Rapper and producer Cities Aviv has returned to drop a pair of tracks that show off his characteristically expansive range of moods. After releasing Come To Life last winter, he spent the rest of the year touring with Weekend and contributing to Mykki Blanco's Gay Dog Food. Now, he's back to work on his own material. He told FADER via email that he self-produced the songs "during the demise of a meaningful friendship," which makes sense given their audible shift between aggression and acceptance. A-side "Neutralizer" features the scratchier side of his voice—he is the master of his own strange breed of vocal fry—over grinding synths, while on "Graced and Blessed" he relaxes into a blissful state of gratitude. They almost sound like they were made by two different people, which is part of what tells you they were both made by Cities Aviv.
Cities Aviv performs a Converse Rubber Tracks Live show tonight, February 26th, at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Yung Lean.
Lead image: Rimar Villaseñor
