This album starts out with “Paranoid”, and I have to be honest with you guys. Right off the bat, I’m not actually too aggravated with this. This has a very nocturnal beat, with some sort of tropical rhythms which on paper sound a little obnoxious and something that I really would probably be sick of. But I’ll be honest, Post really doesn’t sound bad at all. Like, he’s actually gotten just so much better singing since we met him a while ago. Then we have the amount of energy he’s giving us here, which is actually pretty amazing. This isn’t the lazy, half-stone anthems of “Stony”. No, this is actually a pretty emotional and personal tune. “Paranoid” simply put, isn’t bad at all, and I feel like I’ve learned more about Post in one track than I have in his entire first album and mixtape. This is one smooth opener with cool vibes. Then we have “Spoil My Night” featuring Swae Lee, which has a little bit more of a mysterious beat. But it turns into a huge banger pretty quickly. Here, Post’s vocals soar over this already gigantic beat. And say what you will about Rae Sremmurd, but I honestly think Swae Lee does great in these atmospheres. It’s smooth, like the majority of this album, and that hook just really doesn’t give up at all. And yea, there are a few corny lines here and there, but I feel like this is a completely different Post Malone we’re dealing with. Obviously, if you’re not into his stuff, this probably won’t win you over completely. But for me, it’s working so far. Now, I’ll be honest, some of these sappier tracks here and these “woe is me’ ballads are still a major downfall for me. Take “Rich & Sad” for example, where Post, for the most part, comes off like he’s whining. The beat really doesn’t hit me as anything special, and if this hook wasn’t as catchy as it is, this would be complete toss away. And even at this album’s worst, this is so much better than anything on “Stony”, that’s for sure. On the other hand, I love the sort of playful beat on “Zack and Codeine”. And I have to be honest, Post continues to sound great in his performances. Like, I have no clue how he sounds just so much more solid than he did this time last year. Sure, some of his lyrics are thrown together. But for a track to vibe out to, this works wonderfully for Post. And some of the wordplay here may be cheap, but it worked on me. I’m going to be honest, this time last year this was the last thing I wanted to hear from anyone. But Post does seem to be doing it right. Then we have the much heavier “Takin’ Shots”, and it’s also much darker. Like, I’m actually surprised with just how in your face this track is. For the most part, this actually comes off like something that would have landed on Travis Scott’s “Rodeo”. It’s bulky, dark, and seriously heavy. If you haven’t gotten it yet, this isn’t a lyrical masterpiece of an album. But for some solid bangers, I’ve yet to hear anything I truly hate. And I may be just the biggest sucks in the world for “Rockstar” featuring 21 Savage. This track literally came out 6 months ago, and I feel like I’ve heard it hundreds of times. But this one is just so hypnotizing and dark. Post sounds solid with whatever he touches here, whether it be the murky raps or his soaring chorus. All the Rock and Classic Rock references are pretty clever. And this may be the only time I’m ever going to be able to say this, but this track is SO good, that 21 Savage doesn’t ruin it. Actually, his very murky verse is super enjoyable. “Rockstar” is just a really great, dark, club banger. And while this album may not be for you, it’s impressive with just how far Post has come.
