The Strokes – “Reality Awaits” review

The Strokes are an indie rock band from New York City consisting of guitarists/keyboardists Nick Valensi & Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, drummer Fabrizio Moretti & frontman Julian Casablancas. Their 2001 debut Is This It under RCA Records has been widely considered by many to be amongst the greatest garage rock-revival ever recorded & followed it up with the equally acclaimed sophomore effort Room on Fire, although 1st Impressions of Earth as well as Angles & Comedown Machine generally left audiences torn. The New Abnormal produced by Rick Rubin has already become the quintet’s 2nd greatest statement since their debut & are getting back together 6 years later for their 7th studio LP.

“Psycho Shit” gets things going singing about the Gaza genocide & looking at the teacher’s pet label as another form of death within itself while “Dine N’Dash” embraces a new wave vibe instrumentally detailing the consumption of something without paying it’s exact cost. “Lonely in the Future” interestingly suggests Anthony Fantano to focus on the technical side of music more often until the hideous soft rock, indie rock, countrypolitan & neo-psychedelia crossover “Falling Out of Love”.

We have The Strokes endorsing Maya Wiley on “Starting Again” to kick off the 2nd half just before the self-explanatory “Going Shopping” mediocrely blends new wave, indie rock, jangle pop & indie surf for the lead single. “Liar’s Remorse” addresses an individual who doesn’t want love because they can’t take the pain & after “The Fruits of Conquest” takes a moment for a rebellious middle finger towards authoritarianism, “Tyrants of the Mellow Moon” concludes Reality Awaits with a Radiohead-inspired closer waiting for another chance to take everything he can.

The New Abnormal had me thinking maybe Rick Rubin wasn’t entirely washed since that’s the first time in years where I can recall an album he produced receiving that much praise but unfortunately, Reality Awaits found a way to beat 1st Impressions of Earth or Angles & Comedown Machine in becoming The Strokes’ weakest entry in their discography. Rick’s production is fine recapturing indie rock, neo-psychedelia, new wave & post-punk revival sounds although I can’t say the same for Julian’s effect-heavy vocals.

Score: 2.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Charli XCX – “Music, Fashion, Film” review

This is the 8th studio LP from Cambridge, England, United Kingdom singer/songwriter Charli XCX. who one might be remembered for her feature on Iggy Azalea’s biggest hit “Fancy” a decade ago. Her solo material would go on to step leaps & bounds beyond hers with highlights including her 3rd & 4th mixtapes #1 Angel & Pop 2 respectively alongside her 4th & 5th albums Charli & How I’m Feeling Now. Her final Asylum Records offering Crash was ok & brat under Atlantic Records quickly became an indie sleaze revival landmark, coming off the soundtrack of Wuthering Heights to drop Music, Fashion, Film.

“Rock Music” produced by A.G. Cook made for a polarizing lead single blending new rave, indietronica & power pop singing about departing from the EDM style in favor of rock whereas “SS26” fuses indie rock, alt-pop, pop rock, indietronica, slacker rock & post-punk revival critiquing art being commercialized beyond recognition. “Card Declined” splits itself into 2 distinct halves singing about the topic of materialism prior to the indietronica, alternative dance, alt-pop & pop rock single “Camera” finds herself considering pursuing an acting career.

Moving on from there, “2007” looks back at how far she’s come since beginning to make music 19 years previously combining elements of alternative dance & pop rock just before “I’m Afraid” discusses Charli’s engagement to George Daniel & gets confessional regarding everything she fears. “Yeah” might be one of the weaker moments partly due to it’s repetitive structuring although I very much understand the concept revolving around yes men while “Wink Wink” mixes pop rock, post-punk revival, power pop, new wave & dance-punk revival sings about people always changing.

“Persona” winds down Music, Fashion, Film’s final act advising for people to not let their egos choke them whenever she’s around them over a fuzzy guitar playing behind her while “Magic Metal Montana” shows some appreciation towards A.G. Cook, considering him to be her best friend & that he makes things easier for her whenever they’re in the studio. The closer “No One Lasts Forever” featuring a spoken word interlude & outro from David Cronenberg sends off the album singing about enjoying life now since every living being eventually dies.

