Clarence Clarity
No Now


4.5
superb

Review

by wtferrothorn USER (36 Reviews)
April 13th, 2015 | 339 replies


Release Date: 2015 | Tracklist

Review Summary: You've Never Heard Anything Like It

We’ve truly seen quite a growth of popularity of the R&B genre so far in the 2010s. Acts like Frank Ocean, Janelle Monae, and The Weeknd have been leading the charge, bring with them some of the best R&B records of the 21st century. However, while all of these artists are phenomenal, originality isn’t the first word you’d use to describe them. Even Monae, known for her mixing of multiple genres together constantly, still has influences from the early greats all over her work. But here we have up and coming producer Clarence Clarity, delivering to us a fresh take on the genre that feels 100% new.

R&B may be known as a genre that has a generally smooth feel, but Clarity turns that expectation on its head. The production on here is jagged and bold and embraces maximalism; holds no bars back. Every second you’re being barraged with bold, dense sounds; whether it be sparkly synths, layered vocals, or just fuzzy noise. However, the madness of it all still feels tight enough to keep the album from falling apart. But if your gripe with pop/R&B music is the predictability of it, you will be quite surprised. The song structures on here are unpredictable, schizophrenic at times. You never know what you’ll get; the song could start off normal, but then break into a glitchy bridge, and then drop into a totally different sound.

But what is an R&B album without the lead singer, and Clarity does not disappoint. His voice has a soulful feel to it that compliments the frantic production style quite well. Tracks like “Bloodbarf” and “With No Fear” have him crooning over some of the more ballad-like tracks on the album, and “Meadow Hopping, Traffic Stopping, Death Splash” and “Those Who Can’t Cheat” have him bringing a more strange, sinister sound as he ecstatically delivers choruses that will stay stuck in your head whether you like it or not. “Cancer In The Water” has him belting the same four lines across 3 minutes, but he sells it so hard that the track seems anthemic in a way.

While there are highlights galore on here, this album honestly could’ve had a few cuts. Tracks like “Porn Mountain” and “1-800 WORSHIP” seem to just retread ground already covered. At just over an hour long and 20 tracks long, this is quite the album to get through, as it’s so dense. Plus, while it is amazingly rewarding after a while, the abrasively loud sound of the album will take some getting used to. But that’s what every album that does something new needs: time to settle in. But I guarantee, once you give it time, you will receive clarity of this album’s glory.



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user ratings (268)
4
excellent
other reviews of this album
VaxXi (4.5)
Finding Clarity in the madness......

related reviews

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Comments:Add a Comment 
VaxXi
April 13th 2015


4418 Comments


ahaha, so much for my review I guess. Good review, if you guys havent heard this yet you need to. It's easily a top contender for album of the year.

wtferrothorn
April 13th 2015


5849 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah, it's definitely one of my faves of the year. It's got tough competition (Kendrick, Sufjan) but it'll probably be the best pop album of the year.

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 24th 2015


70256 Comments


this shit is so fucking cool

Cygnatti
April 24th 2015


36114 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Cool that this got reviewed.

Cygnatti
April 24th 2015


36114 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Alt r&b been slackin this year I swear

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 24th 2015


70256 Comments


not really dude. depending on how willing you are to allow fusion ass bullshit into that.

hiatus kaiyote and fae simon are two of the hottest releases of the year

wtferrothorn
April 24th 2015


5849 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

THEEsatisfaction was pretty damn good too.

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 24th 2015


70256 Comments


yis

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 24th 2015


70256 Comments


this will 100% be on my year end list, probably fairly high. love how noisy it is.

wtferrothorn
April 24th 2015


5849 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah. I just love how the noise here contrasts Clarence's generally smooth voice.

VaxXi
April 24th 2015


4418 Comments


Yeah, it's deff the highlight of the album on top of how stellar the production is here. Though I do wish it was a little easier to understand what he was saying half the time.

Cygnatti
April 24th 2015


36114 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

not really dude. depending on how willing you are to allow fusion ass bullshit into that.
i'm open to an alt r&b that doesn't go stale half way through
hiatus kaiyote and fae simon are two of the hottest releases of the year
haven't heard either so call me hype'd !



Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 28th 2015


70256 Comments


not for me but it is in my top 10

VaxXi
April 28th 2015


4418 Comments


Top 5 for me, atm.

VaxXi
April 28th 2015


4418 Comments


Ill agree on that, meanwhile Kendrick lamar's 'u' is probably second best song of they year.

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 28th 2015


70256 Comments


yeah 2015 is amazing


Ill agree on that, meanwhile Kendrick lamar's 'u' is probably second best song of they year.


BAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

holy fuck i hope you are jokes

VaxXi
April 28th 2015


4418 Comments


If I was joking, would I of said it?

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 29th 2015


70256 Comments


If I was joking, would I of said it?


only if the joke was so bad that no one understood it, but i laughed, so hmm...

don't ever mention ol kdot around putsy


i like kdot tho i just know which of his songs are terrible and which are not

wtferrothorn
April 29th 2015


5849 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah, even though I'm a huge fan of TPAB, "u", while fits well in the album's context, the replay value by itself pales in comparison to some of the other tracks.

Lord(e)Po)))ts
April 29th 2015


70256 Comments


^^^ yeah, there are far better tracks on the album (in fact its in the handful of the worst) and that fact aside, even the best song on TPAB wouldnt be in the top 30 songs of the year if it was lucky



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