Listening Clark :: Class Of 2023 :: Module Seventeen
…welcome back!
Well, I write that out of politeness more than anything having taken a brief leave for time-out-from-the-world purposes, however to my existential horror, not only did the world carry on being despicable without my personal spectatorship, but the dog-pile of catastrophes seemed to hit with more reckless succession than usual.
I’m not going to go so far here as to remark on ongoing “special military operations”, or the walking back on green policies designed to save the world for future generations, or the attempts to paint hard-working public sector workers as national pariahs of disruption because they are not getting paid enough, because it’s pretty clear where any decent minded person would stand on those issues…
However, I do want to make a point when popular artists court the admiration of a certain demographic known for its moral conservatism, intimidating hate-speech and rapacious spite-buying to ensure that their latest project and tour campaign sells enough to make their money back, thereby mortally-wounding the aura of joy and inclusivity that their work had previously created for and via their loyal fanbase.
For some context, here you are…
At best, what happened in this particular case was a massively careless gesture that even if it wasn’t a cynical ploy for publicity and a well-intentioned gaff on behalf of “little mixed-up kids” nevertheless adds a scary new dimension to their otherwise politic-free safe-space, a dark spectre of “discourse” debating basic human rights that for all intents and purposes was not meant to encroach on such a venue of carefree escapism in the first place.
And at worst, it means you have invited a bunch of intellectual thugs into your so-called musical utopia who will gladly contribute to the wind-tunnel of misinformation and bigotry until you cannot lift yourself out of the dissonance and approach the issue with a level of objectivity where you can recognise the fascist rhetoric for what it is, and the non-apology criticising people’s “fixed views” and feelings is pinnacle gaslighting.
And yes, some Western countries are still trading with Russia and Chris Brown is still working enough to be nominated for prizes and stuff, so I can understand how this lukewarm take a whole month after the fact must come across in the grand scheme of things, not to mention that holding popular artists up as paragons of general do-goodery is ultimately foolish practice…
But it’s still profoundly disappointing when you get alt-right remnants in your tasty bag of disco fudge, isn’t it?
(And in case you are wondering, yes the album is great, but not their best…)
Still, at least this makes room for another album to get a mention here, which is the only genuine gratitude I can gauge out of this bewildering mess, and I’ve already waffled on far too long about this, so let’s crack on shall we…
But seriously, Trans Rights Are Human Rights, Save The Earth, and Pay Your Staff.
Listening Clark :: Class Of 2023 :: Module Seventeen
Black Rainbows – Corinne Bailey Rae
The soul singer bestows on her listeners another startling reinvention for her fourth album, embracing psychedelic funk, punk-rock, conscientious jazz and even an elongated disco odyssey to create a miasma of fraught future-pop that at times hits as hard as 2023 has ever felt, which coming from the singer of “Put Your Records On” feels like the best kind of left-turn.
Come With Fierce Grace – Alabaster dePlume
Speaking of conscientious jazz, next up is the sixth album from poet Angus Fairbairn, arriving a little over a year after his last one and serving up a looser and more instrumental-based set, his soft vocal intonations this time giving way for other vocalists to enter the fray whilst he for the most part serves up some inspired performances with his trusted saxophone.
Drift – GAIKA
More collaborations abound on multi-disciplinary artist Gaika’s second album, and his first longform effort for Diplo‘s Big Dada imprint is quite the genre-blurring journey into inner city night life, capturing all of the social displacement, isolation and euphoria that can only be felt from living in a metropolitan environment filled to bursting with anger, vitality and hope.
Flowers In The Dark – Kofi Flexxx
Though a potent sense of mystery still surrounds this project as to the who’s and what’s of its progenitorship, its being a part of the godfather of contemporary London jazz Shabaka Hutchings‘ Native Rebel label should give you a clue as to the incendiary delights that are to be found, including an always-welcome performance from rapper Billy Woods on the opening track.
Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War)) – Jaimie Branch
The rabble of contemporary jazz continues further with the inimitable trumpeter and composer Jaimie Branch’s third album, the final part of an unintended trilogy given the artist’s passing last year that despite the tragic circumstances surrounding its release still holds a mischievously experimental thrall that works more as a celebration of Branch’s talent than a bittersweet lament for what has been lost.
KARPEH – Cautious Clay
Already boasting a collaboration resume that includes work with Khalid, John Legend and Taylor Swift, Joshua Karpeh’s solo output has taken more and more of the singer/songwriter’s precedents latterly, and when the resulting R&B-jazz-pop is as swoonsome as the moving paean to his family that constitutes his second album, this is certainly no bad thing.
Perfect Saviors – The Armed
The elusive post-hardcore punk collective return with the follow-up to their universally-adored album ULTRAPOP, and whilst it can be said that Perfect Saviors may lack some of the conviction of that record, there is still more barnstorming invention and shape-throwing revelry than probably any other rock album to see release this year. (And yeah, they got the one and only Iggy Pop to play God in their first music video for the campaign, so show some respect!)
Playing Robots Into Heaven – James Blake
Given the amount of recent collaborations he has made with the likes of Metro Boomin and Miley Cyrus, you could assume that James Blake’s next album would lean into more poppier sonic environs; however, I’m pleased to report that album six doesn’t show any sign of the electronic troubadour’s brand of sparsely-kinetic lovelorn missives losing their keen ear for successful experimentation.
Techxodus – Speaker Music
Continuing the narrative informed by both his 2021 book Assembling A Black Counterculture and the work of late 90s/early 00s Afrofuturist electronica duo Drexciya, DeForrest Brown Jr.’s latest album as Speaker Music plays like experimental techno from another galaxy, confronting, transportive and never losing its grip no matter how brazen a turn it takes into the sonic leftfield into another dimension.
The King – Anjimile
Finally, we have the fifth LP from American avant-folk singer/songwriter Anjimile, an album of utmost bravery that details its creator’s experience as a black trans male in today’s world with an unflinching honesty that is matched throughout by the confronting and at-times harrowing arrangements that accompany them; not for the faint-hearted, but all the more rewarding if you take the plunge.
And there you have it… sorry if I got a little soap-boxey earlier; whilst I can’t promise it will not happen again, in the meantime please just be good to one another and keep up the good fight, eh?
xxxo
