(A personal favorite of mine!)
This album starts off with “STARGAZING”, and ever since I heard this track in the “trailer” to the album I’ve been absolutely blown away by this one. The production here is absolutely flawless, and everything I truly loved about “Rodeo”. It’s dark, dreary, and Travis’s vocal effects have completely reached the point of no return. They’re so out there and genuinely weird, but they’re just so perfect for this atmosphere. I love how genuinely Psychedelic this track comes off as well. So many MC’s bring in Psychedelic atmospheres, but so few are as true to form as Travis. Between that, and Travis’s lyrics about Psychedelic Drugs making him crazy, this absolutely has a vibe to it. Even some of the sound effects that flow in and out are genuinely twisted and strange. And that beat Switch Travis, my friend that is classy. “STARGAZING” is an awesome intro. Then we have “CAROUSEL” featuring Frank Ocean. The overall atmosphere of this album as a whole is just so likable and infectious. Like I said, Travis doesn’t just put on this atmosphere, he lives it. This one is much more of a straightforward banger for the most part, with some flashier production and a much bigger beat. Even Frank Ocean just seems completely at home among this very cloudy atmosphere. Travis sounds very confident, and I just can’t help but get wrapped up in this atmosphere. Also, like how does Frank continue to get even better at singing? Now, I do really love this track, but I do sort of wish there was a catchy hook bringing it together. But still, great track. Now, as far as a beat goes on this album, “SICKO MODE” has some of my favorites. I love just how campy and over-the-top this is. It’s dreary, but it also has these almost corny synths. And honestly, Drake’s very soothing vocals really evens this one out really well. We get another big beat switch-up here, Travis does indeed love them. But it really drives home the fact that Travis continues to really look at his albums as actual albums, and not just a series of singles. It’s a very progressive track, but it also takes time to respect all the true greats of Rap’s past. This is easily one of Travis’s most confident verses here. It’s cold and icy, and the production continues to be stellar. Then we get yet another Drake verse, which is honestly much more confident and memorable than anything on “Scorpion”, even with that dumbass Xanax line. Now, I’m sort of torn on “R.I.P. SCREW”. In a way, this is a really great tribute to DJ Screw that’s emotional and heartfelt. But at the same time, I’m not entirely into the beat. It’s easily the least suffocating and booming. And yes, I understand why and all. Thankfully, we get a very dreamy and dreary atmosphere to get completely lost in. Also, was this really the best use of Swae Lee? Then we have “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD”, and as this album rolls on it just keeps getting more and more out there. Here, we get this really bizarre, twisted intro. But it’s followed by a just as heartfelt and emotional track, one that’s pretty beautiful as well. It’s got a message to it, which is something I’m not used to completely from Travis. His vocals here are emotional and just as dreary as you’d want. It’s got a seriously catchy hook, some amazing harmonica apparently by Stevie Wonder, and a stunning performance from James Blake. Overall this track is awesome.
Now, as far as a straight up club track goes, we’re certainly overdue for one. And “NO BYSTANDERS” is just that. I love the booming beat and the very dreary, Psychedelic atmosphere here. Not to mention, I do love Travis’s very aggressive, intense performance here. It’s so intense that when the very transcending chorus kicks in, it’s refreshing. But this whole “FUCK THE CLUB UP” chorus is just ridiculously cheesy to the point where I really think Travis can do better. But still, this is a solid banger. But with “SKELETONS” we’ve completely hit peak Psychedelic Rap, and Travis’s very trippy lyrics are seriously helping that along. Also, shoutouts to Kevin Parker for production here, who really took this to the next level. This is far from a banger or a club track, but I love the slowed down, dreary tone to this and just how somber it comes off deep down. And it’s hilarious that The Weeknd shows up here because this in a way totally reminds me of that “day after the party of a lifetime” feel that The Weeknd conquered on his “Trilogy” mixtapes. It’s not going to be played in any clubs, but this one takes the atmospheres of this album and brings it up several notches. Now, I’ve always thought of Travis as a damn rock star. But hell, I never thought I would be sitting down to listen to him pull off a steamy ballad between him and The Weeknd rapping and singing over an acoustic guitar driven track. But that’s what we get with the next track “WAKE UP”, and it actually works fantastically. It has that great Southern Hip-Hop sound, and both men just sound so at home on this very breezy beat. It’s soulful and bluesy, and it’s easily got some of the steamiest moments of the entire album. And Travis, the things you can do with autotune are simply mind-boggling. For a pretty straightforward ode to sex, this one works wonderfully. And while this isn’t the most Psychedelic track here, the last 30 seconds or so makes up for lost time. On the other hand with “5%” I feel like Travis’s very ghoulish, nocturnal style has sort of reached peak campiness. And sadly, it’s not in a good way. This beat, while I see what Travis was looking for, is just so borderline goofy. I don’t mind Travis’s verses here, but even the chorus is just not up to Travis’s standards at all. I do like how dense the atmosphere is, and just how much tension there is deep down. But with “5%”, Travis just sounds like he’s trying way too hard to go for a paranoid sound, which he can do so well when he relaxes a bit. Like, take “NC-17” for example. This track is so much more straightforward with a beat that literally sounds like it was sampled from the “Suspiria” soundtrack. But here, Travis does so well with it, and ends up making this wildly dark and Psychedelic atmosphere that’s simply intoxicating. I love the more sung hooks that we get here that make this one come off genuinely evil. Now, 21 Savage’s performance isn’t as good as I would have liked, because he actually really has improved in the last year or so. But this is still just so much more in the right wheelhouse.
