Review Summary: Flawed, but redeemable.
Unless you have been living under a very large rock, you've probably heard the name Skrillex at least in passing. The 27 year old dubstep (and more recently, trap) producer has been tearing up the electronic charts since he hit the scene in 2010 with "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". That album was huge, and I've been a fan ever since. But, as the years plugged on, Skrillex began running out of ideas. The first warning signs I saw came from Bangarang. Tracks like "Right In" really felt like just a repackaging of his earlier work, and I heard that "Leaving" was such a turd I didn't even bother to download it on release. But, in early 2014, Skrillex began dropping new tracks through a mobile game called Alien Ride. And so, "Recess", his first studio album, was born.
At first, it seems like a harmless, half-decent album. Something that might make you say "oh, haven't seen that before". But as "Recess" plays on, it becomes clear that this is the end of the line for Skrillex. Opener "All Is Fair in Love and Brostep" represents some kind of apology for the Skrillex/Zomboy wars, as it rips the drop note for note from "Terror Squad", complete with "It's ***ing Zomboy" sample. It's not an awful song, but it isn't really his track. And that's really what this album feels like. Not Skrillex.
The album wildly shifts in style as it continues, with varying degrees of success. The title track goes for a Party Favor-ian trap vibe, and pulls it off. Fatman Scoop even gives a credible performance, pumping the listeners up for the next beat drop and providing some useless, but aesthetically pleasing vocals. "Stranger" and "Try It Out" are both wheedling disasters, meandering and repeating themselves until it seems as if the proverbial snake has swallowed its own tail. I don't have much use for "*** That", but I do enjoy it's low end. Similarly "Ease My Mind" is really not my cup of tea, what with its faux-piano and acoustic guitar strums on the second chorus but someone probably likes it.
Standout track "Ragga Bomb" absolutely bangs, pairing a gritty vocal line from the Ragga Twins with a earthquake-inducing bassline. "Fire Away" is a nice closer, and I enjoy the chilled-out aura it has about it. "Dirty Vibe" brings Diplo along for the ride with a killer drop and some decent lyrics from Korean rappers G-Dragon and CL. The best song on the album has to be "Coast is Clear", with Chance the Rapper spitting absolute fire over one of the best Skrillex-produced beats I've heard to date. (sorry, El Chapo)
At the end of the day, "Recess" is kind of split down the middle for me. There are a few tracks that I like, and a few that I'm indifferent to, but they're a bit clouded by the rest of the album. Let's hope that Skrillex's decision to go full trap works out. Otherwise, I think the bell has rung for this "Recess".
