by Standing On The Corner
Released September 11, 2017
Reviewed September 10, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Side X (62%), Side Y (38%)
Building on the husky, muddied, slowburn beats of lo-fi hip-hop, carved by MIKE’s MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HUSTLE just two and a half months earlier, Red Burns takes the idea of the auditory scrapbook to the highest of levels. A deeply personal diary of Black & Puerto Rican livelihood in New York, the art ensemble draws samples from all over the world, emphasizing diaspora settled within the city. It’s more than an avant-garde sound collage blending spoken word, rap, distortion, hypnagogic pop, jazz and neo-soul. It’s a testament to the fringes of experimentation, of contemporary Black & Nuyorican talent, covering so much ground with its engrossing sample and genre combinations that it is both genre-less and genre-ful, some even dubbing Red Burns as the poster-child of the “post-genre”. It certainly feels that way, having already extended the foundations of the collective’s profound meldings into abstract hip-hop, lo-fi sub-genres, as well as alt- and art pop, over the last five short years. Consume and study this as not just an album, but as a documentary or a realist slice of life film. It’s no easy feat to be considered one of the greatest, but Red Burns burns bright among them with an immense power so swiftly accrued. – Cam (10/10)
Ben (Synth): 10/10 | Cam: 10/10 | Jared: 10/10 | Pax: 10/10
Alan: 9.2/10 | DeVán: 8.5/10 | Dominick: 8.5/10
Community Reviews:
Red Burns is sort of a living art sketch of the city shown through scattered sounds and eclectic instrumentals. They nailed every part of this album. It's so carefully crafted and fun. And the snippets of messages they have to deliver hit hard. You need a formula to create a better world, and they certainly have a formula for making great music to tell people. – @solomonsomers (10/10)
My favourite album ever. From funky neo-soul sections to spoken word excerpts, this album excels as a sound collage and a project in general – @sundown12345678 (10/10)
