This Week's Releases 16/11 - Anderson .Paak, The Smashing Pumpkins, Imagine Dragons
Releases of the week 10/11/2018 - 16/11/2018
Featured Release
Anderson .Paak - Oxnard (R&B, Hip Hop)
Oxnard marks .Paak’s first release on Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and last of “his beach series.” “You know, we went to Venice, we went to Malibu,” .Paak noted, “so it’s only right that we take it to the next place, up the coast, up to the next beach.” As hinted previously, Dre was “heavily” involved in the making of the LP, serving as executive producer. “His music was everything to me,” Paak said of his mentor. “It molded me.”
Another famous name that pops up on Oxnard is Madlib, a veteran rapper and producer who is also known for his collaborations with DOOM, J Dilla, and Freddie Gibbs.
The new album features “sprawling psychedelic grooves and confident verses,” according to Rolling Stone, and per .Paak, a special ingredient missing from the current musical landscape. “I feel like ambition is missing from today’s music,” he explained. “This is the album I dreamed of making in high school, when I was listening to [Jay-Z]’s The Blueprint, The Game’s The Documentary, and [Kanye West’s] The College Dropout.”
Notable Relases
The Smashing Pumpkins - Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (Rock, Grunge)
Imagine Dragons - Origins (Pop Rock)
Mariah Carey - Caution (R&B, Pop)
The Black Eyed Peas - Masters of the Sun, Vol. 1 (Hip Hop, Pop Rap)
Feel free to discuss or feature any and all other releases in the comments below
Discussion Points
Have you listened to any of these releases?
What are your thoughts?
What are you looking forward to listen to?
What have you enjoyed from these artists in the past?
This is a new format I'm trying out to help immerse people into new album discussion. I welcome and look forward to any feedback!
Malibu was one of my favourite albums in 2016, and I think the second half stopped it from being an all-time favourite of mine. I had high hopes .Paak would take the neo-soul sound of the first half further, but Oxnard feels like .Paak decided to play it safe and do what he knows he can do.
I thought it was a very fun listen, and there's hardly a weak moment, but nothing stand-out either. The fact 'Tints' is the lead single is a perfect example of this - fun, well written, but nothing special. Oxnard in all felt like a playlist more than a full featured album like 'Malibu', but I'll definitely be getting a few more spins out of it.
Ditto. I even suggested it as the ~music listening club album a few weeks ago but nobody voted for it. :(
That's how it felt for me too, but it's honestly exactly what I expected since Oxnard is .Paak's "big chance" with Dre exec-producing and it being released on Dre's label. It was still enjoyable but it's no classic like Malibu and Yes Lawd! undeniably are. The only standout songs for me that I will probably keep going back to over the years is The Chase, Brother's Keeper and Cheers, but TBH I enjoyed the his previous single Bubblin more than any of the songs on Oxnard.
p.s. Your "Listen" link is only to the first single he released with Kendrick. Here is the song.link to the full album.
Yes, Bubblin was great! It sounded like a refinement on the sound he set out in Venice. Was surprised it wasn't on Oxnard, but maybe it would have stood out.
My 'Listen' link was kind of a needledrop listen link where it points to a lead single for a taster. Song.link seems like a good solution, I'll use this next time as well as a link to a single - thanks!