The Rotation: Albums We're Listening to Right Now

Every month, we try to keep up the daily onslaught of new music, and every month we highlight the best new artists. But what about the albums? In today's non-stop streaming economy, singles and playlists are more popular than ever, and the traditional full-length project has become less of a priority.

To most music fans, albums still matter, and a good album is an opportunity for an artist to present depth and versatility. Since we're usually focused on sharing all our favorite new singles, we realize that we don't talk about albums enough, so we started a new feature.

Each month, we'll ask some Pigeons & Planes contributors and friends of the brand to share which albums they're currently listening to and what they like about them. Here is the latest installment of The Rotation.

Favorite tracks: "DIET_," "So.Incredible.pkg," "' Cosmic ' .m4a"

At this point, Denzel Curry has proven his abilities over a huge range of sounds. From the rapid-fire coming-of-age tales on Nostalgic 64 to the operatic intensity of TA13OO and the Miami debauchery on ZUU, Curry's willingness to expand his sonic palette has resulted in a teeming fanbase and consistently great music. The latest chapter is UNLOCKED, an eight-track concept album produced by Kenny Beats and defined by a collage of samples and references. 

Curry moved the big melodic hooks to the side for this one. Kenny Beats' granular, steely beats are a perfect canvas for the Carol City rapper's lyrical dexterity, making way for a blend of power and emotion that puts Curry on a plane above nearly all of his contemporaries. Kenny knows it, too: he's one of rap's most in-demand producers, and the fact he chose to give a handful of his best beats to Curry speaks volumes. 

"DIET_," "So.Incredible.pkg," and "' Cosmic ' .m4a" are all early favorites for completely different reasons. You can mosh to UNLOCKED, but you can think to it, too. The album's source materials are comic books and video games (that album cover!), nodding to Madvillainy and J Dilla with a variety of pitch shifts, 3rd party samples, and analog effects. Curry is up to the challenge, squeezing dexterous Pam Grier and Shogun references between singalongs designed to leave the listener hoarse. Somehow, he's still getting better.—Graham Corrigan

Favorite tracks: "Dark Circles," "Patchwork," "Hawkshaw"

To survive teen stardom is to be confronted by what it means to be seen while not often being seen for yourself. It is knowing your body as a kind of public commons, picked at and pored over by strangers, adoring or otherwise. You could speak of all celebrity in these terms, but teen fame inspires a certain fervor and obsession particular to the condition of also being a teen, all rushing hormones and confusion. 

Ryan Beatty grew up a product of the YouTube fame machine. By the age of 15, he’d been nominated for two Teen Choice Awards and lauded as one of Billboard’s “21 Under 21,” highlighted in a class that included Chief Keef, Charli XCX, and Joey Badass. Before he was old enough to drink, he’d realized the potential pitfalls of teen stardom and receded from public view. Since 2016, he’s come out on Instagram, worked heavily with Brockhampton, and released accomplished debut album Boy in Jeans, a shimmering spectacle of fast youth and self-discovery.

Beatty’s Dreaming of David arrives quietly. The album tells stories shared in personal moments and speaks of late night gazes and fleeting encounters—the sort of private experiences not often afforded to the young who grow up in the spotlight. In an age of surveillance and egotistical overexposure, Beatty’s restraint and reflection shine on songs like “Patchwork” and “Backseat”—stripped, soft confessions from dance floors and cars that play like snatches of memory. Across the record, whether on warbling, uptempo standout “Dark Circles” or the unhurried, intimate title track, Beatty seems to sing for himself and others, a voice for those trying to find their footing in a society of scrutinizing gazes that turn bodies into products. It is an album of quiet romance and gorgeous pleas, a young artist’s deliberate statement in an age of constant noise.—Jon Tanners

Read our interview with Ryan Beatty here.

