Aesop Rock released the terrific Black Hole Superette back in May and he’s already followed it up with a new album, I Heard It’s A Mess There Too, that he surprise dropped on us today. The title, which began as a lyric, is in reference to checking in on friends around the world and learning it’s not just the US that having lots of problems. He says:
I’d been building tracks the same way for many years, but I made a conscious shift in my process here. I tried out some new tools and attempted to make my beats cleaner, more minimal. The drums are more stripped back, the bass lines are allowed to just sit, without layering ten things on top. I didn’t want the beat and the vocals competing for attention—I just wanted enough to get a wave rolling and not much more, just setting a mood I could move to.
I Heard It’s A Mess There Too is not on streaming services, apart from a full-album YouTube stream (listen below), but you can download it for free here. You can also order it on vinyl, CD and tape.
I Heard It’s a Mess There Too
Crystals and Herbs
The Cut
Full House Pinball
Bag Lunch
Spin to Win
Opossum
Oh My Stars
Potato Leek Soup
Pay the Man
Poly Cotton Blend
Call Home
Sherbert