Album Preview: The Cool Kids "When Fish Ride Bicycles"

We peeped the Chicago duo's highly anticipated debut album.

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Image via Complex Original
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Intro

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The Cool KidsThe Bake SaleWhen Fish Ride BicyclesComplex

Written by Brendan Klinkenberg (@KingMidasIV)

Rush Hour Traffic

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"Rush Hour Traffic"

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: When Fish Ride Bicycles opens in typical Cool Kids fashion with simple, knocking bass. Chuck Inglish’s signature style of pounding minimalist percussion leads off, but when strings and synths enter the mix it’s clear he’s learned some tricks since their last outing. Like the additions to the production, it seems the subject matter has graduated from the BMXs of “Black Mags” to Regals, Cutlasses, and old school Lincolns.

GMC

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"GMC"

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: The simplest beat on the album, “GMC” is just drums and rapping. Mikey boasts, “Pretty girls call me while they taking a bath/And I’m seeing if she’s playing so I’ll wait for the laugh.” Meanwhile, Chuck recycles the chorus from their older track, “88” during his verse. Despite having a few moments, this song does little to stand out from their other material.

Boomin' f/ Tennille

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"Boomin’" f/ Tennille

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: The Cool Kids’ laid-back style of rapping is matched by the beat here, creating a woozy and impressively smooth track. Tennille’s hook is short and sweet, adding to the relaxed atmosphere. Chuck rhymes about how you should, “Throw your hands in the air/And if it’s going down, I’m in there like swimwear,” which sums up the feeling on this one.

Sour Apples

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"Sour Apples" f/ Travis Barker

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: Travis Barker is featured on this song, sounding surprisingly restrained given his reputation for tearing things up on the drums. It’s a good thing, too. The Cool Kids make sure the song still fits their style so the collaboration—drum solo and all—goes off without a hitch. Ascending bursts of synths are the real characterizing feature of the beat as they rap about bitter women.

Penny Hardaway f/ Ghostface Killah

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"Penny Hardaway" f/ Ghostface Killah

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: The beat on “Penny Hardaway” is a monster—Chuck’s most menacing, triumphant work. The track uses heavily filtered strings and a horn section over the fascinatingly complex percussion. However, it’s Ghostface Killah’s verse that steals the show. Lines like, “In my years I’ve sported igloos, Alaskan ice/The lightbulbs in my jewels show off in the night,” are delivered with a ferocious intensity only Ghostdini can pull off.

Bundle Up

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"Bundle Up"

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: Our first taste of When Fish Ride Bicycles, the lead single holds up well after a few months and fits in perfectly. It is odd, however, to have a song full of references to Chi winters when the album is chock full of summer anthems. We guess the Cool Kids want you to bang this year round.

Gas Station f/ Bun B

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"Gas Station" f/ Bun B

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: True to the Bun B feature, the production on this track sounds like a tribute to UGK. Vocal samples, swirling synths, and smoky guitars—it’s a step outside of the box for the Cool Kids, but it works surprisingly well. Mikey sounds right at home on this beat and it’s interesting to see a group with such a defined sound try new things. The verses touch on their musical influences like 2Pac and Nas as Chuck speaks on Pac's "All Eyez On Me" and Nas' “Street Dreams” using the same sample.

Get Right

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"Get Right"

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: This track boasts a bold, catchy funk bassline, and drums that sound like they were recorded live. When the new age synths drop in, the N.E.R.D. influence on this track is unmistakable. “Get It Right” is the kind of song that would fit on Fly or Die or Seeing Sounds. The lyrics here are concerned primarily with girls, summers, and cars—seemingly spurred on by the lively beat.

Swimsuits f/ Mayer Hawthorne

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"Swimsuits" f/ Mayer Hawthorne

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: Mayer Hawthorne lays down an infectious chorus on this summer anthem that makes the track seem like it stands still. The spell is broken when Inglish’s drums hit again, bringing some energy into the mix. The track is constantly changing, switching up at least one aspect of the beat every eight bars or so. When Chuck declares, “This is what should be playing in them Jeeps/Swimsuit girls at the pool, beach,” he gives you a perfect idea of where this record should be enjoyed.

Roll Call f/ Asher Roth, Chip Tha Ripper, & Boldy James

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"Roll Call" f/ Asher Roth, Chip Tha Ripper, & Boldy James

Produced by: Chuck Inglish

Complex says: The Cool Kids’ posse cut gets going over a jazzy, reserved piano riff and a lot of 808 kicks. Chuck does a good job of keeping the beat moving—it’s easily the longest song on the album at just over five minutes, but never feels like it. It works as a classic revival track with its call and response chorus until Asher Roth drops in with a dense, tongue-twisting verse, “I’ve been waiting for the warm weather/The sweaters getting heavy on me/Getting sweaty while I’m getting ever-ready, like a wrestler.”

Summer Jam

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"Summer Jam" f/ Maxine Ashley

Produced by: Pharrell Williams

Complex says: The definitive summer anthem in an album full of tracks made for the current season. Pharrell Williams takes over production duties here, which is appropriate given how clear an influence The Neptunes’ production style has had on The Cool Kids. When Skateboard P drops everything but the vocal samples and percussion, the whole thing pops. An effective album closer.

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