Favorite tracks: "Lost in Yesterday," "Borderline," "Breathe Deeper"

The general population's taste in music is collectively becoming more basic thanks to the sheer volume of songs hurled at us every day in bite-sized snippets meant for instant consumption. For a song to hit in 15 seconds or less, there can't be too much going on and the hooks have to be front and center. Tame Impala's new album The Slow Rush is an alternative to the conveyer belt of social media clips—12 songs spread out over an hour and packed with rich layers and psychedelic, head-in-the-clouds euphoria that billows as each song unfolds. The songs are precisely woven together with threads from the past, present, and future, laced with pop melodies that take a minute to sink in but are ultimately far more satisfying than quick hits and TikTok fixes.—Jacob Moore

Favorite tracks: "Repeat," "Love, Peace and Prosperity," "Deeper Than Rap"

British rapper and singer J Hus does things his own way, combining sounds and styles with consummate ease to make some of the most vibrant, vital, and compelling music that's out now. His album rollout was pretty unique too, announcing Big Conspiracy on social medial the day before it came out, releasing no music videos, and doing no press. Nonetheless, the album went No. 1 in the UK, an achievement realized without even a hint of compromise.

Big Conspiracy tackles topics like race, poverty, mental health, personal growth, colonialism, relationships, and much more, over stellar production (frequent collaborator Jae5 handles nine of the album's 14 tracks) that feels unique and fresh from start to finish. Breaking down J Hus's new album in terms of genres is to miss its magic. Certainly, you will hear elements of hip-hop, grime, afrobeats, dancehall, jazz, funk, and R&B, but this is music that is far more than the sum of its parts.—Alex Gardner

Favorite tracks:  "God Father Flow," "R.Kodie 2," "J Lo"

With his unforgettable “are you friends with anybody?” producer tag, No Friends is amongst those building Houston’s newest mutation in sound. Most recently, he joined forces with close collaborator and fellow Houston standout BBY Kodie for a No Friends & Kodie 2, a January 1 sequel to their 2019 collaboration.

Having built a rapport with countless past collaborations, the latest from the duo packs a potent dose of character into the 7-song tracklist, from the mesmeric “God Father Flow” all the way to to the almost-emotional swing of “J-Lo.” When paired together, the Texas talents are just as likely to explore the screw-induced R&B of “R.Kodie 2” as they are the supercharged “Toy,” resulting in a project with no dull moments. Houston has something to say, and this one-two, artist-producer punch is more than ready to deliver the message.—Seamus Fay

Favorite tracks: "Thread II," "Molly," "Diving"

Tobias' often gentle but always captivating take on folk, complete with plenty of experimental excursions, is at its absolute best on Thread. Running just over 30 minutes, it’s his most cohesive and direct project to date. His songwriting is simple and brilliant, summarizing the exasperation so many feel just existing in 2020. “I’m hanging on by a thread,” he opens the title track of the record, echoing a sentiment familiar to many.

Thread is emotional, dips into grunge, experiments with noise, and forms an atmosphere that’s an antithesis to most of the in-your-face pop music dominating streaming services. It is a breath of fresh air in the face of the maximalism that defines being online, falling much closer to The Microphones than bedroom pop. But, as much he recalls Phil Elverum’s earlier works, Tobias isn’t just following in someone else’s footsteps. Instead he’s gone down another path, and it’s one I can see myself frequently revisiting in times of overstimulation.—Joe Price

Favorite tracks: "Bussit," "Up Up Away," "Big Black Truck"

Last July, Dreamville Records released their third compilation, Revenge of the Dreamers III. The record showcased the well-rounded talent of J.Cole's Dreamville squad while simultaneously putting the spotlight on new favorites like DaBaby and Ari Lennox on standout tracks like "Under the Sun" and "Self Love." This January, the group followed up their Grammy-nominated record with a deluxe version of the album titled Revenge of the Dreamers III: Director's Cut.

