Quality Over Opinion - Louis Cole (2022)
By LJ Henighan
For the recent 66th Grammy Awards, the award I was most excited about was one presented before the televised ceremony. It was also a new category this year–Best Alternative Jazz Album–and the nomination I hoped would take the trophy was Quality Over Opinion by Louis Cole.
This album was my formal introduction to the jazz-funk multi-instrumentalist, and it left a great first impression. Quality Over Opinion is chock full of infectious melodies, off-the-wall, absurdist lyrics, and raw technical prowess. If you are a fan of artists like Thundercat (who has a song called "I Love Louis Cole"), Flying Lotus, DOMi & JD BECK, Vulfpeck, or Cory Wong, Louis Cole (and therefore this album) is right up your alley.
What struck me upon first listen were Cole’s chunky, saturated drums and tight sense of rhythm. The second track, "Dead Inside Shuffle," is a fantastic example: the drums cut right through the mix and give the song a funky, forward momentum without feeling overpowering. Drums, bass, synths, live orchestration, and Cole’s unique falsetto are all highlights of this record.
The number of standout tracks is almost concerning. "Not Needed Anymore" is short and sweet, juxtaposing an uptempo acoustic guitar with dejected lyrics about not feeling like enough. "I’m Tight" lives up to its title with one the most captivating bass lines in recent memory. "Park Your Car on My Face" is a favorite of mine, featuring an electric harpsichord, horns, flutes, and a catchy chorus with a not-so-subtle innuendo. "Failing in a Cool Way" is based on a chromatically ascending pattern and is weird in all the best ways. "Let it Happen" (a track that earned its own Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals last year) uses one of my favorite abandoned music techniques, the key signature change, not once, not twice, not even thrice, but four times!
There is only one track that I still feel conflicted about: "Let Me Snack." There is an abrupt shift in style and energy halfway through the song that took me aback at first listen. After finding out about Cole’s suspected role as a member of Clown Core, it feels less out of place in his overall discography. However, while I have grown more fond of the track, it still feels tonally inconsistent with the rest of the album. At 1 hour and 10 minutes, the album battles feeling a bit bloated personally (my sweet spot is anywhere from 39 to 50 minutes). While not every one of the 20 tracks is a standout, no track truly misses the mark.
It would feel wrong not to mention the music videos created for the album. "Park Your Car on My Face" features Cole as a shirtless knight on an electric scooter horse rolling around town. "Dead Inside Shuffle" shows Cole going through his day-to-day life in a neck brace while constantly shuffling his legs. "I’m Tight" is a dance tutorial for the song, with some of the strangest dances I have seen. Cole also has a lyric video for the entire album, which consists of him lip-syncing every song in his mirror in a single take.
Sadly, Cole did not take home the Grammy gold, with the win going to The Omnichord Real Book by Meshell Ndegeocello. Still, I am glad that this album I love received recognition in the form of a nomination. If you are unfamiliar with Louis Cole, I would suggest watching the music videos before jumping into the album to get a sense of his style of music and humor. Then, if you like what you see/hear, give Quality Over Opinion a listen.