Summary:The sixth full-length studio solo release for the San Francisco-based rapper features guest appearances from the Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson, Allyson Baker of Dirty Ghosts, and Rob Sonic.
They did not know how long they had been there
They did not know how long they had been there
They did not know how long they had been there
They did...
For Skelethon is the kind of record an artist only makes once in their career; the culmination of long-gestation, departing loved ones and having to innovate out of your comfort zone.
This is still a consistently great set of songs, and the album another major accomplishment for Aesop Rock--but it's still there on the edges, keeping a great record from becoming another classic from one of our best working emcees.
Skelethon is an album that contains multitudes. Much like they say about people. This is perhaps because it is the work of an artist trulySkelethon is an album that contains multitudes. Much like they say about people. This is perhaps because it is the work of an artist truly coming into their own and giving himself fully to a project at the peak of his ability. On the album, Aesop Rock (a.k.a. Ian Bavitz) handles nearly all the production work (though he gets assistance from Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, Grimace Federation and Dirty Ghosts…Expand
Skelethon is a beast of album with many faces ready to turn corners at break-neck speed and leave you with beads of sweat on your brow. ThisSkelethon is a beast of album with many faces ready to turn corners at break-neck speed and leave you with beads of sweat on your brow. This is not easy listening and if you aren't up to being challenged take a pass on it, no harm no fowl. If you are then you will be rewarded. Aes' wordplay and flow are top notch and turned up throughout. He took the helm of producing this one himself and it paid off. Tracks are tight and drums driving, nothing gets lost in the mix.
A test of any piece of art, being painting, film, sculpture or music, is if can illicit an emotion that is unable to be conveyed in any other medium. "Ruby 81'" comes to mind immediately in this description, I do not believe that the emotion it communicates could be reached in any other medium; it is a mix of sadness, tension, relief and ennui. The same could be said about much of the rest of the album. Just when you think you are listening to a twist on your average banger filled with braggadocio (Tetra) it takes an almost delicate dip and back again. Lighthearted tracks are few but there are plenty of moments where you can enjoy tracks at face value. "Grace" is grin worthy from start to finish and "Racing Stripes" is downright joyful and jubilant.
When Skelethon turns dark is is pitch pantone black. The album ender "Gopher Guts" is such a sobering slap in the face you might want to call your mom and tell her you love her, think about how you treat your friends and maybe write a letter to someone you miss. Despite it's variance, Skelethon is much more than the sum of it's parts. Taken together, it is a harrowing look into the mind of someone brave enough to let others in. Aesop Rock has produced and wrote and preformed an album that excels in every aspect of what art, not just music and not just hip hop, can be.…Expand
This album is freaking amazing. Aesop Rock kills it, and he is a great lyricist. I wished rappers like him would be out in the spotlightThis album is freaking amazing. Aesop Rock kills it, and he is a great lyricist. I wished rappers like him would be out in the spotlight instead of all this trashy trap rappers these days.…Expand
This album is what is right with hip hop. It is creative and intelligent to the point of nearly being self aware. Listening to the album, oneThis album is what is right with hip hop. It is creative and intelligent to the point of nearly being self aware. Listening to the album, one cannot help but hear in it the soundtrack of one's nightmares- but in a good way. Dark and obtuse but not off putting, Skelethon bears repeated listening.…Collapse
This is a fantastic Aesop Rock album. He had heavy beats and complicated lyrics. Great featured artists who compliment these so well, such asThis is a fantastic Aesop Rock album. He had heavy beats and complicated lyrics. Great featured artists who compliment these so well, such as Kimya Dawson. In the lyrics he went to some pretty dark places dealing with death of his friends and asking for forgiveness. This album is great and worth listening to.…Expand
Production wise, this is by far Aesop's best work. He has found away to balance his impeccable vocabulary with a beat style that matches hisProduction wise, this is by far Aesop's best work. He has found away to balance his impeccable vocabulary with a beat style that matches his weird, metaphor based, rhyme style. On the lyrics side, this is definitely his darkest, and possibly his most complex album to date. It doesn't have some of the large syllable usage of "Labor Days", but the level of deepness and subject matter is at its highest. There are certain songs that will bring Aesop fans back, songs resembling track beats on "Bazooka Tooth", but these beats are much more layered and change tempo and bpms throughout the tack. This is the indie rap equivilant of the mainstream rap's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". "Tetra" is by far the biggest standout track on the album, changing up beats 3-4 times, and Aesop's lyrics at his best shouting "I wear the same hoodie everyday like Mumra!". Excluding "Tetra", my favorite tracks on the ablum would probably be "Gopher Guts", "Leisurforce", and "Homemade Mummy". I would give this a 9.3/10. Give it a listen; it is definitely his most accessible album to date, and will ease you into his strange style.…Expand
On an Aesop scale I'd have to give this effort a "4". Maybe I'm suffering from missing his Def Jux years...putting on Labor Days afterOn an Aesop scale I'd have to give this effort a "4". Maybe I'm suffering from missing his Def Jux years...putting on Labor Days after Skelethon...just no comparison. He remains one of the most compelling MC's lyrically, but the diversity in his tonality and rhythms have become more metallic over the years, album by album, progressively. There's no doubt Skelethon is jam-packed with intriguing poetic imagery, but for me, Aesop used to be able to tie his beats into some lost spirit of Americana. That Americana is now a machine, perhaps mirroring society itself. Aesop, I'd still name a kid after you...but I guess I "miss your old comedies".…Expand