Starting the deluxe run, “I Keep on Thinking ‘Bout You Every Single Day & Night” vents over someone who’s constantly on Charli’s mind with some synthesizers backing her while “Playboy Bunny” gives us the complete sonic opposite of “SS26” & letting her sassy side take control responding to the people who claim her output sounds the same by saying it’s because she made it herself. The final bonus track “If you take away the music then what has she got?” menacingly concludes with a repetitive chorus & post-chorus preceding a guitar solo.

I fully support the idea of Charli XCX making a complete stylistic departure for Music, Fashion, Film even if I wouldn’t put it in the same category as brat or How I’m Feeling Now or Charli amongst her most celebrated material. However, I’ll still put it above the Wuthering Heights soundtrack & even Crash compared to her other 2020s output. A.G. Cook’s production experiments with indietronica, indie rock, pop rock, slacker rock, alternative dance, alt-pop, new rave, power pop, post-punk revival, noise pop, new wave & dance-punk revival so Charli can get more introspective lyrically.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

MC Serch – “Millions of 0s” review

MC Serch is a 59 year old MC, songwriter & record executive from Queens, New York who rose to prominence as 1/3 of 3rd Bass. He would also drop a solo LP following their disbandment under Def Jam Recordings called Return of the Product, where Nas made one of his very 1st guest appearances. It’s been over 3 decades since then & to my surprise, he had enlisted Apathy from the Army of the Pharaohs & Demigodz collectives to fully produce a new extended play of material.

“Thanks Serch” begins with a groovy instrumental expressing gratitude towards those he’s come across over the course of his illustrious career whereas “The Builder” boasts his wealth over a funky beat. “Air It Out” featuring NEMS finds the duo linking up for a playful club anthem & after “Questions in My Mind” responds to those wondering about his longevity, “The Playbook” preceding the outro comes through with some soulful grown man shit.

Return of the Product isn’t necessarily amongst my favorite things to come out Def Jam in the early 90s despite some of MC Serch’s greatest songs being on it like “Back to the Grill” & “Scenes from the Mind” to name a couple, but Millions of 0s for an EP surpasses that album by returning with a newfound creative urgency over a consistent batch of Apathy production approaching these tracks from a place of reflective honesty.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Leedz Edutainment – “Hard to Learn” review

This is the 9th compilation album from Boston, Massachusetts underground record label Leedz Edutainment. Since the early 2010s, they’ve already dropped a handful of comps under their belt already with the Mass Movementz duology as well as the Write Off tetralogy & Eastern Standard. It’s already been a few years since A Worker Among Workers came out & Hard to Learn arrives 49 months later to get significantly vulnerable in comparison to it’s predecessors.

The title track by the Barrel Brothers & REKS produced by The Arcitype after the “Acceptance” intro begins with an uplifting boom bap opener talking about waiting for your turn whereas “The Friends of Eddie Leedz” by Big Shug, Ed O.G. & Mann Terror finds the trio repping their city. “The Darkside” by Lex the Hex Master, Ruste Juxx & XL the Beast explores a horrorcore vibe talking about darkness following them while “Walk Among What Remains” by Ill Bill, Q-Unique, Rite Hook & Wildcard tastefully blends hardcore hip hop & rap rock.

“No Surprise” by Blueprint, MURS & Sareem Poems after the “Diversion” skit & Lenny Lashley’s Gang of 1’s cover of “Downbound Train” by Bruce Springsteen returns to the boom bap talking about jumping through hoops to stay alive while “Bear the Burden” by Akrobatik, M-Dot & Reef the Lost Cauze precedes the “Lyrical Shit” skit hopping over a D.C. the Midi Alien beat discusses the good feeling of overcoming obstacles to come back stronger than ever.

Bonnie Stone, Freddie Black, Lateb, Napoleon da Legend, Raw Deff & Weapon E.S.P. all join forces for the 5 minute posse cut “Battle Tested” where Napoleon & Weapon E.S.P. each drop the strongest verses just before “Animal” by Rite Hook, STL GLD & XL the Beast prior to the “Show’s Over” skit reaches the 1st leg of Hard to Learn talking about the quartet feeling like a pack of angry wolves coming across a herd of sheep.

After Godforbid hits us with a cover of “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers” by Primus that isn’t much better or worse than the Bruce Springsteen one, we have The Dunnas making an appearance for “The Working Man (Turn & Burn)” celebrating those types of people specifically while “Fictional Fantasies” by Awon, Emskee & Sadat X after the “Be a Man” skit talks about not being able to progressive if you’ve never experienced any hardships in your life.

