Co cop 'Ego Death' off iTunes and be a good fan will ya?

The Scene

The Internet, first of all a great name but secondly and more importantly, they are one of the funkiest bands doing the rounds at the moment. Led by Syd The Kyd and Matt Martians with support from Jameel Bruner, Midtown Pat, Christopher Smith and Tim Lancer, The Internet stemmed from Odd Future with Syd the sister of Taco (from OF).

Ego Death is their third album and it comes at a time when OF have generally separated off on their own tangents and this particular tangent appears to be a beautiful one. Their two albums before this, 'Purple Naked Ladies' and 'Feel Good', came during OF's early years with their last album before Ego Death coming back in 2013. There's really only one word that can be used to describe their musical style and it's my favourite word: 'funk'. Ego Death essentially zones in on relationships and different takes on the classic love song, in a typically mellow way.

The Songs

Get Away - Don't let the mellow vibes catch you off-guard, so nice.
Gabby ft. Janelle Monae - The funk rises as Syd croons.
Under Control - Matt Martians shines, upbeat and lively.
Go With It ft. Vic Mensa - Sunday, all about Sunday vibes.
Just Sayin/I Tried - The break up, eloquently put with some nice bass guitar.
For The World ft. James Fauntleroy - A pillow talk song, nice and smooth.
Girl ft KAYTRANADA - This song makes sense after the first six tunes.
Special Affair - The pre-pillow talk song, get it ready.
Something's Missing - Light and fluffy, just like the clouds.
Partners In Crime Part Three - Bonnie And Clyde/Bonnie And Syd.
Penthouse Cloud - Take a moment and reflect.
Palace/Curse ft. Steve Lacy & Tyler, The Creator - Easily the most mellow party tune in existence.

The Vibe

New listeners to The Internet might get a bit of a surprise when Ego Death first graces their ears as there is simply nothing else like it around the scene at the moment. It's immensely low key with Syd's soft voice serenading tracks as she ventures down previous relationships and situations with other females, yeah you got it. Syd's got a unique style behind the mic as she doesn't strike you as a singer who is going to belt out the hero notes of a national anthem singer, but her voice is perfectly suited to the production and sound of The Internet.

It is essentially a lovey-dovey album, with the asterix that it's always up to the listener's interpretation, but that doesn't limit the creativity or variety within the album in any way. The pace and sound of the album gives it a very mellow vibe where you can find yourself singing along or simply nodding your head thanks to some slick production work.

The Music

Martians and Syd are both credited as Executive Producers, along with Steve Lacy but I think it's safe to say that Martians is responsible for the majority of what you hear production-wise. Compared to their earlier music, the most striking aspect of Ego Death is the drums that come in various forms and this is where Martians shines as he incorporates drums to maintain an upbeat nature to Ego Death yet still bringing in a wide range of instrumentation as well.

There's a whole bunch of 'composers' credited on Ego Death and given how all the different instruments sounds, it's a safe bet to say that live instrumentation has been used. It gives off a real unique sound because the instruments, whether they be a funky bass guitar, synth or piano, keep your ears perked for different sounds and how they all fit into the overall project.

In its purest form, music could be viewed as reflecting your groove, ya know? The flow, the liquid nature of music, especially funk/soul music can make your body turn into jelly on the dance floor, and Ego Death's sound manages to encompass all of this. You might find yourself nodding along, but you'll also find yourself wandering off, lost in the groove of the music.

In terms of Syd's singing, she spends a lot of time touching on relationships, but this comes from a unique perspective that we rarely get. Syd likes girls, so the listener is essentially taken on a journey of love, from the perspective of a female who likes females, which is a great adventure. That makes it sound like it's different to 'normal' relationships, which it isn't. Syd rolls situations, feelings and emotions that are all too familiar. She does, however, do that it a very soulful way.

Passion burning, causing rapture of laughter
Pressure building, falling faster and faster
If I told you that you rock my world, I want you around me
Would you let me call you my girl, my girlfriend, my girlfriend? Girl

Biting in the dark, I might break your heart
I can get you high if you wanna climb
Cause fuck leaving alone
Let me take you home, I wanna take you home Special Affair

Father, oh Lord in heaven, is this how you saw it?
When you made your creation, is this what you wanted?
Is this what you wanted? Penthouse Cloud

Eureka!

Is this what soul music sounds like?

Legalize marijuana.

It's really, really nice up in the clouds, thanks for the soundtrack.

Finale

Ego Death is possibly one of the easiest albums of 2015 to listen to as it's not too far off in any niche to alienate any listener. In saying that, it's not parked in the middle, unwilling to experiment or bring new sounds and concepts into the picture. The songs about love and girls, which are in essence love songs are neither too mushy nor too depressing which is kinda where I sit with Ego Death. It's very neutral.

Whether it's the mellow vibes of the album that seem to balance out the negatives of falling in love, or whether it's the mellow vibes of the album which serve as a canvas to ease you into the joys of falling in love, I always found myself coming back to a very neutral, relaxed and clear point. You won't be turning up to Ego Death, but you can sure as hell make love to it as well as chucking it on in the background, especially if you're with a crowd who don't like your hardcore techno or gangsta rap. It's odd how something so different can serve perfectly for a range or situations. Just not turning up, as the kids say.