Cities Aviv - Working Title for the Album Secret Waters
Still mad that I never got the vinyl release of his last album.
Every time I review something that ended up being a surprise release, I always talk about how nice surprise releases are. Even if it’s by an artist you’re not a giant fan of, a surprise drop is always something cool. Memphis rapper Cities Aviv is one I got real excited about. Then again, I was always gonna be excited to see what he did next after his two-hour-long epic MAN PLAYS THE HORN, which is in my top 10 favorite albums of this year. I would’ve never expected there to be a new album so soon given just how large his last project was. Now, we have Working Title for the Album Secret Waters, a damn good surprise release that genuinely caught me off guard. Knowing that this project is only a fraction the length of HORN, does that addictive, hypnotic sound translate into a shorter project? Let’s tread into Secret Waters.
What I think stands out here the most is the production, more specifically the sampling done here. I like the more clean-cut sound with the beats on here, even if I prefer the more fuzzy mixing on MAN PLAYS THE HORN more. The reason why I don’t mind this change is because Aviv’s rapping and pen game just continue to impress me. In the case of HORN, I had to dig a little bit to find the lyrics, even if they’re still great. On Secret Waters, though, they’re more clear and have just as much impact as hearing what those lyrics on HORN are. Simply put, Aviv just has a good ear for this abstract sound and it enhances the music. Since I’ve dug into more of Aviv’s music in between this and HORN, I think some of his best material appears on this, especially “Chozen / The Prevalence of Issues” and the closing track “Strange Ways a Coming.”
While I prefer MAN PLAYS THE HORN for its overall ambition, Working Title for the Album Secret Waters is the album that cuts down the fat from that album to be at least a little more accessible. Even if I prefer HORN, I have to admit that Cities Aviv is a genuine talent that shouldn’t be slept on anymore. Secret Waters is a great epilogue to one of the best albums of the year so far.
9/10
Listen here
Spotify
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Working Title for the Album Secret Waters is self-released.
Every time I review something that ended up being a surprise release, I always talk about how nice surprise releases are. Even if it’s by an artist you’re not a giant fan of, a surprise drop is always something cool. Memphis rapper Cities Aviv is one I got real excited about. Then again, I was always gonna be excited to see what he did next after his two-hour-long epic MAN PLAYS THE HORN, which is in my top 10 favorite albums of this year. I would’ve never expected there to be a new album so soon given just how large his last project was. Now, we have Working Title for the Album Secret Waters, a damn good surprise release that genuinely caught me off guard. Knowing that this project is only a fraction the length of HORN, does that addictive, hypnotic sound translate into a shorter project? Let’s tread into Secret Waters.
What I think stands out here the most is the production, more specifically the sampling done here. I like the more clean-cut sound with the beats on here, even if I prefer the more fuzzy mixing on MAN PLAYS THE HORN more. The reason why I don’t mind this change is because Aviv’s rapping and pen game just continue to impress me. In the case of HORN, I had to dig a little bit to find the lyrics, even if they’re still great. On Secret Waters, though, they’re more clear and have just as much impact as hearing what those lyrics on HORN are. Simply put, Aviv just has a good ear for this abstract sound and it enhances the music. Since I’ve dug into more of Aviv’s music in between this and HORN, I think some of his best material appears on this, especially “Chozen / The Prevalence of Issues” and the closing track “Strange Ways a Coming.”
While I prefer MAN PLAYS THE HORN for its overall ambition, Working Title for the Album Secret Waters is the album that cuts down the fat from that album to be at least a little more accessible. Even if I prefer HORN, I have to admit that Cities Aviv is a genuine talent that shouldn’t be slept on anymore. Secret Waters is a great epilogue to one of the best albums of the year so far.
9/10
Listen here
Spotify
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Working Title for the Album Secret Waters is self-released.
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