"Every artist will have their peak, and when they felt the most "hungry" in their career. Aes doesn't have much left to prove, and is basically a solidified legend of underground hip-hops far as I'm concerned. I personally think Impossible Kid was some of, if not his best work post-Labor Days, and this isn't too far behind that."
Maybe a minority opinion but I prefer his later work a lot more than his early stuff. He's always been a great lyricist, but his flow/voice became a lot more palatable around None Shall Pass IMO.

Album Rating: 4.2

Yeah, I love that hunger in his early stuff too, but his later stuff is refined in that rare good kind of way (at best is DOOM-esque at not wasting words)

I just can't get into his voice, I find it very grating and his stuff is always too samey for me. Listened to half of this and felt more or less the same way. There's some cool stuff happening in the background at times but still

All the Smartest People is so cool. I’ve enjoyed the shorter tracks he’s been trying recently - like Flies and Dog at the Door from SWFG. As for full songs on this, I’ve been coming back to More Cycles and That is Not A Wizard the most . Really like those.

Album Rating: 4.0

More Cycles is one of the highlights easily

Been listening to that one non stop

"Send a message back from the other side of the end of days,
all it say is 'catch me if you can, P.S. the weather's great'
What the fuck is resting on the seventh day,
I'm seven days of levee-breaking rain, stay the hell away"

Love that part

Album Rating: 4.0

Same!

And the production on that track too goddamn

Abandoned Malls too is such a cool way to end the album with

Album Rating: 4.0

Also love the lyrics on Fizz for some reason. The second verse has really stuck with me lol

"I avoid sunlight, Chuckie, and buckets without fuzzy dice

Money pits, and sucker shit, and run-ins with the blood of Christ

Unabashed do-nothings who do nothing but multiply

And multiply, or any hooded reaper out to thumb-a-ride"

"And the production on that track too goddamn"

For real! Hard to think of another Aesop track that sounds that.. dreamy, and ethereal haha
And yeah, if I had to choose, Abandoned Malls would probably be my number 3 after the two I mentioned. 'Earth, wind, fire, water, ether' - such a powerful closing line. I dig Fizz too, that part you quoted is great. I laughed out loud at 'I should probably wear some jewelry made of human bone, it adds a visual component to my 'you should go'" haha

Album Rating: 4.0

I love how Abandoned Malls sounds like something from a SNES game or something (maybe it is? i have no idea where it is sampled from haha!)

Imagine an EP or an album with all of that dreamy and ethereal production weve heard on More Cycles!

Yeah that human bone jewelry line never fails to make me grin tbh!

Album Rating: 4.0

this is dope

Album Rating: 4.0

Gave this another spin last night and it hit different. Loving it more upon repeated listens. Probably due to catching more of the lyrics each time. Another MC associated with Aes I've been enjoying a lot is Homeboy Sandman.

Album Rating: 4.0

This album is by no means immediate. What i love about most of Aes`s albums is that i find a new fav track by each listen. The Sea is prob my fav on this today but damn is he consistent

It gets better and better with each listen, as most Aesop does.

Fuck it, I can 4 this. On the whole, this is definitely my favorite of his newer stuff. I can relate to the sentiments above ^ - the first couple listens were a little 'eh,' but I keep coming back to it.

Album Rating: 4.0

Hell yes, cylinder!

I think Bazooka Tooth is one of the only aes records ive rated somewhat low and never really cared about revisiting that much but most of all his other stuff i keep coming back to more often than i care to admit lol

That's the same for me, Bazooka Tooth is the only one I don't really go back to.

While I can't help but lament the change in his general sound that started with Skelethon, this album is helping me reconcile. Artists change and adapt over time. And honestly, it's really impressive how he's made his sound a lot more accessible/modern without the lyrical quality dipping at all.

Album Rating: 4.2

It's official: if you don't like Jazz Hands I recommend that you hit up your most surreptitious associates, CashApp them your nest egg, and let them know that you're in the market for a heart

^ Absolutely agree with this sentiment

Still can’t get enough of More Cycles, That is Not A Wizard, and The Sea, but man, if I had to pick one.. I think Abandoned Malls takes it. What an incredibly moving track and a perfect closer.

Btw, Milo, I hate to nitpick your awesome review, but I believe the lyric from Difficult is ‘holes in your prose,’ not ‘hoes.’ Just felt I should point that out.

Album Rating: 4.2

Oh oh oh, this is big news. I shall revisit when sober and edit accordingly. My promo copy had no lyrics accompanying, so I had to refer to my less than perfect ear. Does the physical copy have a sheet with it? I haven't seen it around anywhere (NZ sux)