So my first album of the year is the new Buke & Gase album Scholars, and oh boy. it has surpassed my expectations. With them, I never know exactly what to expect. They're strange. They've always been strange and quirky. And while I've really liked some of the weird sampling's of ideas they've posted on Soundcloud years ago, some of it I was only okay on too. The funny thing is the stranger it was, the more I liked it. I think they actually released one as a single way back in the day, because yes they released a lot of this sampling stuff shortly after their last album but it's now been 5 1/2 years. And one of those super weird ones is also on here.
While a lot of the stuff on here I wouldn't say is super strange, it's still got their defined quirky feel. But it doesn't sound anything like their last album (Like their previous album felt with the one before that). One thing I like is it feels a lot more varied than their first album, which my biggest issue with was that it was kind of samey. The 2nd one wasn't as bad, but even it was more samey than this one. And I absolutely love the soundscapes they've put onto this album. Stumbler starts off with basically a drone section,, Scholars is just bizarre, and Derby has like horns with synths. Pink Boots is the one that feels the most like their old stuff to me, and it's actually my least favorite because of it. Wrong Side and Grips are both quite good as well. Then after that, Flock, Eternity, and No Land, one right after another, are all really good and all have their own unique sound.
I'm just really loving the sound on this album. Good start to the year.
8.5/10
Some favorites:
No Land,
Scholars,
Flock, and
Grips