Anderson .Paak – Malibu

I discovered Anderson .Paak via NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. Along with The Free Nationals, Anderson gave one of the most entertaining performances I've ever watched. Immediately afterwards, I came to discogs and ordered this record. I am quite satisfied with my impulsive decision.

First off, the vinyl (as mentioned in previous reviews) is absolutely gorgeous. The gradient reminds me of a galaxy-themed bath bomb. It's stunning to watch spin.

As far as the sound goes, this pressing is what all pressings should aspire to be. No surface noise whatsoever, and a near-perfect mastering/mixing, allowing the listener to pick out individual instruments without it taking away from the overall experience.

Now for the record itself, the songs: This is some of the most innovative hip-hop I've ever heard. My one and only critique is the use of the word "nigga." That's simply personal preference, however. Despite this, Anderson Paak writes some of the most danceable hip-hop I've come across. His smooth vocals over those jazzy beats (often played without any effects on instruments) make for a fresh, upbeat sound that until now was missing from this style of hip hop. At times, you can literally hear Anderson Paak's infectious smile shining through his rapping/singing. It's truly beautiful.

I have not listened to the other pressings, but I would recommend this version simply because I know that it sounds positively amazing. Also, it's just cool to own such an awesome record that's limited to 300 copies.

Absolutely flawless pressing, not to mention the blue haze is just dead sexy in person. The sound quality is incredible on this one.. very flat mix (in a good way) with excellent dynamics and volume. Don't hesitate to spend a few more bucks on this handsome and incredible sounding record. If you aren't already familiar with this album or artist, I would highly recommend checking him out. This album is one of the best ones to come out in 2016, in my humble opinion.

Kuddos to texasvinyl for the tip about cleaning the grit from haze pressings. They were 100% right, luckily it can easily be taken care of with a single cleaning. I use (and love) the RCA Discwasher kit that you can swoop from your local record store or Amazon for $11-15.

Looks awesome. Make sure you clean the discs well because haze pressings always have a lot of grit on the discs! I try to blow it off first before wiping, because the grit will scratch the vinyl.