The new tracks open with a bang on JID's "Big Black Truck" and EARTHGANG's catchy bass line on "Still Up," followed by more soulful jams like Ari Lennox's "BUSSIT." The R&B singer's first solo track on the album brings her bright vocal range to the forefront and paves the way for softer, pensive pieces like the nostalgic album closer "Still Dreamin." It's not hard to imagine how the 12 new additions could easily stand as an album on their own. But when experiencing it as an extension of Revenge of the Dreamers III, it feels like there's nowhere better the songs belong.—Eda Yu

Favorite tracks: "1997," "Dough," "I'm Just Sayin"

The city of Memphis, TN has been a driving force in rap culture since Juicy J popularized green skull t-shirts back in the early 2000s. Rap’s zeitgeist has been moving back toward the 901 for a while, and Key Glock is the city’s latest disciple. I was first introduced to Glock’s sound on his fast-paced 2018 project Glockoma, a pace he maintains on his latest project, Yellow Tape. Glock’s profile has risen steadily over the course of the last three years, and he’s just happy to be along for the ride. He thanks God for his chains, for his health, for his ability to whip it through the streets in a Mercedes Benz. 

Rags-to-riches stories are a constant in rap, but Glock’s enthusiasm is infectious. Coupled with hard-hitting beats—from the slinky guitars and 808s of opener “1997” to the subwoofer-crushing drums of lead single “Mr. Glock”—Yellow Tape is enough reason to celebrate making it to the finish line on any given day. May the congregation say amen.—Dylan Green

Favorite tracks: "Gat Damn," "Freestyle Shit," "Fake Names" 

The most talented crate-digging producers in rap hear music differently. To locate a loop minutes into an obscure song is a kind of magic. Madlib knows he’s good at it—that’s why he releases beat tapes. Which brings us to Bandana Beats, the instrumentals for his most recent collaboration with Freddie Gibbs. The Gary MC has one of the best voices in rap—sturdy, gripping, dexterous—so good that it can gloss over the beautiful and weird details of Madlib’s production. Like the second part of “Fake Names”—I didn’t hear how the vocal sample swam below the high-pitched flute run that appears every 12 or so seconds. Or the sample of “Elastic Love” by Revolution Funk on “Freestyle Shit”—without Gibbs you can decipher the singer’s words when Madlib lets the loop out a bit, like tailoring a jacket. There’s plenty to marvel at here.—Ross Scarano

Favorite tracks: “30 Suttin,” “No Indeed,” “FYI”

YS Tekdinner is a brand new (and offbeat) name to most, but the South Londoner has been rising from the city’s DIY music scene—home to names like Leo Bhanji, Virgil Hawkins, Kish!, and Master Peace—since 2017. There’s a degree of humor around his catchy one-liners and hooks (e.g. “I don’t get drunk, I get tipsy” or “No she ain’t my kid but she calling me daddy”) that makes his music lighthearted and highly entertaining.

Tekdinner Time II is the second in his project series and mirrors the genreless freedom of his creative peers. It bounces from lo-fi rap to garage and afrobeats, and it’s peppered with recorded voice memos and an acapella intro by the singer Mazzy. Refreshingly eclectic, it’s one of my favorite new bodies of work coming from any UK musician, and I’m really excited to watch him move forward.—Caitlin LoPilato 

Favorite tracks: "Disco Shit," "Brad Pitt," "Maria"

The chameleonic talents of 03 Greedo and Kenny Beats prove exceptionally complementary on Netflix & Deal. Kenny’s bassy, sparse beats leave pockets for Greedo’s unconventional, stream of consciousness flows, while the Living Legend offers some of his best hooks in recent memory on tracks like “Maria” and “Disco Shit.” The record is equal parts street-minded, as on “Beg Your Pardon” and “Paid in Full,” and surreal, specifically “Brad Pitt” an ode to the recent Oscar-winner that shouts out both his hits like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Fight Club as well as fringe titles like By the Sea and Killing Them Softly. Inspired by the movies Greedo would watch to pass time in the trap, the myriad of cinematic references in his lyrics make Netflix & Deal a highly re-listenable release.—Grant Rindner