Now, as far as a straightforward, genuinely cool track, it really doesn’t get much better than “ASTROTHUNDER”. I love just how sleek and grimy this one comes off. Travis here just sounds so dangerous, which is what I loved about so many of his tracks on “Rodeo”. And of all people to be on production here, we get Thundercat and John Mayer of all people, it’s odd. But it absolutely works. Not to mention, this track is a trim 2 and a half minutes, it’s just what I wanted to hear at this point. Then we have “YOSEMITE” which shows Travis once again going down the road of an almost Rock instrumental. And to be honest, it’s not bad, it’s one of the better beats of the album. But these features? No. No, no, no. No no no no no NO NO! Travis just sounds as fine and as dangerous as he has. But on Gunna and Nav’s part, neither one of them sound like they should have been featured on this track. Neither one of them sounds like they even want to be here. Thankfully Travis does save this track a little, and the production is genuinely great. “CAN’T SAY” up next is one of the darkest tracks here. Like, this track is genuinely sinister sounding. But I don’t know, I can’t get on board with some of these lyrics, which sadly I don’t feel like Travis pays as much attention to anymore. But at the very least he does make this one come off much more believable. But with another very lukewarm feature, I really can’t get completely behind this one at all. But “WHO? WHAT!” has that grimy and nocturnal feel that I need to hear from Travis. This one is honestly wild enough to have landed on “Rodeo”, not to mention, contrary to what that “Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho” garbage showed us, Travis and the members of Migos have genuine chemistry. And here, this is honestly the anger that I needed the most here. It’s slick, sleazy, and has that Psychedelic feel that this album has done so well. Also, I have to say some of these shorter tracks are doing really great things. Now, I know “Butterfly Effect” came out a while ago, but I’m really not as familiar with this one as others. I do love how genuinely mysterious this one is and how dreary the atmosphere is. Say what you will about Travis, but deep down there’s always been such a sadness to his much, and it comes off so well. This one may be a club track, but there are so many genuinely cool effects to his that give this the sleek, futuristic feel that the rest of the album has. You have to give it to Travis, this album isn’t perfect. But Travis is really focusing an album. A progressive, wild, futuristic, and genuinely engaging Rap album.
This album begins to wind down with “HOUSTONFORNICATION”, and I do like the very grimy, dark production here. But as far as Travis’s performance here goes, I’m not nearly as into this. I’m not too pissed that he’s winding things down and going for a more low-key approach, he’s made it work before. But here, his performance just really isn’t doing anything for me. Things do speed up, and I do love how genuinely mysterious this track is. But Travis here just seems a little unfocused, and it’s a shame because the production is legitimately bizarre. However, as genuinely great as this album is, “COFFEE BEAN” is not a good track by any means. There’s nothing wrong with this beat, it’s actually really classy. But on no planet does this belong on this album. It’s Jazzy and almost artsy, which is cool. But like I said, in an album fueled by bizarre production, hazy beats and Psychedelic drugs, this is boring.
Rating: 7.8/10
Give A Listen To: “Stargazing”, “Who? What!”, “Stop Trying to Be God”, “Astrothunder”
Least Favorite Track: “5% Tint”
Genre: Hip Hop / Psychedelic Rap
Overall Thoughts: Travis Scott on this album has completely regained his momentum after dropping the ball hard with “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight”. This is a wildly adventurous Rap album, bringing in elements of Psychedelic Rock and R&B and tons more. And Travis raps it all up in his usual very twisted, murky way with tons of hazy production and Psychedelic lyrics. But this is also a reminder of just how much of a machine Travis is when he gets rolling with a concept. He’s one of few rappers that still cares about “The album” instead of just singles in my opinion. And on “Astroworld”, he cements that legacy. This guy is absolutely fearless, not being afraid for a ballsy feature or multiple beat changes in a single song, and that’s something you really have to respect.
No comments:
Post a Comment