Exhausted from studying the past week, I wearily plugged my headphones into my computer to listen to Rebel Era—GRiZ’s newest album. I like GRiZ so I was excited to listen to it, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear. My exhaustion dissipated. My feet felt suddenly disconnected from my body and started to move on their own accord. My mouth waivered into a grin that likely unsettled those sitting near me. Even better production than his last album, Mad Liberation, Rebel Era surges forward as the young producer attains a comfort zone with his signature sound—one that has come to revolutionize electronic music. Incorporating glitch bass, soul, funk and tight grooves, GRiZ’s style is a breath of fresh air from the music dominating the electronic scene, rampant with predictable drops and a near universal sound.
The opening track, “Getting’ Live,” creates a toxic build-up, which endures throughout the entire album. Proving his prowess at beautifully meshing jazzy overtones and wicked beats, “Getting Live” is the perfect introduction and segues to “Hard Times,” a sexy saxophone vibe prominent with catchy guitar riffs and soulful vocals. “DTW to DIA” heightens the funk with raving sax solos and trippy experimental synth. That’s what’s so great about GRiZ—he’s not afraid to experiment and build off past successes as well as improve upon them. And that’s what led his sophomore album to be such a work of art.
Rating: A
