The Daily Spin, May 22
KAYTRAMINE | KAYTRAMINE
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: KAYTRAMINE (2023)
Artist: KAYTRAMINE
Link:
A hip-hop superduo comprised of Canadian wizard Kaytranada and Portland-based rapper Amine (not Anime, though god knows I’ve typoed that enough), KAYTRAMINE burst out of nowhere to splash a quick hit single with Pharrell Williams titled 4EVA last month before announcing that their self-titled collaborative album would be releasing in mid-May. Though it was on relatively short notice (to public knowledge, though this was apparently recorded in Malibu in 2021 over two weeks), this rapidly jumped up my “Projects To Look Forward To” list, and I’m pleased to say that it at least met expectations.
On a very basic level, this is a collaboration that works delightfully well. Though the two haven’t worked together and tend to operate in slightly differing circles, what with Kay’s future-funk house, downtempo beats to the end chaining kicks and throwing the pulse of the music directly in your face until you can’t help but bob and weave along, lining up against Amine’s alternative hip-hop, rough and ready, tumbling a la Injury Reserve, Goldlink, or Rico Nasty.
The album is at its best when they pull in outside influences to fill in, a cup running over with talent, most apparently in ‘Master P’ featuring Big Sean, a song where Sean and Amine trade verses over what I would posit is Kay’s truest production on the album, a low bassline thumping like it’s trying to shake your ribs out of your chest, working around helical synth ascensions and samples that do just enough to support from the bench, real Sixth Man of the Year type vibes. ‘Sossaup’ brings in rising alt-pop star Amaarae to feature on a tune that perfectly encapsulates the summery hip-pop vibe that I was hoping these two would carry to the table, similar to the sound behind ‘EYE’, with Snoop Dogg.
I suppose it’s not entirely fair to demand this, but I think the one thing I would have asked for from this album is to emphasize the summery feel - both these artists have done that with ease in the past, and I’m left a little befuddled that that is the feeling that seems to be missing most from all of this.
Rating: 8.9/10
Best Tracks: Master P; 4EVA; Sossaup
Worst Tracks: letstalkaboutit