“History iz Watching” by Blak Madeen & Daddy-O calls the world to choose between right or wrong while “Living With a Ghost” by Ea$y Money, STL GLD & XL the Beast after the “Father’s Day” skit talks about fathers who weren’t around much. “Learn to Suffer” by Block McCloud & Problemattik speaks of staying true to yourself & after the “Gratitude” skit, “Penniless Kings” by XL the Beast ahead of the “See You on the Next One” outro realizing that’s exactly what everyone is.

Wasn’t really sure if Leedz Edutainment would be able to top A Worker Among Workers, but Hard to Learn already dethrones it by putting the listener inside the shoes of a person who’s carried more than they thought they could. The Arcitype returns behind the boards with the exception of 2 tracks retaining a hardcore hip hop/boom bap sound other than a couple rock covers I could’ve done without confronting issues ranging from divorce to addiction, grief, anxiety, working-class struggles, faith, redemption & the long road toward acceptance.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Gangrene – “Better Than McDonald’s” review

Yes, a brand new studio LP & the 5th overall from California emcee/production duo Gangrene has arrived. Consisting of The Alchemist & Oh No representing Los Angeles & Oxnard respectively, the latter of whom’s the younger brother of one of my top 10 producers of all-time Madlib & the other so happens to be yet another top 10 producer of mine. They’ve put out a total of 4 full-length albums along with a couple EPs together over the past 16 years & are coming off Heads I Win, Tails You Lose back in 2024 marking their return after almost a decade to explain that the position each of them are in is Better Than McDonald’s.

“Note Ascension” hops over a raw Alchemist instrumental to get things going taking shots at rappers who’re out of their element whereas “Forever” turns up the grittiest so the pair can discuss being around eternally. “The Xtract” featuring Estee Nack finds the trio linking up over a gully Oh No beat to drop off hardcore verses without the need of a hook just before “King Taco” featuring Ab-Soul soulfully suggests a lil bit of hate will take you a long way.

Meanwhile on “Muscle Head”, we have Gangrene advising to keep playing your role for the scriptwriters leading into the drumless “Gas Factory” featuring Rome Streetz going full battle rap mode. “Errybody” featuring Armand Hammer continues the 2nd half with the most abstract moment here while “Microscopic Manner” featuring Meyhem Lauren references the late WWE Hall of Famer, the shortest reigning WWE Champion & former WWE Tag Team Champion André the Giant.

“Run Downs” winds down the last leg of Better Than McDonald’s asking for God to have mercy on them since neither could give a fuck less running up their money while the boom bap-tinged “Sasquatch” featuring Boldy James talks about pushing the pedal to the max without crashing. “Proper Etiquette” featuring Wildchild sends it all off observing the issue of everyone wanting to be loud instead of adequate, which they clarify isn’t a weakness.

You know? I’m grateful we didn’t have to wait another decade for Gangrene to drop another album, but Better Than McDonald’s still might be my least favorite in their discography. In no way shape or form am I trying to insinuate that the music itself has nothing interesting going on because both members deliver & so do the increased number of guest appearances, I just wish Uncle Al would stop trolling people using AI generated artworks regardless of him confirming that it’s a painting.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Rome Streetz – “Sock It 2 My Pocket” review

Here we have the latest studio LP & the 11th overall from London, England, United Kingdom born & Brooklyn, New York raised lyricist Rome Streetz. Emerging a decade ago off his debut mixtape I Been Thru Mad Shit, this was followed up by a plethora of projects with the most notable being the Noise Kandy tetralogy & Headcrack. This decade however has been his biggest, as he dropped some of the best work of his career from the DJ Muggs-produced Death & the Magician or the Futurewave-produced Razor’s Edge to the Ransom-assisted collab effort Coup de Grâce & the Griselda Records deal that followed. His debut with the Buffalo powerhouse Kiss the Ring alongside the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Wasn’t Built in a Day both made the top 10 spots of my last couple Best Of lists & Hatton Garden Holdup produced by Daringer became a flawless spot in my top 5 of 2024 list. Trainspotter fully produced by Conductor Williams made for an equally outstanding Mass Appeal Records debut & hoped Sock It 2 My Pocket would maintain that level of musical quality.

