Golliwog has the atmosphere of a apprehension movie: dissonant strings, appreciate nails on a chalkboard, make the premise of the music Star87; agonised screams are sampled for the interval of; as soon as in a while, an ominous drone will get a song to the level of weigh down. On that diploma alone, Fresh York underground icon Billy Woods’ most up-to-date album would be a feat of sound invent, and for sure one of many year’s most provocative, unnerving files. Obviously, this being a Billy Woods story, that’s merely scratching the outside.

Golliwog’s apprehension aesthetics are a counterpoint to its tales of true, each day nightmares. Via samples, guest verses and his private lyrics, Woods unearths innumerable photos of inhumanity: tales of CIA torture concepts, “12 billion USD hovering over the Gaza strip”, a category of genuine “zombies” intelligent to point out a blind behold to the working class that makes luxury that you can name to mind.

It’s heavier, if handiest a bit, than Woods’ usual output. He peaceable finds time for moments of magnificence amid the bleakness – the serene saxophone that ends Maquiladoras; the fuzzy synth sample on Pitchforks & Halos; the beat on Build No Mistake that feels nearly adjacent to dance song – nonetheless Golliwog is dominated by inherited trauma and divulge-sanctioned fright, and Woods assesses it all with nasty clarity. You might per chance per chance name it a afraid dwelling of an album, nonetheless that would be optimistic – you’d be annoying-pressed to take into consideration Woods sees a undeniable way out.