André 3000, one-half of the 2000s rap duo OutKast, is back—but this time, with a fully-instrumental flute album. “New Blue Sun” released on November 17, and I have to say: I didn’t anticipate this drop. It’s equal parts ambient jazz, equal parts experimental yet addictive.
The track, “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” is so slow and so ethereal. It is a perfect song to start the album, beginning with a clean slate. My favorite part on the track is at about the five-minute mark, where everything seems to swell. I am a complete sucker for the kind of cinematic echoing seen in this track as well.
“That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther…” stands out to me as the only track on the album that I did not find interesting at all. I don’t need much to keep me engaged, but the track was overly repetitive and more like a soundscape than anything else on the album. It isn’t that I hated the track, it’s just that there was a lot of potential that I feel was sacrificed for an imagined “sparseness” required for the track. Also, I am not a big fan of speeding up the tempo solely to maintain interest in a song gh—it doesn’t work. Just end the track at that point. It could have been 3 minutes long and engaging, instead of overdrawn and boring.
“BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000® Shirt Embroidered” was much more engaging. The barebone instrumentals were a cathartic contrast next to the louder vocals, and the synth work is some of my favorite. I am a sucker for synths, so these high-pitched notes felt beautiful and were a very welcome addition to the track. This song feels almost reminiscent of Mort Garcon’s “Plantasia,” with the natural sounds mixing with the smooth sounds of the Moog.
“Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity and Beyoncé” is one of my favorite songs on the album. The shimmering violin? perfect. I also really like the mixing on this track, as it pans across your ears almost as if you are in an alien world. It feels strange yet earthy in a way I haven’t heard in a while.
“Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy” is the peak of this album. This is the climax, and this is what makes this album so perfect for me. It’s the first real dissonance we hear that kicks in, providing the chaos on the track. The female vocals are incredible, and just add to the build. But once you go in, the guilt sets in. The epic adventure has been solved, but at what cost? Shivers. It isn’t just ambient background music, I promise you that—it is genuinely one of the more engaging and interesting albums I have listened to in a while.
“Ants To You, Gods To Who ?” is much more on the ambient side as André 3000 recovers from the apex of the past track. It’s very new-age-y, very spiritualistic; but in a way that doesn’t feel like something your mom who just got back from an overseas trip (and now has an affinity for pilates) is into. The LA kombucha vibe is strong here—you can take your herbal supplements to this track as you open your third eye beneath an Urban Outfitters tapestry of a tarot card.