“Yellow Brick Road” begins with a soul sample from Graymatter welcoming everyone to the sounds of the real whereas “Son of a Gun” produced by Pete Rock talks about having so much pizzazz because he’s a natural at this shit. “‘95 Mega on Shrooms” featuring Styles P unites on top of this bloodthirsty boom bap instrumental from Denny LaFlare to spit that gangsta shit until singlehandedly putting “Belt 2 Ass” over a Conductor Williams beat.

Havoc gets behind the boards during “.22” recalling the type of gun he had when he initially became more involved with the streets just before “Prada in the Polaroid” featuring Lloyd Banks maintains a boom bap vibe talking about envious muhfuckas watching them succeed behind a bench. “Cocaine Coltrane” hits us with a single providing hip hop for the fiends & dismissing the cheap imitators while “Marathon or Race” featuring Westside Gunn demands to know how people view the game.

“Dreamcatcher” continues the 2nd half of Sock It 2 My Pocket embracing a more soulful vibe talking about being on the road to riches while “Time & Place” featuring IDK leans towards a tropical sound talking about having now & giving fingers to who’s next. My favorite single had to be “High Speed” from 9th Wonder’s boom bap instrumental to Rome’s lyrics breaking down his New York state of mind while “Shoot Your Trophies” gets celebratory over a suiting beat The Alchemist cooked up.

The song “I Don’t Know” nears closer to the album’s conclusion talking about hoes he has no recollection of ever meeting being in love with while “Taylor Made Wave” featuring Ox Omni joins forces over a V Don instrumental to explain nothing being new under the sun with them. I should also mention that I was happy to hear Sovren was involved with the closer “Elevate”, where he’s flowing cutthroat bars over a soul sample to end the full-length.

Trainspotting has stronger consistency in my opinion since there were only a small handful of tracks that I could’ve done without on Sock It 2 My Pocket but nevertheless, I’m not gonna sit here pretending the 2nd full-length Rome Streetz has put out through Mass Appeal Records doesn’t contain some of the most important tracks of his career when the prominently strong production or the lethal penmanship that he & all the guests individually lay out attribute to it’s replay value.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Larry June – “Who Coppin’?” review

Vallejo, California emcee Larry June back with his 13th LP halfway through summer. Somebody who’s been quite busy for 2 decades his last dozen studio efforts as well as 14 EPs & 7 mixtapes with the highlights of his ever-growing discography including the Lex Luger-produced Trap Larry, the Cardo-produced Cruise USA & it’s sequel Into the Late Night, the Harry Fraud-produced Keep Going & more recently the mobb music-influenced Jay Worthy collab effort 2 P’z in a Pod, The Alchemist-produced The Great Escape, The Night Shift & Doing it for Me. Over a year since Until Night Comes however, he’s posing the question of Who Coppin’?.

“Go Outside” moderately opens up shop talking about having no time to fuck around since he has money to chase whereas “The Machinist” breezily discusses making bread in his sleep since he’s such a gangsta. “Casual Monday” gives off a heavy Mobb vibe instrumentally courtesy of Cardo talking about people wondering why he’s so fly until “Better Decisions” comes to the realization of him needing to make smarter choices going forward.

Beat Butcha gets behind the boards on “Everything Liquid” giving it a opulent flare so he can keep this shit rockin’ & having the capability of making anything happen just before my personal favorite single “Organic Motion” produced by DJ Fresh talks about feeling free over a g-funk beat. “The Smooth Kind” works in some synthesizers to boast that he moves like a smooth muhfucka prior to “California Dream” featuring Jhené Aiko confirms their relationship in the form of a pop rap duet.

“Pretty Green Eyes” continues the soulful atmosphere courtesy of Jay Versace to kick off the 2nd half of Who Coppin’? continuing to tackle more romantic subject matter while “Win or Lose” featuring B-Legit finds the pair talking about each of them being heavyweights in the game. “3 Calculators” atmospherically speaks of having OCD whenever it comes down to the numbers while “Flex” expresses disdain for the haters over a Swizz Beatz instrumental.

The title track gets the last leg going talking about going through a box of hope searching for his heart while “Organically Slidin’” samples “Something for the Mood” by DJ Quik to speak of remaining fresh from head to toe. “Larry’s Diner 2” picks up where the Spaceships on the Blade track left off thematically even if I enjoyed it less than the predecessor & “God Got Us (Ain’t Too Many)” sends off the album talking about how not a whole lot made it as far as him.

