Welcome back to Band Practice where I listen to lots of new music—from the fresh cuts to the deep cuts to the regrettable bowl cuts—and share my favorite finds with you. If you’ve been a reader for awhile, you know that I sometimes write about albums that I don’t fully love, but that I think are still worth talking about (like my review of Lizzo’s Special). In that vein, I have a review of Sam Smith’s new album Gloria. I’m also sharing an album that I did love. My pick of the week is Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. Let’s get to it.
Intro
To create art is an act of bravery. You put a piece of yourself out into the world and that’s a vulnerable thing. You don’t know how it will be received. You’re not guaranteed love and praise in return for your hard work. Instead, it is entirely possible that you will receive criticism or rejection. It is not a safe endeavor.
For some, like members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the risks of making art can be even more unsafe. In our country (and in much of the world) their rights and livelihoods are under threat, and what should be safe spaces can become hunting grounds—simply because they choose to live authentically. Given this climate, to still create, to still pour your authentic self into your work takes a profound bravery that we shouldn’t take for granted.
I chose to feature the two artists in this issue—Sam Smith and Lil Yachty—because they each display bravery in their own right. They both took risks with their new albums. Sam Smith dipped their toes into a new sound and Lil Yachty dove in head first. Though one was more successful than the other, I still commend them both for being bold—especially Smith, who did it in the face of hateful criticism.
So, here’s to these artists and all the other risk takers out there. Thank you for your vulnerability and for daring to share your art with the world. I do not take your bravery for granted.
Let’s talk about Sam Smith
Gloria — Sam Smith
Pop [Released 1/27/23]
Sam Smith is a name that conservative pundits can’t seem to keep out of their mouths of late. There was the risqué music video for “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” that some pearl-clutchers deemed pornographic. And then Smith’s recent Grammy performance where they donned a hat with devil horns (gasp) that had Ted Cruz calling them “satanic” and “evil.”1 You would think they were the devil incarnate—and that’s exactly how these pundits want to paint someone who is living authentically and defying conventions.
The British singer/songwriter came out as non-binary in 2019 and has received plenty of hate for it. Despite that hate, Smith’s confidence has only grown. They have been exploring more mature themes in their songs, dressing more provocatively, and seem unconcerned with conforming to any gender norms that their haters prefer they fit into. Their fourth studio album, Gloria, is appropriately about love and freedom. The freedom to love oneself, love whomever you please, and to love in a sexually liberated manner.
Thematically, the album feels unified and empowering; sonically, it feels disjointed to the point of confusion. In some ways, Smith picks up where they left off in their previous album Love Goes, which had a rich sound full of mid to uptempo bops, lightly easing into disco and dance territory. Gloria features similar songs like the club-ready “Lose You” and the disco-driven “I’m Not Here To Make Friends,” in addition their trademark pop and R&B style ballads.
Smith also explores new sounds like the dancehall-inspired, “Gimme” featuring Jessie Reyez and reggae singer Koffee, and the deliciously sinister viral hit “Unholy.” These songs feel fresh and are some of the most exciting moments on the album, but it seems as though Smith doesn’t quite know how to integrate them.
When I first heard “Unholy” as a single, I thought it was a preview of a bold new sound from Smith. The choir paired with stanky synths and a cheeky verse from Kim Petras gives it sizzle. So I was surprised to find it oddly juxtaposed between a somber duet and the rather forgettable “How To Cry” (which seems to beg to be freed from its acoustic prison). Nothing else on the album comes close to being as riveting. And then there’s “Gloria”—a choral number where Smith is barely heard but for some faint (albeit fabulous) vocal riffs. It would have made a dramatic ending to the album but instead it is followed by an acoustic duet with Ed Sheeran which feels more like an Ed Sheeran song than a Sam Smith song.
Smith’s talent cannot be debated. Their voice is phenomenal—easily sliding from baritone to tenor registers in a way not many can match. And their vocal flourishes throughout the album are beautiful. Their skill alone is almost enough to forgive the album’s misgivings. There are still many songs that I enjoy on the album individually but, overall, Gloria feels like several different albums that were mashed together rather haphazardly. I would have like to seen Smith lean into one sound—or perhaps unify them more cohesively. I appreciate the risks they took. I just wish there were more of them.
Also available on Apple Music
Pick of the week
Let’s Start Here. — Lil Yachty
Alternative/Hip-Hop/Rap/Psychedelic Rock [Released 1/27/23]
In his fifth studio album, Let’s Start Here., singer/rapper/producer Lil Yachty made a conscious decision to take a big risk. He wanted to make something that he hadn’t done before—and perhaps hasn’t been done before—to profess his love to the art of music and remove himself from the pigeonhole of being seen as a mumble rapper. “I respect all walks of music, not just rap and hip-hop. Everything. So I think I wanted to make something to show the world just how great it was to me,” he said at a listening party for the album.2 The risk he took was to fuse sounds from psychedelic rock, synthwave, funk, and even disco to his style of loose rap/singing (with its hallmark autotuned distortion). He did so with an ingenious sort of alchemy, creating a cohesive album that feels innovative and enthralling.
