Masters of atmosphere, Butler and Fletcher have fashioned a gem on their first time out. Sunshine Hit Me is a rich, accessible and enjoyable album that more than deserves the attention of indie and non-indie fans alike.
—S. N. Jacobs
Kaada
Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time
Ipecac
Despite having only been released in Kaada’s native Norway, Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time earned the distinction of being one of 2001’s ten most important albums by Billboard Magazine. The Norwegian underground legend’s debut has finally reached the States, and is well worth searching out.
Yes, no one has heard of him—but Thank You is an easy recommendation for fans of the sample collages of DJ Shadow, the Avalanches, or (to an extent) Moby. Kaada brings influences as diverse as R&B, ragtime and jazz together for a unique sound that is at once soulful and humorous, not to mention funky. Like many artist debuts, the album strikes a distinctive chord; but unlike most, it sounds marvelously mature. Clearly, Kaada knows exactly what he’s doing in the studio.
Album opener “Care” sports a funky, curiously familiar-sounding bassline that will stay in your head for hours. “All Wrong” resembles music for a spaghetti Western twisted up and turned irresistably danceable. The title track, which closes the album, leaves the listener smiling and humming—and wondering if he’s being laughed at, as it fades out to the repeated words “bye, bye....”
In truth, it’s difficult to pick standout tracks on the album, which bursts with personality throughout. Its electronic pop madness may not be to everyone’s taste, but is sure to win open ears.
—Daniel M.S. Raper
Beans
Tomorrow Right Now
Warp
Mr. Ballbeam, a.k.a. Beans, was arguably the most distinctive third of the already inimitable Anti-Pop Consortium. Fans of the recently-split hip-hop trio can rejoice, as Beans has returned with a full-length solo debut that extends upon the group’s starkly experimental beats and rhymes.
Tomorrow Right Now is a strange collage of spoken word, lo-fi electronic beats and startling dissonances, refusing to be mainstream in any sense. At once the most impressive and the most alienating feature of the album is Beans’ lyrics, which are undeniably virtuosic but delivered in stuttering, robot-like fashion. They’re highly poetic—Beans has actually been published as a poet—but the lyrics sound too conscious of their own literacy, which robs the music of much of its emotional impact. He often sounds like he’s rushing to get his words out against the rhythm of the music, making for a jarring listen.
Still, the pure sonics on Tomorrow Right Now are as compelling as ever. From the frenetic electronic scratches of “Sickle Cell Hysteria” to the dense fuzz and blips of “Rose Periwinkle Plum,” Beans has created an expansive and atmospheric sound that is uniquely his own. But ultimately, the album engages the head rather than the heart. It eschews any sense of comfort; even when a recognizable melody appears, it’s presented in dissonant harmony.
Tomorrow Right Now pushes the boundaries of hip-hop and electronica—and while it is intelligent and definitely challenging, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is good music.
—Daniel M.S. Raper