack of big songs. I think you can make something slight and skeletal and it still be a "big song."

I don't mean to invoke Dawn or Kehlani or whoever to say "why can't this album sound like them" because that's not the point, this isn't trying to be grandiose or sisterly. But those artists have albums that wholly succeed in their aims, whereas this struggles to match its intent.

Also, as much as I like a lot of things with production credited to Ariel Rechtshaid, and I love Jam City (a lot), I'm not sure how well it sits with me that the big critical success of contemporary r&b is a Warp-released album exec-produced by two white guys. I'm not in the US but the iTunes Marginalization thread is clear how hard a time ~traditional r&b~ is having. In the UK the situation is grim. If this was a stellar example of genre formalist excellence or astonishing innovation or visionary accomplishment then I could understand. But I don't get any of that from this.

this album is undeniable imo

most of the best songs are in the second half

otm, stretch from "onanon" to the end especially

I liked it a little less than Hallucinogen at first but the more I listen to it the more I admire it. And yeah, those final four tracks are ace.

Holy shite - Kelela's "Frontline" is the best song of 2017 (barely exceeding Nilufer Yanya's "Golden Cage"). Yes, I am heavily influenced by its poignant appearance in that episode of "Insecure" when Issa runs into Lawrence at Derek's birthday party, but I also freaking love how it reminds me of a perfect combination of "The New" from Little Dragon's criminally-underrated album "Machine Dreams" and the understated instrumental interplay (those very patiently-employed bass drum hemiolas) of Aaliyah's how-can-anyone-not-love-this-song "One In A Million"; with the bonus of a subliminal rhythmic awesomeness of "Available Light" from Rush's "Presto". It's difficult for me to type the words that express how thankful I am that this song exists. Damn!

Is anyone else listening to the new mix she made?

https://soundcloud.com/kelelam/aquaphoria

Love it, such a cool approach given the context of the mix (the Warp anniversary)

Also, the beatless electronics + vocals vibe and effects remind me of this record: https://astralplanerecordings.bandcamp.com/

some good turns on the new girl unit album that approximately three people seemed to have cared about

surprised "All The Way Down" doesn't get a mention on this thread, such an amazing song and production
one of those songs I can play for hours (? let's see) on end

just found out that Tinashe co-wrote it (update: as did Jess Glynne!)

also something something janet.

came across this choreography video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qFuRbx29rw
especially feeling the first two dancers

I saw her live in 2017 during her Take Me Apart tour. One of the best shows I've seen in the past decade, visually gorgeous too in all its low-budget simplicity.

i've completely slept on kelela and i see there's a huge remix compilation from 2018

It's really good! I'm not much of an R&B guy but I've always got time for more Kelela.

yeah I saw the Take Me Apart tour too. the way she worked with the background singers and lighting was incredible

she's back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A45gzN0cgow

good song, if a little slight?

my take too; more of an intro than a single. dig the hat tho.

another one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhJpOjqho8s

not bad but also expected something a bit bigger considering LSDXOXO produced it

I'm not mad at it but it also sounds like it could be a PinkPantheress track

Not bad.

apparently it leaked a while ago from a very reliable source that the album is titled raven

supposed tracklist:
Washed Away
Raven
Bruises
Contact
On the Run
Missed Call
Sorbet
Closure
Fooley
Let It Go
Holier
Divorce
Happy Ending

the new album is raven, out on feb 10, and the leaked track list was close but not quite correct:

01 Washed Away
02 Happy Ending
03 Let It Go
04 On the Run
05 Missed Call
06 Closure
07 Contact
08 Fooley
09 Holier
10 Raven
11 Bruises
12 Sorbet
13 Divorce
14 Enough for Love
15 Far Away

newest single is "On The Run" and the best yet IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=getdc1zzvnc

that one's real nice

video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66_JoWwDEJI

my fave of these tracks

v nice

next new one is “Contact”, it’s the first of the new tracks I love outright:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV57nu3Kre4

(someone is making an amapiano remix right now)

damn that's nice

yeah, that's good.

yum!

yeah that's the best so far

starting to really look forward to this album. it’s building up very nicely.

album rules, goes all in on ambience + breakbeats, & appreciate it being a pretty much continuous mix

on first listen all i dislike is the guest verse at the end of closure that's pretty out of place?

why am i the only one who's listened to this so far, it's so good

I’ve definitely listened to it (several times!) but am still trying to work out what to say about it beyond that I think it’s incredible. Just as assured and uncompromising as Take Me Apart, which is one of my favourite records of the last 10-15 years.

The singles make sense because (“Washed Away” aside which was essentially an re-introduction for her) they’re really the only tracks that work in isolation - the rest sort of demands the continuous mix sequencing that’s laid out here

need more time w/ this album for sure but "Bruises" seems like an early standout

On first listen I wish the ambient parts were a bit more engaging/challenging.. but when the beat drops in songs like the title track? Holy shit

I wasn't sold on those electronic tracks initially but I guess there are pleasing Dawn Richard type of dynamics here and I could see it grow on me. I suspect the album is backloaded. I need to relisten to it with headphones.

wondering about going to this, really ned to listen to the album
https://www.bam.org/kelela-res-keiyaa

go see her - she was incredible live the time I saw her in 2017, see the testimonials Extended Mix and I wrote three years upthread

just played the album front to back and absolutely loved it. love how it builds up to “Raven” and “Bruises”, the centerpieces, and then breaks it all down again.
man, if she should come this way again, I’ll be the first to buy my ticket

Alright, I copped

dc show sold out too quick, I didn't get tickets.

feel like I’m close to falling in love with this album

I still have to listen to this! Haven't had the right moment.

it’s definitely an album that demands the moment and mindset to be right. night time pretty much a prerequisite.

finally listening to this and yeah it seems pretty great. it's exactly the kind of album that will really open up for me on headphones with an edible and a run, i'm predicting. has late afternoon / golden hour vibes imo.

Anyone feels like the mood is similar to the SZA album ? Meandering, frail, lonely, vocals going up and down in vast and cold spaces and around skeletal structures. Raven with a consistent soundscape, SOS more sprawling.