When I first listened to the opening track of the album, “the BLACK seminole.” it blew me away. After about half a minute of electronic bubbling, you're hit with big, open strums of electric guitar that sound like they're lifted from Pink Floyd (which they probably were3). When I heard it I was like, “yes. Give me an hour of this.” I felt like Dorothy taking her first step into a technicolor Oz. (But not the regular Oz, a “Dark Side of the Rainbow” version.) Though I didn’t get an hour of only psychedelic rock, I got so much more, and it was (mostly) just as exhilarating.
In Yachty’s Oz, he follows the yellow brick road looking for love and validation, with a few stops in the *ahem* poppy fields. There are moments of introspection, like in the spoken word interlude “:(failure(:” where he reflects upon his success. “Like, failure doesn't mean defeat, more so, like, ‘Try again, shit, try even harder.’ Revise your steps and rewrite your future,” he says. He also gets some encouragement from The Good Witch in the form of Bob Ross via a sampled audio clip at the end of “WE SAW THE SUN!” “Just let your imagination run wild, let your heart be your guide…And here, we let it happen, it comes out here. It's in you, and you put it on the canvas, 'kay?” Yachty clearly did let his imagination run wild, pushing the limits of what a rap album could feel like.
The level of intentionality that Yachty put into the album is apparent. Each song flows into the next almost seamlessly. And he assembled an exceptional team of producers, musicians, and vocalists to execute his vision. Some of the producers include Jacob Portrait (a member of the psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra) and Patrick Wemberly (of the synth-pop duo Chairlift). And while there are samples and interpolations scattered throughout the album from the likes of Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and Radiohead (among others), most of the orchestrations that you hear on the album were recorded in studio. Musicians such as Alex G, Mac DeMarco,4 Nick Hakim, and vocalists Diana Gordon, Justine Skye, Teezo Touchdown, and Fousheé contributed their talents. Together they pulled off a larger-than-life sound that feels like a continuous ride.
My favorite moment on the album, “WE SAW THE SUN!” drew me in like a vortex. It’s another that dwells in the psychedelic realm of the album. Strong, bouncy drums tumble over a misty haze of a distorted electric guitar as Yachty enters with his sing/rapping warble, “woah / sun coming up, and I still feel numb.” The highlight of the song is his autotuned quake of vocals that ripple over the bridge as the instruments warp and fade in the background. It’s a big moment that the rest of the album orbits around (see what I did there?).
Not all of the songs are just trippy jam sessions. Yachty shows his range by providing a few catchy bops like the carefree “sAy sOMETHINg.” In probably the most sing-songiest of his songs, Yachty sounds closer to The Weeknd than, say, Lil Wayne. Its relaxed beat, twinkling synths, and some cool nudges from a bass set the backdrop for an endearing song about being so in love you feel like a teenager again. And who wouldn’t want to feel that way? (Except for the braces and the acne and…oh, never mind.) Most of the songs feel embedded in the fabric of the album, but this one can easily stand on its own and be kept on repeat.
The album does have its flaws. Some songs that feel like they should go somewhere end up dragging like “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!” which kind of spins around itself instead of progressing in a particular direction. Yachty’s vocals also have the tendency to get lost in the bigness of the album’s orchestrations, which makes me wonder if a stronger vocalist or tighter rapper might better pair with the music. For the most part, though, I enjoy his easy style as everything that’s going on around him is sufficiently captivating.
Yachty’s love letter to music is an epic endeavor that required a strong vision and a talented team of producers and musicians to execute—which they did exceptionally well. It was a vision that sounds wild on paper (a psychedelic/funk/disco/rap album?) and, to be fair, was even wilder in reality. But they took the risk and went for it, and the risk paid off. As the title of the album suggests, this may be the start of a new direction for Yachty—one that I hope will continue to be just as thrilling.
Also available on Apple Music and bandcamp
Thanks for reading! For the next issue I’ll be listening to new albums from Black Belt Eagle Scout, Yo La Tengo, Caroline Polachek, and more. I’ll share my favorites with you. It will be in your inboxes February 24th. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!
The playlist!
I’m keeping a running playlist of my favorite song from each new album I listen to this year (including songs from each of my top picks). It’s ordered chronologically by date listened and I’ll update it with every issue. The latest batch starts with the song “Misery Remember Me” by Ladytron. Some highlights are the sparklingly upbeat “Whammy-O” from The Go! Team and “Escapism.” from RAYE and 070 Shake (I always love an 070 Shake collab). And thank you to reader Kate H. who told me about MorMor’s album. His song “Don’t Cry” is also on the playlist. Enjoy!
Albums of 2023 - Apple Music playlist
Albums of 2023 - Spotify playlist
What have you been listening to lately? Anything you like? Let me know in the comments.
For the record, yes, the video is provocative with a scantily clad Smith and dancers and plenty of sexual innuendo. But it is nothing we haven’t already seen from the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears and, like, every male-gaze-centric rock and rap music video ever made. So, I wonder what the difference is here? Could it be that a non-waif non-binary person is allowing themselves to be sexual in public? Reader, we know the answer. And as for the devilish Grammy performance, these pundits do know that dressing up like the devil being the devil are two different things, right? Like, what do they think Halloween is? Maybe let’s not answer that one.
Points to anyone who can identify the interpolation. My guess is a combination of “Comfortably Numb” and “Breathe (In The Air).” Somewhere in that territory.
Mac DeMarco just put out a nice little instrumental guitar album called Five Easy Hot Dogs if you need something very chill after this trippy album.