By Scott Jeffrey
Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius collaborated to form WZRD. In their debut album these lonely stoners decide to throw caution to the wind and make basically a rock record. Sampling from classics and creating some sweet jams is what WZRD does best, starting off spring with a great record.
It’s so hard to classify this album, it’s not quite a rock and roll album, or a hip hop album or even an electronic album. But it is something that is powerful that much is for certain.
The single Teleport 2 me, Jamie is sampled from a track from the drive soundtrack by the band Desire called Under Your Spell. WZRD takes this theme and sort of builds off of it, telling a tale of absolute lustful desire and how hard distance can be when put between a loved one. I loved the track on the Drive soundtrack and this version and its sampling seems to be even better still.
The opening Track The Arrival is an instrumental that sounds very similar to something Trent Reznor might throw onto an album. If you were expecting to pick up a hip hop album, this is your first indication that WZRD is a very different entity indeed.
Brake is somewhat similar in the louder pounding drums which sound borderline industrial rock. There is a weird sort of alien synth that weaves its way in and out of a heavy guitar fading in and out.
Dr. Pill is probably one of the most dance friendly tracks on the album. It’s a dark song but the chorus is very catchy and has Cudi singing in almost a punk style, and being answered by harmonizing voices. A deep bass synth and a driving kick work with a maniacal synth to build almost a drugged up club punk vibe in this track. It is like just about every other song on this album, hard to get out of your head.
There is also a very unexpected Leadbelly cover on this album. WZRD takes a crack at Where Did you Sleep Last Night and does it justice close to as well as Nirvana unplugged. This is high praise, but it really is a great cover. For the most part I thought this song untouchable but somehow listening to this the first time gave me chills.
This is a great album, I was really not sure what to expect but what I ended up with really stuck with me. Where WZRD may not find a ton of radio play because its genre ambiguity, it will receive a lot of plays from me. I would fill in the blanks and simply call these gentleman WIZARDS.
10/10
Take Away Thoughts: The very first perfect score I have ever given. The reason for this, I have other tracks to review and other music I could listen to but I can’t. Even the new shins album has been placed on the backburner because I can’t stop listening to WZRD. Pick this up, it comes highly recommended.
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