Every now & then, Larry June will drop something that I’ll find myself enjoying less than other entries in his discography & it pains to me say Who Coppin’? fresh off his Spiral Staircases collaborative EP with Curren$y nearly 5 months ago is possibly the most average he’s sounded in a couple years. There isn’t anything wrong with his smooth flow or the range of guests, but the production choices can be spotty at times.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Rick Ross – “Set in Stone” review

Miami, Florida rapper, entrepreneur & record executive Rick Ross going solo for the first time in 5 years with his 12th studio LP. Making his debut on wax in 2000 on Erick Sermon’s 3rd album Erick Onasis, he would go on to drop Port of Miami & Trilla under Def Jam Recordings until forming his own label Maybach Music Group. Deeper Than Rap, Teflon Don, God Forgives, I Don’t & Mastermind are all rightfully regarded as his best bodies of work. Rather You Than Me as well as Port of Miami 2 & Rather You Than Me through Epic Records each had their moments, but Rozay’s independent debut Set in Stone seemed appealing considering the fact gamma.’s been distributing Maybach since 2023.

“Caviar Bumps” featuring Don Toliver on the remix produced by Fuse of the 808 Mafia talking about being the Miami version of Martin Scorsese whereas “Mahogany Caskets” featuring T.I. finds both of 50 Cent’s rivals trading verses with each other over a sample-based instrumental from Neff-U. The worst single by far was “Minks in Miami” featuring French Montana talking about elevating when it kills the vibes until “Face Down” featuring Rich the Kid gets sexual behind a captivating Metro Boomin’ & Mike Dean beat.

YFN Lucci’s appearance on “Ring Around the Rolls” was unnecessary despite the reference to the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, record-tying 3-time WWE Hall of Famer, Real American Beer founder, Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) co-founder & known racist Hulk Hogan who passed away around this time last summer until “Camel Meat” recalls an event detailed in The Renaissance of a Boss over a STREETRUNNER instrumental.

“Maybach Music VII” featuring Jeezy marks the return of Rozay’s beloved series dedicated to anyone who owns a Maybach while “Living Large” featuring BigXthaPlug comes through with an uninspired anthem about their pockets getting bigger. “Purple Fentanyl” ends the 1st leg of Set in Stone hopping over an uncanny trap beat to discuss racing for millions while “#23” likens himself to the greatest basketball player of all-time: Michael Jordan.

Continuing the 2nd half, “Porsche GT3 (RS)” talks about sending a prayer to God every single morning he wakes up even if the beat doesn’t do much for me while the pop rap-flavored “City Lights” wasn’t any better because of them trying WAY too hard of chasing a radio hit. “Chain of Command” featuring Big Tony & Nino Breeze further commences the mediocrity trading underwhelming gangsta rap verses while “Remarkable Hu$$le” featuring Leon Thomas III remembers the late Nipsey Hu$$le over a Cardiak instrumental.

“Big Fish” featuring Gucci Mane links up for a disappointing ode to their wealth & after “Diamonds Never Die” featuring Ball Greezy & Kodak Black does a worse job at talking about hedonism, “She’s My Star” featuring Yung Miami makes up for it getting romantic over a J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League beat. “Do It 1 Time” featuring Young Breed reunites both Triple C’s members for an ode to the 305 & once “The Algorithm” spends the concluding minutes wanting to go to Mars with his lover to escape, “For the Money” courtesy of Pharrell divisively experiments with reggaetón & Afropiano talking about the paper.

To celebrate 2 decades of his debut, Rick Ross returns almost 5 years after leaving a major label making an statement of independence that I found myself to be largely indifferent towards & the amount of delays Set in Stone suffered didn’t exactly help. You get the usual luxurious subject matter the MMG founder has become known for despite the production side of things falling apart midway through & overloading it with guest appearances that either stick the landing or miss it entirely, which is why I can only see myself revisiting the portion I enjoyed & hope the next full-length has more consistency.

