Crest is a collaborative studio album by Swedish musicians Bladee and Ecco2K, released on 17 March 2022 through Year0001. It was recorded in Sweden close to the recording location of the film The Seventh Seal (1957). A progressive pop album, Crest contains Auto-Tune vocals with lyrics addressing themes of love and friendship, while including multiple references to heaven. The track "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was released as a single in 2020. Crest was included in the lists of best albums of the year by The Fader and best progressive pop albums of the year by Pitchfork.
| Crest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 March 2022 | |||
| Genre | Progressive pop | |||
| Length | 30:56 | |||
| Label | Year0001 | |||
| Producer | Whitearmor | |||
| Bladee chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Ecco2K chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Crest | ||||
| ||||
Background and release edit
To record Crest, Bladee, Ecco2K, Whitearmor, members of the Swedish collective Drain Gang, rented a small red cottage in the south of Sweden close to the cliff-bound beach from Ingmar Bergman's fantasy epic The Seventh Seal (1957);[1][2][3] Whitearmor said that the album was heavily inspired by the film and the Swedish band Abba.[3] The album cover was hand-drawn by Bladee.[4] The track "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was released as a single on 24 February 2020.[5][6] Crest was released as a surprise album on 17 March 2022 via Year0001,[1][4] amidst Drain Gang's world tour.[7]
Composition edit
Crest was classified as progressive pop by Pitchfork; Sam Goldner wrote that Bladee, Ecco2K, and Whitearmor created a "pure", pop-infused version of their dense cloud rap style, accessing a more widely relatable vibe.[8] Cassidy George of 032c felt that describing Crest as "a collection of hymns" was more fitting than describing it as an art-pop album.[9] Nicolaus Li of Hypebeast said that the album "sees the duo showcase their ethereal sonic forms over Whitearmor's evocative beats."[4]
The album presents Auto-Tune vocals addressing love and friendship themes.[2][8] Günseli Yalcinkaya of Dazed said that Crest contains nine "meandering" songs that combine the group's "youthful nihilism" with existential-themed lyrics and trance-like synth melodies,[7] while Sam Goldner of Pitchfork said that the album could make the listener feel that "no matter how much time you've wasted online, your real friends are out there somewhere waiting for you".[8] Writing for the same website, Nadine Smith noted how the album, while not explicitly religious, explores the imagery of heaven, angels, and ectoplasmic intelligence, constructing a spiritual realm that transcends specific doctrines or gods. She also noted how mantras seemed to be essential for Bladee and Ecco2K's songwriting.[10] Colin Joyce of The Fader said that the artists "strain toward heaven with every ounce of their being".[11]
Keegan Brady of Rolling Stone described the album's recording location as "fitting" due to the album being "distinctly Swedish".[2] Bladee said that, with the album, "[they] began to understand how growing up in Sweden, and being Swedish, is something to be proud of", in contrast to the group's rejection of national pride in their youth.[2] Brady further added that Crest "isn't concerned with nationalism per sé, more like an embrace of, and coming to terms with, one's core roots."[2]
Songs edit
Crest's first track is "The Flag Is Raised", which, according to Brady, is an anthemic, "exhilarating and spiritually liberating homecoming" that signifies the beginning of a new chapter for the group.[2] The album's second track, "5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)", is dedicated to Stockholm producer Vattenrum, who died in 2019;[4][7] he was known for producing early tracks for Drain Gang and Sad Boys.[4] The nine-minute track is divided into five parts;[4][7] Smith described it as "a living and fluid pop organism that's constantly mutating".[10] The song addresses "themes of loss and longing with varied tonal sensibilities", according to Nicolaus Li of Hypebeast,[4] and combines "religious iconography with playful nihilism", according to Yalcinkaya.[7] Yalcinkaya highlighted how Bladee sings "We think we exist, that's why we suffer, do we not?" amidst a bubblegum pop backdrop: "You can practically hear him shrugging."[7]
