As far as mainstream drops go, this has to be one of my most excited of the year. This man has been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager, and I first heard his mixtape ‘Earl’ when he was only about 16-17 at the time?
Then we had the whole drama with him being forcefully moved to Samoa (that’s the story I heard), and then we had the whole ‘Free Earl’ movement by the rest of Odd Future, and then his climatic return on the cypher track ‘Oldie’ where he closed off the track.
From there, he dropped his anticipated debut album ‘Doris’, which broke serious ground for me and still remains one of my most replayed tapes. From there, albums such as ‘Some Rap Songs’ once again broke the mould for his unique brand of hip-hop and remains a critically acclaimed tragic masterpiece of depression and anxiety.
Now, over seven years since that dropped (with a few drops in between), we have this album. One that, based on the title alone, made some people sceptical about what would be featured on this record and what kind of Earl we would be getting, and I’m here to answer that and more!
So, the 7th album by legendary lyricist and indie cult figure Earl Sweatshirt. Formerly of OFWGKTA and a breakout rapper from a teenager. On this 11-track record, we have production from the likes of
-Theravada
-Black Noi$e
-Navy Blue
-Earl Sweatshirt
-Child Actor
The first thing I noticed about this 24-minute piece of art was the stylistic switch-up from his 2018 ‘Some Rap Songs’ in terms of tone shift and rhythm. While this album does contain the same structure of ‘short loop snippets’ that make the beats themselves, this one feels a ton more lively and fresh in execution!
Gone is that overwhelming feeling of dread, anxiety, and sadness that gravitated to ‘Some Rap Songs’ and in with vibrant instrumentation, soulful production, and an optimistic atmosphere and aura across the album!
I was hooked on the music side of things from track one. It feels like the sunny side of the 2018 album compared to the rainy day. I love how groovy and beautifully dressed the songs are on this.
From the opening track ‘gsw vs sac’ with those thick plucked bass strings, alongside those funk-inspired notes and that uplifting vocal loop that entraps the whole track!
Even the track right after ‘FORGE’ with those high-pitched notes in that intricate pattern as well as those opposite-ended deep bass strings! With some subtle, almost skeletal drums! This whole track feels like a James Bond action scene thriller vibe!
If I had to choose a favourite sounding track on this whole album, it would have to be ‘Static’ because it shows a glimpse of what a more ‘mainstream’ Earl on the offensive would sound like. This has a powerful and glorious beat that has signs of a trap beat macerated as an underground cut! It’s a very different beat for him to be on, and it’s one of the shorter cuts on the record, but I love the whole vibe regardless!
This is to say that I feel the production team NAILED the balance of sounds on this record. Helping Earl stay true to himself while making that positive impact on his music without selling out! Absolutely incredible.
Now, as far as the MC work goes. Is there anyone doubting the capabilities of Earl? He’s easily top 10 lyricists in the game, period. Since a fucking teenager, he’s been killing verses with one of the most complex vocabularies and a pioneering monotone, cold delivery that has made him a distinct household name.
In this record, while he does stay true to himself, we definitely hear a slight change in attitude and delivery! I can hear certain parts where it almost sounds like he’s smiling or wanting to laugh on lines as if he’s actually ‘happy’ for once.
Which sounds like a cold thing to say and it’s not that we want him to be depressed but we are so use to him dwelling in such dark and gritty soundscapes that it sounds shocking when he decides to shine his face onto production that has a lighter color to it!
As trademark, he utilises his smooth and hypnotic wordplay. Never a break in his style and similar to legends like MF DOOM he’s the type of MC with that splash style that can place words anywhere on the beat in any tempo and make it work! He has no strict structure and goes wherever he wants on the beats and that style has become iconic.
This made me so happy to hear, because the producers was flawless and because we finally hear Earl in what seems to be in a stronger and more optimistic head space which is what anyone wants for the man!
Another incredible offering by what many consider to be the greatest pure lyricist we have right now! DON’T SLEEP ON IT
https://open.spotify.com/album/45aldsXQsGrQxpst6z2hfR?si=iK3ztfuCR3KcNN-2P4KbFA
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