Score: 2.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Buju Banton – “Too Too Bad” review

Buju Banton is a 53 year old singer/songwriter from Kingston, Jamaica who’s widely considered to be one of the most important figures in dancehall. His 4th album ‘Til Shiloh under Island Records however shifted towards a roots reggae direction & has been ranked amongst the greatest reggae music ever recorded. He would drop 6 more full-lengths until spending a majority of 2010s incarcerated, returning during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to release Upside Down through Roc Nation Records & the Def Jam Recordings-backed Born for Greatness. Now signed to VP Records after 2 decades, his 13th studio LP had me intrigued.

“We Nuh Play” starts us off with a dancehall intro talking about how he doesn’t fuck around including a nod to Michigan & Smiley’s hit single “Diseases” whereas “F.A.F.O. (Fuck Around Find Out)” continues from there getting more aggressive in tone & delivery. “Eye 2 Eye” hits us with more bashment vibes for a couple minutes speaking to an individual he views to be just before both “X Rated” & “Good Pum Pum” talk about still chasing pussy even at this stage in his life.

As for “Like You”, we have Buju incorporating elements of modern hip hop without trying to blatantly imitate it observing the beauty of a female he’s addressing directly while “Wild Woman” produced by DJ Khaled heads for a trap dancehall direction so he can sing about his love for a chick who acts crazy. “House Call” treads the ragga waters explaining that pretty girls need no reservation for his parties once more while “Satisfy Me” featuring Ari Lennox finds the 2 dialing up the romance.

“Butterflies” winds down Too Too Bad’s final act flipping “Real Rock” by Coxsone Dodd to sing about the potential he sees in the eyes of his lover while “Be Good” switches gears embracing a bit of a roots reggae flare instrumentally, pleading to be treated carefully. “Heavy Hitters” moves forward boasting his legacy as an icon in the dancehall scene prior to “Power” featuring Gramps Morgan sending off the album a political note taking it back to roots reggae for the closer.

People often view Too Bad to be a huge improvement above the mixed reception Unchained Spirit & Friends for Life both got, but the sequel in time for it’s 2 decade anniversary this upcoming fall surpasses the original & makes up for Friends for Life’s mediocrity to become maybe Buju Banton at his best since coming home. The production’s more ragga & trap dancehall-oriented as opposed to Born for Greatness’s prominent dancehall sound & Upside Down leaning towards the roots reggae side of things exploring topics ranging from politics to sex & partying.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Steve Lacy – “Oh Yeah?” review

Steve Lacy is a 28 year old singer/songwriter, guitarist & producer from Compton, California known for being the guitarist of the now defunct Odd Future collective’s The Internet. Following a demo extended play in 2017, he would make his full-length studio debut in the spring of 2019 with Apollo XXI & his sophomore effort albeit major label debut Gemini Rights under RCA Records marked a huge artistic evolution compared to his early solo output to there point where his 3rd studio LP has become the most anticipated of his career.

The self-produced title track has a bit of a repetitive approach to the songwriting singing about being let out for the evening since he’s too young for death whereas “Is It Cool?” featuring SZA co-produced by his OF/Internet brethren Matt Martians blends alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo & neo-psychedelia to admit that the pair don’t even trust themselves. “The Feeling” incorporates secondary influences of psychedelic soul, bedroom pop & sophisti-pop asking why this person tested his patience.

Erykah Badu herself appears on “Pure Colour” teaming up to sing about 2 partners who desire to let them take control of one another so they can feel lighter while “Show You Me” reaches the midway point of the album with some cheery acoustics expressing the love he has for a bad boy. “Doom” continues from there with a nihilistically grungy 2-parter observing that people value validation instead of genuine connections while “nothing” sings about the inability of getting someone off his mind.

“LoveSexDrugBomb” winds down the last few moments of Oh Yeah? including a writing credit from Tyler, The Creator warmly yearning to have his partner right beside him while “Nice Shoes / In Your World” splits itself into 2 separate halves, climatically spiraling downwards for the sole purpose of him keeping to wish this body of work bestowed upon us. The alt-rock closing track “Bebe” sends it all off recalling the time I got my life screwed up.

Watching him blow up since Gemini Rights has been a long time coming for Steve Lacy as someone who’s been paying attention to him for almost a decade & Oh Yeah? contradicts the expansiveness of his idea. His production continues to push boundaries exploring neo-psychedelia, bedroom pop, indie folk, indie rock, alt-pop, singer/songwriter, alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo, psychedelic soul, sophisti-pop, alternative rock & grunge to tackle his usual themes of lust & longing from every angle he can possibly find.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!