crystal's tunes #1 - Hex Dealer by Lip Critic (2024)
for the first album to talk about on this new blog, why not go with the most recent album i've been loving, namely Lip Critic's debut studio album Hex Dealer. i first heard of these guys late last year, and was immediately intrigued by their unconventional instrumentation - two samplers, and two live drummers. in anticipation for the album i listened to their previous releases countless times, and since the album's release back in May its been one of my most streamed albums of the last month.
the opening track, It's The Magic, immediately sets the vibe with a comparatively slow and long track (4.5 minutes as opposed to the album's average of 2.5), but this works very well to ease you into the unique sound on display here. bret's vocals are absolutely fantastic on this album, providing a raw, punk energy to every track, but it never becomes *too* much. they know when to pull back and give a quieter performance before absolutely yelling one final chorus to pack an extra punch.
the real highlight of this album though is the production. the combination of distorted samples (though never straying into harsh noise territory) along with the two live drum tracks offer you a wide variety of textures and rhythms that never lose your attention. this is probably the most inspiring and creatively produced album i've heard this year, its completely unlike anything else i've heard recently and is bursting with enough energy to get you absolutely locked in - it's been my soundtrack for when my brain needs a jumpstart all month. every single element here is just so satisfying to listen to, like the audio equivalent of popping bubblewrap. destructive and chaotic, but simultaneously thought out and carefully considered.
these lyrics are surprisingly catchy too, with the choruses of singles Milky Max and In The Wawa (Convinced I Am God) being major earworms. they also don't stay too serious with this album's lyricism, often going for absurdist or surreal scenarios as opposed to personal introspection, especially on My Wife and the Goblin, a song about his wife and the goblin and how his son and the mailman want to kill him with bombs. its an utterly ridiculous concept for a track, but its so well-constructed that it just works effortlessly.
(tw: flashing images from 1:30)
there are darker moments on the album however, such as the first half of Sermon, which feels like you're being surrounded by a suffocating stormcloud and offers a brief moment of respite from the fast-paced madness, before going into a frantic breakdown with deliberately strained vocals launching you into the back half of the album.
the combination of highly sythesized instruments and percussion including breakbeat loops combined with the live dual drumming helps create a unique sound on every track, with each song taking on its own distinct identity despite often sharing some common qualities. from rapid arpeggiators to gritty bass tones, soft keys to vocal samples, theres never a dull moment here. Lip Critic have created an explosion of creative, colourful and crushing music and compressed it into a 32-minute blast of intensity and energy, and they're shoving it directly into your bloodstream.
if you check out the album and wanna hear more, i highly recommend their previous project Lip Critic II (technically their first "album", though it's more like a mixtape), as well as their EPs Lip Critic: Truth Revealed and Kill Lip Critic, especially the song Entry Level Stud (a song about getting your kidneys stolen while trying to get an ear piercing at Claire's).
stream the album!
