released: september 11th, 2026

genre: experimental

from: new york, usa

label: xl recordings

a few thoughts: in a world and industry of social media-led campaigns and shameless self-promotion, standing on the corner stood against that and said no, we’re releasing our shit on our own terms. a year since the announcement (and having released it a few months ago on vinyl and via their website), “ii” has finally been released to wider audiences via streaming services. and it was well worth the wait. their last album, red burns, their most adventurous and experimental release, came out in 2017. since then, a lot has changed. they went quiet, worked on various exhibitions, collaborated with the likes of earl sweatshirt and solange, and stayed away from media spotlight. this new project is like a slap in the face. they have re-entered the building, as ambitious and bold as ever before, and i’m all here for it. the 15-track album is about an hour long, and features collaborations with the warlockettes, styles p, ladybug mecca, claudette ortiz, sonia sanchez, solange and danny brown. it’s a vast and eclectic album, with sonic collages that range from wacky and cartoonish, to soulful and and sweet. the opener “will it ever be the same?” with the warlockettes sets the tone for the rest of the album with a woozy, meandering and animated composition. the psychedelic guitar compositions, varied vocal effects and off-kilter rhythms and stop-start compositions make for a striking and utterly mesmerising listen. 6 minutes in and this is already one of the strangest, most interesting tracks i’ve listened to this year, and there are 14 more to go. the dynamic, guitar-led grooves of “the word” are catchy and mesmerising, while the off-kilter madness of “man may not last” featuring styles p and ladybug mecca is a violent critique of social and mainstream media, the establishment and how they enslave us via manipulation of information. the sample-heavy and heady track is one of the standouts on the album. “i am an evil / lonely man at heart” is sung on “evil man 9”, a melodic and colourful track with an evil satire to it that is riveting from start to finish. “gimme my gun” is another animated, almost goofy moment. they’re like a modern-day the residents. their goofy, playfulness is met with abstract ideas and critiques on modern society that reflects the frustration of black people in america. the soulful “mr. postman, wait!” is another wonderful moment, while “roll over beethoven” has a bluesy, animated and restless energy tht’s just incredibly catchy and another highlight for me. the dynamic and menacing “doesn’t mean a thing” is an explosive critique of capitalism, with harsh vocals and a metal-esque energy. “secrets” with claudette ortiz is an emphatic, overwhelming track, with soothing vocals that burst into life with the rest of the swelling instrumentation. it’s a magial, mystical track. secrets indeed have no place in love. “baby! oh baby” is a disorienting and heady track with incredible guitar and syth-led compositions that collide beautifully together to create an utterly spellbinding moment on the album. the playful “the night has arrived” is another great moment on the album, while “sonia” is a sonic extension of the previous track, and includes a powerful poem by sonia sanchez and gorgeous vocals from solange. danny brown’s usually animated and eclectic delivery on “how deep is the sea?” is fun, while “go to sleep pu$$y” closes the album out with an uneasy yet gorgeous orchestral piece that brings the album to a fittingly poetic and stunning conclusion. i might just say this is album of the year and leave it at that. thank you standing on the corner.