LX Sweat: City Of Sweat LP (Not Not Fun, 2013)

October 16, 2013 at 11:37 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

LX Sweat: City Of Sweat LP

As if the artist/title combo weren’t enough, the “Windowlicker”-esque pitched-down “awwwww” that opens this album lets you know that you’re in for something NASTY. This is where NNF enters the hazy, heavily vocodered R&B makeout zone. It’s not straight up R&B per se, but it’s slow, sensuous, and (obviously) dripping with sweat. Really detailed bump-and-grind beats and arpeggiated synths, and masked robotic vocals. “We Can Make It” takes a detour into syrup-doused disco, and the track actually called “Syrup Ritual” is even more slowed and slurred. “Addicted To Your Love” is where things start to turn from lust to desperation, and “XXXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX” sinks deeper into this, slowing down a Minnie Riperton sample and reveling in a sulking, sluggish tempo. While LX Sweat uses a lot of skittering hi-hat percussion and bass-heavy kick drums and day-glo synths common to so much music today, there isn’t the same sort of hedonistic, context-free glitz of so much electronic music referred to as “trap” these days. This sounds intoxicated, sure, but it’s but it feels like it’s actually working with its emotions rather than drowning them out in alcohol and drugs. The last two tracks are called “Heavy Rain” and “Fresh Air”, and I think that juxtaposition speaks volumes. It’s overwhelmed by life and drowning in a torrential downpour of emotions, but it still finds a way to breathe and reflect and be refreshed.

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