Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon

Kid Cudi
Man On The Moon: The End Of The Day
2009


While "Kid Cudi" is considered a rapper. I would place him in his own category, at least for this album. "Man On The Moon" is a finely polished concept album. It is an album about surreal dreams, vivid imagery, thinking for yourself and not following the crowd. He claims to have "issues" early on, as a precursor to what is about to unfold. A few songs into the album Cudi introduces a second personality named "Mr. Solo Dolo, " who represents the yang to his yin. His dreams turn into night terrors. I don't know about you but I get goosebumps when someone designs with such a contrasting perspective. Every so often, the rapper "Common" narrates Cudi/Solo Dolo's state of mind. It really keeps you hooked into the story and is a very nice touch.

This is a dark and light CD. It speaks of haunting visions, of great aspirations, mental anguish, and loving life. It encompasses all opposites. It took a good 40 listens to fully comprehend the soul and depth behind this CD. I'm sure there's still something I haven't picked up on yet. In every song there are multiple backup signing tracks with varying pitch and reverb. An orchestral melody blends beautifully and boldly with piano, samples, and gritty synths. Yet at its core, it's rap. Not forceful rap. It has words which rhyme, backtrack, and repeat. I guarantee you will memorize the choruses of at least a few songs after just a listen or two. They're wonderfully catchy. But not in a way that gets old. I generally pass on rap, due to it's awful mastering, boring pacing, and pull you in then bore you beats. But this is a shining exception, and a guideline I recommend ALL artists follow; not just rappers.

Sounds great in the car, although if you want to hear the extra highlight tracks (too many to count), put on a good pair of headphones. I recommend some Pioneer ones. They're pricey (~$300) but definitely definately worth it. Where cheaper headphones focus on mids, these focus on highs and lows.

I highly recommend eating some mushrooms an hour or so before pressing play on this album. Cudi mentions them multiple times and if you are in that state of mind while listening, you will hear even more. You will feel what he feels. You become him for an hour and everything makes sense. Seriously, goosebumps and warmth to the nth degree. For example in "CuDi Zone, " he says "In my mind, sounds like wooo oooo oooo." To a sober person it's just a happy filler word. But under the influence, it describes how your mind feels lighter than a feather, yet your body feels heavier than a rock. Just floating on happiness, with a persistent grin. This is definitely a car song, it feels amazing with the windows down.

To sum it up, I love this CD. Every song is gold.



Kid Cudi on Wikipedia
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Foster The People - Torches

Foster The People
Torches
2011

Foster The People is a trio from LA. Started in 2009, after its founder Mark Foster, spent years as a struggling artist while shuffling through many minimum wage level jobs. Everything turned better once he got a job writing commercial jingles. He regained confidence and later wrote "Pumped Up Kicks," the breakthrough hit off "Torches," their debut album.

Torches is a very balanced album. The same vibe flows throughout yet it never gets stale; each song is unique. It's a very bright sounding album which I can actually play full blast in my car. Newer hip hop and electronic tend to wreck it since I am without sub :(  I'm naturally laughing or smiling. That's my default face. But at work today, multiple people said I looked even more cheerful than usual. I blame this album. Each song quickly becomes a memorable sing-a-long. There are some dark images but they're completely disguised by catchy, quirky melodies. For example, "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a kid going postal in his daydream. But anyway, I bought 3 other CDs with this one today, and have yet to open them, I just play through this album on repeat, all day. And I mean the entire album, every song is equally as good as the last. Therefore I feel it would be redundant to review each song in detail.

But seriously, buy this CD for your car, or if you listen at home, get the vinyl. It will magically brighten your day like an everlasting supply of lucky charms (only the marshmallows).



Foster The People on Wikipedia
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