Astronautalis is a Minneapolis rapper who i discovered by his feature in a P.O.S track, "Hand Made Hand Gun". Although i loved his verse he didn't really stand out in my mind as an artist that i would consider adding to my CD collection. This was soon changed after seeing his performance of said P.O.S track. The energy this man carried was incredible and i was so thoroughly impressed i had to give him a shot. You and Yer Good Ideas is the freshman release of Astronautalis and what an incredible journey this was.
To begin i must admit that this isn't just any Indie/Hippy album, This is my type of of Indie/Hippy album. Alternative Hip Hop being my favorite genre this album delivers exactly that and not just in a single way. The production is a mixture of Astronautalis and an artist known as Radicalface, an artist i shall definitely consider looking in to after hearing this album.The production takes many experimental routes, pretty noticeable in "Hurricane Isabel" and "Something' For the Kids", that work well with Astronuatalis' sound. I almost can't describe the twists and turns simply but i will definitely attempt to on a Track by Track review.
Astronautalis' sound is rather intriguing. He has so many various sounds that he can make feel natural from the straight spitting tracks, like "Tightrope", to the more soft punk rock track "Fourth of July". I could quote this ten track album for days on end. The only time i felt like i was hearing a bad track was when i was comparing it to a personal favorite, "I'm Never Right". Astronautalis doesn't sing too often in this album yet when he does its calm and relaxing but emotional.
To be honest the lyrics don't play a huge roll in this album, at first. At first you're just so strung in by the productions sound and how Astronautalis is able to fit right into it beautifully. However when you get the opportunity to study the lyrics, and i hope you do, you'll be taken even further aback. The concepts seem simple by just listening to them but when you study these lyrics you'll see the unhidden hidden message. I can't say he was hiding the lyrics but you're so caught up in the music by itself that you almost don't feel that need to see the lyrics.
The passion put into this sound is just incredible. Astronautalis comes across rather monotone just listening to the album yet the emotions seemingly flow from the stereo. The voice fits the mood of the production perfectly without coming across over the top or underwhelming. At times i didn't know what i loved more, the production or the voice. I could just fall asleep to this album because of how beautiful it sounds.
But enough of me just complementing Astronautalis, There were two features on this album that deserve recognition. The first of which is Isaiah Toothtaker on the track "I'm Never Right". He easily had the most passion on the entire album. The dramatic lyrics and the voice pitch. I truly felt the pain Isaiah wanted me to feel and completely stole the show from Astronautalis. The second of said features was Radicalface on "Fourth of July". To be honest i can't tell you where exactly Radicalface is in this beautiful composition. It's not cause he doesn't stand out but the voices all felt like they could have fit Astronautalis. It's like listening to Clipse' early albums and not being able to tell Terror from Malice until listening to them both independently. This isn't necessarily bad because it means everything harmonized well, I just don't think Radicalface will receive the deserved credit for this track.
The faults on this album had a lot more to do with the later transitions of the sound. Starting at Track Seven, "People Often Tell Me I'm Good at What I Do" the sound becomes so mellow. It's not a bad track at all and the concept is very respectable but i almost feel an urge to grab a pillow not in the way i mentioned above. It's best described as a sound that you'd hear walking on the shore of a beach next to a beautiful women. Although it picks back up with Track Eight, "Baggage Claim" your mood has been so slowed that this sudden lift is almost unwanted at the moment. The transition could have definitely been better. To make matters worse it drops down again with "Fax Machine". These aren't bad tracks the transition is just lacking and honestly i had to look up their names compared to other tracks that i could name instantly.
This album was a great journey that i don't think will ever get old. Listening to it in 2012 it doesn't feel out dated either except for maybe "Something' For the Kids" but that was due to a reference to a certain rapper in verse one. I didn't know how Astronautalis could top this album considering it easily became one of my top five albums, turning Astronautalis into one of my favorite
Rating: Classic In The Making
Stand-Out Tracks: Gaston Ave, Tightrope, Oceanwalk, Hurricane Isabel, Something' For the Kids, I'm Never Right, People Often Tell Me I'm Good at What I Do, Fourth of July
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