Washed Out

Add Date: July 4

Artist: Washed Out

Album: Mister Mellow

Label: Stones Throw

Genre: Electronica, chillwave

Comments: We live in an absolutely amazing and privileged society, where bounties and riches unknown for generations and generations before us (and still unfortunately unknown in too many places around the world) can be found with the simple flipping of a switch or pressing of a button. Yet in our contemporary and modern society, with unimaginably advanced technology, life seems to almost be more problematic than ever. The news, when not portraying increasing racial tensions and political embarrassments, is dominated by risings rates of stress, pressure, and mental diseases.

Ernest Greene (Washed Out) addresses these struggles and more in his latest project Mister Mellow, a concept album focused on answering why in a time of such unperilled advancement, we (perhaps more towards adolescents and young adults, but really any citizen of modern society) seem to have more problems than ever. Greene, a pioneer of electronic chillwave, generally doesn’t stray very far from his established and expected sound, but his addition of spoken word samples and more funkier sounds explain his move to the Stones Throw record label, known normally for hip hop and rap.

The release also comes with a visual album, a trippy 30-minute experience that goes fantastically with the music release. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on it! Early critical reviews are giving this record above-average ratings, but to me, with the combination of the prevalence of issues addressed, as well as how great the music itself is, Greene makes a strong case for my Album of the Year so far. I cannot recommend this record enough. Be sure to give it a listen or two!

Recommended Tracks: 6, 10, 8, 12, 2, 4

DNP: none