Adriane Pontecorvo: Afrofuturist imagery and lyrics that occasionally distort into the abstract make for a dark and dissonant vision on “Since C.A.Y.A.” Thundercat’s guest bass dances with electronic beats, and the whole track winds back in on itself from every direction over its course, a spherical world of hip-hop for androids and aliens. Those space-age synths are what really make this an attention-grabber, but even aside from them, it’s a fantastic cacophony. [8/10]
Chris Ingalls: Shabazz Palaces has always been a great example of what can happen when hip-hop steps out of its comfort zone. Aggressively experimental, “Since C.A.Y.A.” is dissonant and schizophrenic with beats going all over the place and plenty of tasty sonic treats weaving in and out of the track. This isn’t a song you can listen to passively as it demands your attention. [8/10]
Tristan Kneschke: There’s a lot going on here; Ishmael Butler’s vocals run through a demonic plugin, video filters, and color effects out the wazoo, and some snakes and dogs were thrown in for the hell of it. The slick editing keeps things apace, adding velocity to Butler’s spacey lyrics and filling out his dual concept album releases this year. He’s clearly got a lot of strange ideas, and though the maximalist approach may turn off some, sometimes, more is simply more. [8/10]
William Nesbitt: Gentle drums, string bass, and a processed voice start the track. The beginning of the video shows water splashing through caves, folks making calls at a phone booth, snakes on leashes (who keeps a snake on a leash?). From here the song, the video, and the narrative muddle up for me. Shabazz Palaces have a nice lobby, but I don’t know if I care to book a room. [5/10]
SCORE: 7.25