Album Reviews

No matter your (likely misguided) opinion of him personally, Kanye West is indisputably one of the greatest artists of all time. While in certain occupations others come close, only Kanye has the wide scope and collaborative energy to succeed in everything. Whether it’s music, fashion, or film, he enlists world-class multimedia artists’ assistance, precisely executing most media (except opera). As the man himself said in “Kids See Ghosts,” “[I] don't like being less than any a competition in any of my professions/So I gotta guess then, I gotta stay the best man/What else you expect from, uhhh, Mr. West man?” He lives up to his word; despite the often delayed and cancelled album releases (through online groupbuys the material eventually leaks), within a matter of time he accomplishes everything he talks about. Currently, he’s working on a budget clothing line with Gap (fulfilling his 2015 promise to make YEEZY garments affordable), IKEA-type affordable housing developments, and creating American jobs through prison reform systems. His wide range of artistic disciplines and personal achievements make him without question “the greatest artist resting or alive.”

When Kanye commenced releasing gospel music, though, most critics (including myself) resented it. The genius who made My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, The Life Of Pablo, and ye – all masterpieces which, while with some religious elements, mostly focus on how celebrity excess, ego, and mental health difficulties can ruin one’s life – dropped JESUS IS KING, a Christian rap album which at first sounded half-finished, phoned-in, and forced. “Kanye lists bible verses as if they’re groceries,” I originally wrote of “Selah.” At the time, I feared that the visionary who made a decade’s worth of boundary-pushing albums had devolved into yet another born-again Christianity peddler (anyone remember Richard Ashcroft’s born-again record?).

Yet, after actively hating on JESUS IS KING (“Kanye’s worst record”), I ignored its existence. Suddenly, parts of the record reentered my mind, even ones I previously hated most. “Closed On Sunday,” which I called “without a doubt Kanye’s worst song,” begged a revisit. When I returned to JIK, I noticed stunningly singular production and passionate (albeit still poorly recorded) performances. The dynamic choirs of “Selah,” “Closed On Sunday”’s autotune singing, and “God Is”’ heartfelt vocal performance revealed themselves stunning. The album’s lyrical narrative remains by Kanye’s standards one-dimensional; there aren’t many inter-album connections, and his dark, ego-obsessed moments are limited. Still, JESUS IS KING is a near-perfect record that in time will be better understood. Kanye West is a futurist who stays ahead of the curve, patiently waiting for audiences to catch up.

Since I now love JIK and “Closed On Sunday,” what material do I consider Kanye’s worst? My least favorite released LP is Graduation, which while very good (8/10), in some places bores. Ye’s worst song? If you count his entire recording library, “Bye Bye Baby” from the legendarily cancelled Yandhi massively disappoints; leak communities immediately regretted wasting $2000 on it. Otherwise, due to its poor communication in the midst of controversy, I consider “Ye Vs. The People” his worst released track.

As “Follow God” continues its 35-week Hot Gospel Songs chart reign, Kanye is now teasing his tentatively titled new album, God’s Country. He premiered a Travis Scott-featuring new single, “Wash Us In The Blood,” mixed by Dr. Dre and accompanied by an Arthur Jafa-directed music video. It features simple, repeated lyrics, with the clearest communication yet of his thoughts on slavery’s lasting impact. Regarding his often misinterpreted interview quotes, Kanye says, “They wanna edit the interviews/They wanna take it to interludes/Cut a whole sentence to interlude/You know that it’s fake if it’s in the news.” The production is reminiscent of the 2015 So Help Me God era (some speculate that it’s an overhaul of that unreleased album’s “God Level;” there are only indirect similarities), with siren-like synths and trap drums. The intro has a demo-like quality in its mumbled opening lyrics; many of Kanye’s best unreleased tracks have similar mumbling, and with that element this is his first officially released song. “Wash Us In The Blood” is still very religious, but suggests that Ye is slowly moving back towards secular music. Reasonably priced picture disc and red vinyl 7” singles are available at Kanye’s webstore, and I of course ordered both. If God’s Country (if that’s even an actual upcoming album) follows “Wash Us In The Blood”’s path, it could be a perfect 10/10 LP. There’s also supposedly a full JIK Dr. Dre remix imminent, but it probably won’t beat the original.

While a few mixing issues remain, the $20-25 JESUS IS KING US blue vinyl pressing sounds satisfactory. Cut by Mark Santangelo (who at Sony Music Studios cut the original Late Registration vinyl) at The Mastering Palace and pressed at RTI, the LP makes the common vocal distortion (a result of Kanye recording on his iPhone) sound more musical. Despite the messy bass, the overall EQ balance is non-fatiguing. JESUS IS KING remains spatially deficient, but Santangelo’s cleanup of the file means that the vinyl is by far the best available (and likely possible). The pressing isn’t perfectly quiet but does the job well enough; if you prioritize low surface noise over mastering quality, you might be better off with the EU pressing done at GZ. The record (the album “artwork” itself) comes in a PVC sleeve with a 10.5” square tracklist insert in the back; before the PVC degasses the disc, put it in an archival inner sleeve. I do feel like the packaging is lazy (not that a JIK LP required much), although Kanye no longer has a full DONDA-type trusted creative team to tackle all the album release aspects he can’t be bothered with. Interestingly enough, to view credits the back insert says to visit “kanyewest .com/jikcredits,” even though the web address never existed. For those with a turntable who are at least casually interested in JESUS IS KING, the vinyl edition is the only suitable way to listen.