Ughhh. I was dreading the inevitable moment that an Odd Future project would pop up on shuffle. Mostly because the group has been blogged about by everyone on earth with a music blog. Whatever I say is probably going to be a regurgitation of something you've heard before.
Anyway, a few years ago, when OF was really building in popularity, I bought into the hype, checking out albums and projects by nearly every member and affiliate of the group. Not to say that I can't stand listening to Odd Future anymore, but the excitement at the prospect of something new, weird and crazy in hip-hop wore off fast for me with the more albums and songs I listened to. But this is Earl Sweatshirt we're talking about here, probably the most popular and praised member of OF next to Tyler, the Creator. So lets get to it.
I want to get this out of the way first; at the time of recording this album, Earl was 16 years old. I mention this because regardless of how talented the kid is, his young age definitely played a role in this mixtape's popularity. And there is no doubt that Earl is indeed talented, his instantly recognizable flow is really nothing short of hypnotic. This mesmerizing flow coupled with signature OF beats and off-kilter piano keys courtesy of Tyler, Left Brain and BeatBoy, makes for a unique listening experience that's hard not to like. That last part would be true, if not for the beyond-ugly subject matter on this mixtape.
Now I know the arguments, I've heard them before. The misogyny is only cranked up to 11 because it's satire. It's cartoonish. It's so ridiculous that it obviously can't be taken seriously. This may be true, and obviously I don't believe that music can really influence the way people act, I mean most of us have discerning minds of our own. But when I listen to music I'm always listening to it for the experience, and for me the lyrics on this thing are just so disgusting that they really take away from that experience. Even though Earl is as eloquent as he is repulsive, it doesn't really change the fact that yes, he did just say that. There are a couple of really great tracks on this thing. Earl, Kill, and Luper are some of my favourites. Even so, the album is only 26 minutes long and I couldn't wait for it to end.
Obviously things have changed a bit after listening to Earl's latest effort Doris. But when I go back and listen to earlier OF material, I find most of it to be cringe-worthy, which keeps me from enjoying the music itself.
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