Now, I’ve been very iffy in the past on Post breaking out the ol’ guitar. And on “Over Now”, it’s really not that much better. Thankfully, that portion of this tune does drift off quickly and we do get a fairly standard banger. But as far as Post’s performance goes, I’ve never heard him this legitimately pissed off. He’s always to me been a very sappy, gloomy MC. But here, he’s just so cutting and aggressive, and I love to hear this side of him. It’s explosive, and after all the sappy and emotional tunes over the years, to hear him get some balls here is awesome. Now, the atmosphere isn’t nearly as groovy and chilled out obviously, but that’s excused for the moment. But, I’m going to be 100% honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been 100% into “Psycho” featuring Ty Dollar $ign. So much so, that hearing this I almost overlooked this album entirely. I like the beat and all. But Post’s performance is just so sluggish and quite frankly boring. Plus, the sort of tropical vibes on this one aren’t nearly as tasteful or interesting. “Psycho” is quite frankly, everything I hated about Post’s early work. Plus, it’s just so repetitive and annoying. This album is a gigantic step in the right direction, but with tracks like “Better Now”, it’s clear to me that Post Malone is still far from the artist I want to hear him be. As these tracks roll on and on, I feel like more of his weaknesses are coming out. This beat is a fraction of just how dreamy and interesting the earlier tunes here are. And Post’s performance here is so faceless, this literally could have been written by any faceless Trap Rapper. It’s repetitive, annoying, and once again everything I hated about his early work. On the other hand, “Ball For Me” has this sort of playful and fun sound that I haven’t heard in a while. It’s very colorful and has some pretty strong grooves. The bass is explosive, and while this isn’t Post’s best vocal performance, it works for him. It’s smooth, has some serious swag to it, and almost reminds me of something The Weeknd would have done a few years back. Not to mention, Nicki sounds full of energy and seriously invigorated. But then we get tracks like “Otherside”, another dreary, slow ballad. And I’ll be honest, this track is far, and I mean FAR from where I was to hear Post. I mean, his performance is certainly beaten down and emotional. And when that beat finally pops in, things DO certainly get better. But overall, this sort of downtrodden ballad that has Post trying to get us to feel sorry for him, that’s not what I showed up for. It’s a catchy tune and all, but some of these lyrics are just way too corny. I’m torn on “Otherside”. And then we have “Stay”, and I should have known Post couldn’t go an entire album without breaking out an entire Guitar ballad. But, I do have to say, as far as THIS sound for Post goes, this is one of the better tunes he’s penned. His vocals are heartfelt and incredibly sweet. It ends up helping Post come off as human, which is something that’s missing so often in modern Rap and Hip-Hop. ESPECIALLY in a way where it doesn’t make an artist come off completely weak. This is a really sweet ballad, and while it’s not incredible, and I personally couldn’t handle multiple tracks like this, it’s sweet.
But come on Post. Why is it with these later tracks like “Blame it on Me” has everything taken a turn for the more depressing. This track is just so boring and slow. Once again, I actually think some of his backing vocals are really solid in parts. And when the effects on his vocals pop in, I think they come off actually sort of tasteful. But these more downtrodden tracks are just bring me down in the worst way. There are some solid elements to this, and I do love how tortured Post comes off at times. But this just isn’t what I showed up for. At this point, I really need to hear a banger. And thankfully, “Same Bitches” is the sort of banger I was looking for. There’s some seriously eerie keyboards and some hulking bass. This just seems to be the aftermath of the last few dreary tunes, and I love hearing Post in this atmosphere. Fuck, even G-Eazy doesn’t sound bad, which I really don’t remember ever saying. It’s just the sort of swagger-fueled club tune that I needed. And of course this is the sort of nocturnal atmosphere YG thrives in. Then we have “Jonestown (Interlude)”. And uh, I think there’s some really cool, dark tones here that go with a lot of this albums themes. But my issue is, this doesn’t come off as an interlude, just an afterthought. Now, “92 Explorer” has a sort of really playful beat to it, and I just love the sort of tropical rhythm. To an extent, this sort of comes off like Travis Scott’s “Pick Up The Phone”. But honestly, it’s moments like this where Post sounds at his vocal best. It’s a little repetitive, but here it ends up things come off more hypnotic than anything. But ironically, I feel like even though this is a very tortured album in parts, Post still has come out of his shell so much. And that my friends, is special. It leads to some seriously big performances, and most of them are intoxicating. Which leads me to “Candy Paint”, which is not what I wanted to hear. Like, ever since I heard this as a single, I thought this was a little awkward. This just sounds like something Lil Yachty would do, and fail miserably with. The beat is just so awkward, and some of the lyrics are just too much. This is the sort of cheesy nonsense I never want to hear from Post again. But this album ends off with one of it’s best tracks, “Sugar Wraith”. This atmosphere is absolutely to die for, and it may just be the most upbeat tune here. Like, where the hell has this determination been this entire album? There are some awesome bars, and Post sounds legitimately unstoppable. As far as a more focused Rap tune goes from Post, this is jaw-dropping.
Rating: 7.7/10
Give A Listen To: "Spoil My Night", "Zack and Codeine", "Rockstar", "Sugar Wraith"
Genre: Hip Hop / Pop Rap
Overall Thoughts: So let's get this out in the open, this is miles beyond anything Post Malone has done in the past. This may not be the genre-defining, ambitious Rap album that we’re all waiting on for this year. As a matter of fact, it’s far from that. But first off, Post Malone has never sounded more coherent, human, and genuinely talented. This album has plenty of solid club bangers and nocturnal vibes to go around. Post Malone isn’t exactly a lyricist, and more times than not he does get a little whiny. But for a fun, banger-driven Rap album that’s miles ahead of anything Post has touched, this album really isn’t bad. However, Post, leave that fucking guitar at home for now on.
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