Ed Sheeran, Chance The Rapper and Africa Express

Africa Express

"Egoli"

The Africa Express project was founded 13 years ago by the British multinational Damon Albarn, whose creative potential would be sufficient to provide a small central European country with competitive equipment. Albarn is focused on African culture and has brought together obvious and little local musicians under the banner of Africa Express to show them to the world. In March, a mini-album of the project was released, featuring musicians from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bombay Bicycle Club and other good bands. Albarn and the company have now released an impressive album – diverse, calm and very cute. Despite the long list of 18 songs, "Egoli" flies very fast and leaves a wonderful aftertaste. It's one of the best albums of the month and we went almost unnoticed. And in vain.

Ed Sheeran

"No.6 Collaborations Project"

In July, a new album of a huge media project was released under Ed Sheeran 's banner. Sweet British, who managed to organize a soldier in Wembley for two days in a row and keep the stadium with a guitar in hand, has now become a machine to earn crazy money. His new album is trying to bring together many world-famous pop artists and to organize a party that will appeal to as many people as possible. This whole story was accompanied by such an aggressive marketing that all European cities were covered with billboards advertising new records. The filling of the album has turned out to be much more modest than its packaging. Collaborative Project # 6 has received a lot of negative reviews and now has a modest 57 Metacritic points and a 5.1 user rating.

Purple mountains

Violet mountains

In the United States, David Berman is an iconic musician less known than Elliott Smith, for example. Nevertheless, Berman has recorded many excellent albums with a group of Silver Jews, full of withering poetry and black depression. Later, the musician plunged into his mind: he confessed that his father was a demon in the flesh, he survived the death of his mother and the separation of his wife. In general, he was in the same black depression and he came back. The album "Purple Mountains" was created for a very long time, but the result justifies every minute of waiting: it is a very beautiful, poetic and sad sadness towards the way of life meaningless, where we meet incredible characters and fill the events with the same meaning. At Metacritic, the album has a rating of 87, although, of course, it is far from completely describing the potential of this work.

Nas

"The lost tapes 2"

Nas of these rappers who have endured with dignity all the metamorphoses of the style. Despite the fact that Nasir has long been termed veteran and receives deserved sighs from old school enthusiasts and specialized publications – nostalgic chronicles about a beautiful era, the musician continues to publish new elements and remains in the game. Its release last year was one of the most striking of its kind. The current one is a collection of canonical hip-hop conceived with the help of fathers (a sign RZA is already a pledge of quality and does not require additional explanations). "The Lost Tapes 2" is an old school that does not seem caricatured in 2019 and clearly follows the canons of hip-hop that were established a long time ago.

Luck the rapper

"The big day"

And he's the hero of a new generation, formed while Nas was already a well-deserved person. In July, Chance The Rapper released the album The Big Day, the main hip-hop recording of the month without an alternative. This is an excellent musical album of a duration of 22 songs. But it's not tight, not replayed and not monotonous. A lot of cool guest musicians make it brilliant and non-monotonous. It's funny that even Nicky Minaj on this album does not sound, but it's quite appropriate. "The Big Day" is a mix, a clever and appropriate combination of hip-hop with other styles. Excellent work, in which everything is in its place.

Kokoko!

"Fongola"

Kokoko! – It's an ingenious musical project in Kinshasa, which does not do anything quite ordinary. In July, the musicians released their new album, Fongola, in which they continue to create a Congolese-flavored dance soundtrack: they use metal, cans, broken engine parts, plastic wrappers, and more. Other objects that we can find in the streets of their hometown. It's about driving loud music for crazy parties. It's like falling into a Congolese street rave and disappearing into a colorful and endless dance. KOKOKO music! can be considered the business card of the Congo, it is both authentic and fun.

What else to listen to?

• Rosalia. Last year, the Spanish artist recorded an excellent album and reached almost all the peaks of the sample in 2018. In July, Rosalia presented two new tracks under the general title "F * Money Man cking, badociated with a clip. In general, the artist does not forget and continues to increase his audience.
• Devendra Banhart. The icon of the American monster is preparing a new studio album and continues to release singles. Abre Las Manos sounds at least better than his predecessor.
• Good winter. And the new indie-folk group Bon Iver is about to come out. The last complete collective of the group came out three years ago. The audience was therefore waiting. Well, the new material sounds good!
• Rubbers. The Australian team seems to be out of sight, but this is not the last place on the experimental stage. Mastering the group's new album, Lawrence English, who has worked with Eluvium, Ben Frost, William Basinski and Xiu Xiu, you now have an idea of ​​what you can expect from this album.
• Orange blood. Producer and musician Dev Heins, creating a fresh and sophisticated soul music of the new model under the pseudonym Blood Orange, introduced in July a new mixtape "Angel & # 39; s Pulse". It's a beautiful recording with beautiful melodies and excellent sound work.
• Jenny Hval. In 2016, the Norwegian producer recorded one of the coolest albums: the conceptual "Blood Bitch". The new album, Yanni, will be released on September 13 under the title "The Practice of Love".
• Kaina. Album of a talented Chicago singer. Pleasant and original soul, which suits the works of Solange Knowles best. Hard material, but at the same time available.
• Charli XCX. The British pop artist is preparing to release a third studio album, which will be called unpredictably "Charli". In July, the artist released a powerful joint title with Christine and the Queens and a clip. Apparently, the album will be in the charts.
• Slipknot. Veterans did not lose their enthusiasm and aggression and released a new single in July in their repertoire. No surprises, no experiences and not to the general public: Rubilovo brand and "stuffing" of American masters.
• Beth Hart. The American singer plans to release soon a new studio album, War in My Mind, and presented on this occasion the title of this complete album in July. Beth seems very good: few people can really express emotions by singing.
• Metz. Another dark and noisy work of the main engines of modernity's grunge aesthetics. Metz's music becomes even more sullen, wild and noisy, but it does not lose in the reader and perfectly maintains the general style. Cool album!
• From Lorians. Merry Tokyo jazz crossover, where psychedelic rock, fusion, jazz improvisation and many other styles come together in a fun way. The result is an unusual clutter, rather complicated execution, but not very complex perception.
• Monsters and men. At the end of July, the third studio album from an excellent Icelandic band came out. The brilliant recording is quite within the reach of pop music and is distinguished by good melodies and original arrangements. The album has only hit the German charts, unlike its predecessors, but you can not talk about failure.
• Oh Hiroshima. Swedish post, dark and smothered. This is the third album of the band, released on the big metal label Napalm Records.
• Iggy Pop. The old man is preparing a new studio album "Free", which should be released in September. Jazz musician Noveller and Leron Thomas also participated in the recording of the album. For now, you can listen to the single "James Bond" from this album.
• Haim. The sisters of Heim released the clip "Summer Girl" in July, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson for the group. Super song that has already fallen into the category of the best new music on Pitchfork. And the same excellent visual accompaniment of a great master.

See as well:

Our channel in Telegram. Register now!

Quick contact with publishers: read the public chat Onliner and write us on Viber!

Reprinting text and photos on Onliner.by is prohibited without the permission of the publisher. [email protected]