LAST YEAR WAS WEIRD, VOL. 2 review - Every year is :x

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)

Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 is a 2020 EP by Australian musician, Tkay Maidza (pronounced like "tee-kay myde-zah"). It is part of the Last Year Was Weird series that is named after an exchange between producer/songwriter Daniel Farber and Tkay which she goes into in her interesting interview with Anthony Fantano. Teaser tracks for the EP were released late last year, which turned heads towards this ascendant artist. Going in, I knew that she was getting rave reviews for this and that music nerds 'round the world have been falling over themselves in adoration of this here EP, and I gotta say--let me join the chorus.

Production wise, LYWWV2 is remarkable and varied. Bassy, deadly, and concussive with the nocturnal "Awake." Heart eyes emoji levels of adorable on "You Sad." And absolutely gorgeous on "My Flowers"--a phenomenal opener. The liftoff for "24k" is somewhat off-putting for me, but the rest of the song is tight as hell and you can certainly get into the groove of it, if you allow yourself to. All around, it's pretty evident why Tkay wants to stick with Farber as her main producer, other than the reasons she outlined in that interview. Also, I dig how that, even with this not being an LP, the songs are sequenced well. Between "My Flowers" and "Don't Call Again," this thing starts and ends strong.

Tkay's voice is distinct, and works with both the darker cuts and the more soulful entries into this tracklist. She has this great sense of personality; whether it's the cold-bloodedness of "Grasshopper," the joyful snark behind "You Sad," or the undeniable cuteness of the closer, "Don't Call Again." When she brags about her flows, it's earned. "Shook" has such a catchy flow that does wonders in company with its stellar production. No surprise that it was chosen to be a single. Once or twice, I heard a flow that reminded me of SZA or another artist, but otherwise--this is startlingly stand-out, considering how young she is as an artist (only a few years older than me). While Tkay would be the first to tell you that she's not an especially technical singer, her singing remains luscious and endearing. And "endearing" is this EP. Its joys are so, so infectious and don't lose their flavor upon reflection.

A couple verses by features aside, this is a record that shows how well Tkay alone could sell a full-length release. And the features from JPEGMAFIA and Kari Faux, they are great. Peggy's appearance on "Awake" shows you why the man's as in-demand and respected as he is, with his excellent flow and personality in his delivery (again, you can immediately tell why this was released as a taste of the full thing). I'll admit I hadn't heard of Kari before, but I'd be interested in hearing her own tracks. As with JPEG, her feature truly adds to the EP.

Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 is a stellar release--every track is so astounding and eminently relistenable. While I enjoyed it on first listen, my view of it has appreciated with each new spin. And having looked more into Tkay, I gotta say--she's a woman who I'm incredibly happy to bump however I can. I could see her and Farber going to even greater heights, and I am so fucking down for the next one of these. Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 gets a 9.5/10. Trying to nail down highlights on a tracklist this stacked is difficult, but I'd say "My Flowers," "Shook," "Grasshopper," and "PB and Jam."

Must-listen

Summary:

Its name was always bound to be the stuff of memes--in this year especially--and its exemplary tunes are bound to be the stuff of your thoughts for some time. The sky's the limit for Tkay and Farber.