Certain albums change our lives. It can be the experience of that first note and the resulting rise of goosebumps along your arms, or simply that one was surrounded by loved ones, making the best kinds of lasting memories. Music can be a timestamp of life’s precious moments or the most devastating kind. However you may look at it, the harmonic melody of a singer’s voice combined with instruments, beats, and rhythm all manage to make a home in our hearts.
One of Bubblegum Club’s verticals is music. We are passionate about the level of artistic innovation and brilliance that goes into creating songs. These are the albums that have influenced the individuals at Bubblegum Club throughout the decades.
MF Doom and Madlib
Madvillainy
2004
Picture this, the year is 2004, CDs are still in mainstream rotation and Underground Hip-Hop is one of the biggest genres there is. Two years earlier, MC and producer, MF Doom and Madlib would come together to form the American hip-hop duo Madvillain. The duo released Madvillainy, an album that would forever go down in history as one of the greatest rap albums of all time, and a hallmark in whip-smart wordplay and underground hip-hop.
Behind the upbeat and alternative groove style, the lyricism switches from severe to fun from each track. One such song Fancy Clown, which samples ZZ Hill’s That Ain’t The Way You Make Love, as MF DOOM raps, “There’s been a place for you in my heart since we first met, a teenage love that didn’t feel no hurt yet.” Including elements of storytelling and venerability that make hip-hop what it is.
James Blake
Friends That Break Your Heart
2021
James Blake’s fifth studio album Friend’s That Break Your Heart is even more enjoyable than his past works. Blake’s melodious and silvery, mellow voice shines through in this album where the songs feel relaxed, yet the lyrics stand out as raw and melancholic. The worthy themes – nostalgia, non-romantic breakups, and dealing with hurt all amount to an emotionally intimate sonic experience.
“And there are many loves that have crossed my path, in the end, it was friends, in the end, it was friends who broke my heart,” croons James Blake on the title track. Each song feels like an emotionally charged confession of a plight that the singer has lived through, but everyone can connect to. The album feels heartbreakingly familiar and is the most honest and raw James Blake has ever sounded — “All that pain, and nothing gained in the end”
Oh Wonder
Oh Wonder
2015
Oh Wonder, the debut album by the alternative-pop duo Oh Wonder is a mix of beautifully written lyrics, slow beats, and whimsical harmonies. Anthony West and Josephine Sander Gucht wrote, recorded, and released one song, from the 15-track album, on the first of every month for a year on Soundcloud. The alternative album celebrates love, loss, and the ups and downs of life, “All we do is hide way, all we do is chase the day.” Each song from the album chronicles every part of life within the sweet-toned and harmonious voices of the duo.
Th&o
Ebusuku
2020
It has been said that producers make the best albums, and music producer/singer Th&o proves that in his debut album titled ‘Ebusuku’. This album defines the meaning of no skips and no shuffle as each track follows into the next bringing meaning to the album collectively. The songs come off like electric dance songs as if Th&o main intention was to get the listener to get up and dance.
The producer has created a timeless album that could easily exist in the 80s as much as it could exist in today’s music experience. There is no doubt that Th&o is a bona fide producer and sound engineer. The beats on each track manage to sound different on their own, but still flow as a collective, showcasing Th&o’s brilliance and creativity.
“Only you can take me to the moon and back, again and again, so let’s go tonight. Sweet Prosecco, I love, I love, I love,” – the lyricism is mirthful, and plays into the cantabile style of the album. Hailed as one of the most underrated, but best albums to come out of South Africa, Ebusuku is a clear sign of Th&o cementing himself as one of the best.
Kanye West
Welcome to Kanye’s Soul Mix Show
2006
“What’s up everybody, this is Kanye. Hi, it’s really me, this is actually officially a mix tape” Few rappers ever venture out of their genre of choice, however in this nostalgic classic mixtape, Kanye manages to bend genres and showcase his genius as a music creator. The 53-minute mixtape and lesser-known works of West can only be found on Youtube or Soundcloud.
The playlist is a mix of classics that Ye produced in the early 2000s, with a combination of samples from soulful artists like Nina Simone, Al Green, and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland among others. Welcome to Kanye’s Soul Mix Show is a good time, simply for its reminiscences of classic blues and RnB/Soul. Kanye’s added narration just adds to the overall experience and the idea of this mix tape being a “show”.
Mos Def
The New Danger
2004
Although Mos Def has not put out new music in almost a decade, one of the American rapper’s most prolific and celebrated albums is The New Danger, a rap/hip-hop album that introduces elements of jazz and rock to its mix. Mos Def, also known as Yasiin Bey, manages to sound different on each track, going from rapping in ‘Close Edge’, and then melodically singing in The Panties.
With tracks like The Boogie Man Song -“This whole world is cold and ugly, what we are is low and lovely, I am the most beautiful hoodie man.” – Mos Def delivers vocals that are unexpected for a rapper, but ease and introduce the album’s nuance while showcasing his ability to weaponise melody and lyricism when it suits him. Each track on the album alludes to an adventure and plunges the listener into a well-crafted sonic unknown.
Mick Jenkins
The Waters
2014
Mick Jenkins’ strength comes from his lyricism and the deep base of his voice. In The Waters, Jenkins plays with the idea of water being a concept of the human condition. On the hypnotic title track, Jenkins raps about human greed when there are more important things to life: “And I don’t give how you stuff your bags, touch the sky, it is more much more than trees, what can you tell me about your roots?”
Throughout the album Jenkins uses water as a metaphor for truth, introducing themes of race, poverty, and personal plights through the album. The Waters is a glimpse into the dairy of Mick Jenkins, and with every listen, his truth becomes clearer and most relatable.
Of Montreal
Cherry Peel
1997
Of Montreal’s debut album Cherry Peel hit the music scene in 1997. The album, alternates between Indie pop, Twee pop, Psychedelic pop, and Psychedelic folk, managing to bend genres while completely sounding original and folksy.
Acoustic guitar tracks like Tim I Wish you were Born a Girl, Everything Disappears When You Come Around, and In Dreams I Dance With You all sound like 1960s Beatles crossed with light elements of early rock music. Each track on the album falls into its own genre, allowing each song to stand on its own while simultaneously creating a compelling and expressive sonic experience.
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
Old Church Basement
2021
One element that makes the Christian music industry so different from other genres is its reliability. While other artists may take years between albums, listeners can always depend on the idea that their favorite Christian artist will drop an album almost annually, and while this consistency can be a good thing, it can make the music repetitive and uninspiring.
However, Old Church Basement reintroduces the Contemporary Christian music genre in a fresh way, yet still plays on the idea of classic Christian music — “It’s just an old hallelujah with a new melody.” There is a throughline and element of storytelling, that hints back to the idea of a testimony, which makes the album so personable and joyful. The collaboration between Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music brings together different denominational music elements, resulting in an album that is accessible to everyone.
