LP!

JPEGMAFIA

JPEGMAFIA has been incredibly busy. He released a pretty good EP last year, a not so exciting EP this year, and now we are getting a brand new full-length album. LP! appears to be a pivotal album for Peggy since with this release, he has declared his new found independence - fulfilling his contractual obligations with Republic Records - and a promise from here on out that he will operate purely as an independent artist. I am truly happy for him considering that Peggy is such a spontaneous, forward-thinking, confrontational individual. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish, and is driven to to get there regardless of any opposition that stands in his way. This just seems like the most appropriate course of action. However, until we see what that new bold step for Peggy looks like, we need to first tackle this new album.

Since its release, I have sunk a lot of time trying to unpack this. Very much in the spirit of JPEGMAFIA's music, I seem to be conflicted. I know what I like, and I know what I don't like, but the problem is, these clashing elements often appear on the same song, causing me to labour over them to try and figure out which elements triumphant over others. I seem to go back and forth on my decisions every time I revisit these songs. It also doesn't help that when I felt I was ready to talk about it, I realized that there was another version - one I presume was more true to Peggy's intentions - that featured more material; effectively relaunching me back into the rabbit hole. As of today, I'm feeling mostly positive about the record, however, consider this as merely a snapshot at this present point in time. My views are likely to change on a day by day basis.

That's a whole lot of boring setup, so let us get into what I liked about the record. To start, I generally like a lot of the instrumentals. So many different flavours and sounds. I love the swirling, watery synths and the brass on WHAT KINDA RAPPIN' IS THIS?. The intro to TIRED, NERVOUS, & BROKE! calls back to 90s era Bad Boy records with these giant cymbal crashes and the chiming bells. When the beat turns cavernous, accented with some cowbell hits, we have a perfect backdrop for Peggy to ride. KISSY FACE EMOJI! is quite futuristic, colourful, and multi-phased; almost sounds like something Ludwig Göransson would have produced for Childish Gambino on his Because the Internet record. The dramatic horns on REBOUND! are nice, and Peggy even raps alongside a live alternative rock band on END CREDITS!. There's boom-bap, glitch-hop, smooth R&B, Peggy really hits all the bases and not one single instrumental sounds like another on here, which was an issue I think I had with his last EP.

As for Peggy's performances, they are sometimes a mixed bag. There are times when he sounds very focused and flows perfectly over his instrumental, TIRED, NERVOUS, & BROKE! for example. I love the way he starts off a little reserved, and later transitions into his more hype, animated style. It just takes the song to a new level. Other times, Peggy's flow can come off awkward or rudimentary, making it difficult to really lock in and get into the groove of the track. I would consider tracks like NEMO! and THOT'S PRAYERS to be unfortunate examples of this. Even when the instrumental is really good, and Peggy is really good, the combinations still clash. On HAZARD DUTY PAY!, Peggy raps over a sample that is so vocal heavy that hearing both their vocals together really divides your attention. Instead of harmoniously melding together, they very much become the antithesis of each other, essentially listening to two songs at the same time because they refuse to combine.

What LP! ultimately amounts to is great instrumentals and generally great performances from Peggy that are often incompatible. My experience with this album has felt like a battle, trying to figure out how this is all supposed to work together. It is almost like the parts are greater than their sum, and as a math nerd, that kind of thinking short circuits my brain. It is a tad frustrating because I feel like everything is there to make a truly great record, but there's something that is just not connecting. I imagine that it will click eventually, but with how much time I've given to this record, it should've happened already. Perhaps I'm just not on Peggy's wavelength. In any case, I recognize the immense skill and talent of this unique artist, but as of right now, I am not entirely sold... yet.