The third track, "White Meadow", was described by Smith as reaching new heights of pop music for Drain Gang.[10] The next track is "Faust", where Smith noted themes of "yearning for some greater beauty beyond the self" when Ecco2K sings: "I want to live in heaven / I wanna reach closer to you".[10] The fifth track, "Yeses (Red Cross)", continues the spiritual themes of the album[10] and contains falsettos.[11] Joyce said that the song summarized what Bladee and Ecco2K wanted for Crest: "a stubborn, relentless dedication to finding and creating ecstasy and joy in a time of widespread suffering".[11] Yalcinkaya described the sixth and eighth tracks, "Desire Is a Trap" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", as "melodic dance-pop bangers imbued with a sense of dreaminess".[7] On the latter, Smith described it as containing a synth-pop background and Auto-Tune vocals, fostering a feminine image as the song references Cyndi Lauper's song of the same name.[10] Salvatore Maicki of The Fader described it as containing an "angelic production",[5] while Torsten Ingvaldsen of Hypebeast said that it contains "an uptempo, experimental pop backdrop".[6]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8/10[10] |
| The Needle Drop | 8/10[a] |
According to Cassidy George of 032c, Crest was critically acclaimed.[9] Pitchfork's Nadine Smith described it as one of the best Drain Gang projects, being "a softly textured and sweetly spiritual quest for something bigger than ourselves",[10] while Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop gave it a "strong 7 to a light 8".[12] Günseli Yalcinkaya of Dazed described it as a "[level]-up in [Drain Gang]'s move towards global domination".[7] Brady described it as "a soaring and rapturous triumph that feels like their most ambitious project yet".[2] The Fader staff considered it the 22nd best album of 2022, with Colin Joyce writing: "Can [Bladee and Ecco2K] create heaven on Earth? Probably not. But the pillowy comforts of this record are proof of the power that they can access just by trying."[11] Pitchfork included it in their list of "Best Progressive Pop Music" of the year.[8]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Benjamin Reichwald, Ludwig Rosenberg, and Zak Arogundade
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Flag Is Raised" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)" | 8:50 |
| 3. | "White Meadow" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Faust" | 2:06 |
| 5. | "Yeses (Red Cross)" | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Desire Is a Trap" | 2:51 |
| 7. | "Chaos Follows" | 2:31 |
| 8. | "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" | 2:15 |
| 9. | "Heaven Sings" | 2:52 |
| Total length: | 30:56 | |
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b Rowley, Glenn (18 March 2022). "Bladee and Ecco2k Release Surprise Album Crest: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Brady, Keegan (19 April 2022). "Inside the Cathartic Bliss of Drain Gang, Gen Z's Emo Torchbearers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b Yalcinkaya, Günseli (13 June 2022). "Whitearmor: 'Everything I've ever wanted to say has been in the melodies'". Dazed. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Li, Nicolaus (18 March 2022). "Bladee and Ecco2k Deliver Surprise Joint Album, Crest". Hypebeast. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Maicki, Salvatore (24 February 2020). "Bladee and Ecco2k link for new single 'Girls just want to have fun'". The Fader. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ a b Ingvaldsen, Torsten (24 February 2020). "Bladee & Ecco2K Connect for Uptempo Cut 'Girls just want to have fun'". Hypebeast. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Yalcinkaya, Günseli (18 March 2022). "7 albums to stream this week". Dazed. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d "The Best Progressive Pop Music of 2022". Pitchfork. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ a b George, Cassidy (4 May 2023). "Drain Gang". 032c. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Smith, Nadine. "Bladee / Ecco2k: Crest". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d Ross, Alex Robert; Darville, Jordan; Williams-Kirtley, Gyasi; Renshaw, David; Raw, Son; Madden, Emma; Paul, Larisha; Elder, Sajae; Helfand, Raphael; Maicki, Salvatore; Oloworekende, Wale; Joyce, Colin; D'Souza, Shaad; Joshi, Tara; Callender, Brandon (13 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". The Fader. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ a b Fantano, Anthony (24 March 2022). Bladee & Ecco2k – Crest Album Review. The Needle Drop. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via YouTube.