2024 Album-A-Day: Week 35

Back on schedule. Click here for the playlist, and recommend albums you want me to write about.

August 26th: For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her by McKinley Dixon

I was first made aware of McKinley Dixon through his album from last year Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?, which I really enjoyed. This album, similarly, is a great time. Dixon is in a rare class of modern conscious MCs, the most popular being Kendrick Lamar, with others including Little Simz and Vince Staples. For My Mama opens with the one-two punch of "Chain Sooo Heavy" and "Never Will Know" which sold me immediately. Not only is Dixon a mindful and intelligent writer, he's also a force to be reckoned with while rapping. The instrumentals are jazzy and groovy in a way that doesn't get old. My favorite track is "Never Will Know," though "Twist My Hair" came close.

August 27th: Salvation is a Deep Dark Well by the Builders and the Butchers

This is a band I had exactly one point of reference for: Garrett Harvery of my favorite podcast Why I Hate This Album has a recurring story he tells about going to see them while out of his mind on salvia, and getting a splitting headache because they have two drummers. Listening to this album was a delight because I love this style of dark yet jaunty folk music, which is part of what I loved about Rock Plaza Central earlier this year, and the Mechanisms when I binged their discography last year. From "Golden and Green" to "The World is a Top," I was having a great time with the relentlessly dark lyrics, and mandolins, and the two drummers playing different parts of the kit. My favorite track was "Down In This Hole."

August 28th: A Seat at the Table by Solange

Solange Knowles started out as a backup singer for her sister Beyonce's group Destiny's Child, and the title of this album feels like it's her saying she would like to leave her shadow. Between this and that time she beat the jibblies out of Jay-Z in an elevator (foreshadowing), I think she achieved that. This album is soul with jazz and funk influences, and she's clearly a fan of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. Electric piano, clean guitar licks, and Solange's angelic voice lead to a very pleasant listen. They could have cut back on the interludes, but I still enjoyed it. "Don't Touch My Hair" was my favorite track.

August 29th: Lemonade by Beyonce

Finally got around to it! I probably also need to watch the videos, but first: the music. It rules. You don't need me to explain to you that Beyonce is good at singing. You also don't need me to explain to you that it's the coolest thing in the world that JACK MOTHERFUCKING WHITE III is on "Don't Hurt Yourself" or that Kendrick Lamar tears up his verse on "Freedom" or how "Daddy Lessons" proved eight years early that she can do country music well, or that we still don't know who Becky with the Good Hair is. My favorite track was "Freedom," and this was the beginning of a three-parter, followed by...

August 30th: 4:44 by Jay-Z

This is my second Jay-Z album in this series. Jay-Z allegedly cheated on Beyonce with a still-unidentified Becky with the Good Hair. This made Beyonce angry enough to make the amazing Lemonade. Jigga felt remorse, and channeled that into 4:44, which confusingly features Beyonce, so apparently the feelings weren't as hard by then. But you know what is hard? This record. It kicks ass. Jay-Z portrays something that, to my (limited) knowledge, he really hadn't before: Vulnerability. Hova knows he fucked up, and knows he needs to make it up to Bey, but he also touches on other topics, such as racism, and his complicated relationship with his father. This is a really good album, and "Smile" is my favorite track.

August 31st: Everything Is Love by The Carters

Good news, they're not getting divorced! Bad news, this album is nowhere near as good as the preceding two. It's not a bad album. I don't know if either Jay or Bey are capable of making a bad album. It's more just generally middling. I really like a few songs on it, like "Apeshit" and "Nice" but the rest of it just kinda doesn't stick with me. Also there's some embarrassing moments, like when Beyonce brags about Lemonade not being on Spotify, which.... didn't last. Or when Jay says he's totally not bitter about losing eight Grammy awards, or when Beyonce sings the hook from "Still D.R.E" for no reason. My favorite track was "Apeshit."

September 1st: Dear Science by TV on the Radio

I relistened to Return to Cookie Mountain yesterday in preparation for today, and I think I actually like Dear Science more, which is unexpected. Don't get me wrong, I still love "Blues from Down There" and "Wolf Like Me" and all that, but the album as a whole doesn't always hit with me. Dear Science, on the other hand, has the amazing opening one-two punch of "Halfway Home" and "Crying," and the amazing four-track run from "Love Dog" to "Lover's Day" and OH MY GOD TUNDE'S VOICE ON ALL OF IT. and the HOOOOOORNS. "DLZ" was my favorite.

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