This is unabashedly happy, festive music about being true to yourself, and on paper that sounds downright tacky. But Surf is so vibrant, so alive with triumphant vibes and unadulterated joy, that it never leaves any room for cynicism.
Surf is a boardwalk picnic with sunset views of the Ferris wheel, grassy laughter, and paper plates smeared with blueberry shortcake.
Surf succeeds on multiple levels: as a rap album, as a soul album, as a showcase of musicianship and as proof that the industry ladder can be ascended without a label or sales.
Surf is an album that further pushes modern hip hop into bold new frontiers.
It's a new sound built on lots of older ones—indie, hip-hop, funk, rock, gospel, various strains of R&B, The Lion King soundtrack—and despite bringing on a large cast and letting each person play their part, the guests all exist on the Social Experiment's terrain.
Surf will not be for everyone, but for those seeking a sense of spiritual upliftment and a relaxing summertime soundtrack, Surf is the wave you’ve been looking for.
Chance the Rapper's 2013 mixtape Acid Rap marked him as one of the brightest new voices in hip-hop. For his next move, he's swerved left, collaborating with a crew of Chicago pals led by Nico Segal (a.k.a. Donnie Trumpet) on a warm, evocative pop-soul-jazz album that comes straight from the heart.
Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment's long-awaited Surf capitalizes on very little of its full potential.
Luckily this was widely known NOT to be a follow-up to Acid Rap, but a group project. Releasing as a Free album on iTunes was a good move, for promotion and generosity. Hearing the likes of Busta Rhymes, J Cole and Big Sean was pleasantly surprising, but extra verses from Chance would've still been favorable. The fusion of jazz and world musical styles is very welcome and appreciated, especially on cuts like "Windows", "Just Wait", "Something Came to Me" and ... read more
Sunday Candy was kinda just placed in here, wasn't it? It could've ended the album perfectly but it's placed where it kills the vibe of the song before it instantly and the next one after it kinda just comes out of nowhere.
Favorite Tracks: Miracle, Slip Slide, Go
Least Favorite Track: Something Came To Me
1 | Miracle 4:10 | 79 |
2 | Slip Slide 3:59 | 78 |
3 | Warm Enough 3:21 | 74 |
4 | Nothing Came to Me 3:30 | 74 |
5 | Wanna Be Cool 3:27 | 71 |
6 | Windows 3:56 feat. BJ the Chicago Kid, Raury | 77 |
7 | Caretaker 1:35 feat. DRAM | 77 |
8 | Just Wait 3:47 | 78 |
9 | Familiar 3:53 feat. King Louie, Quavo | 82 |
10 | SmthnthIwnt 1:51 feat. Saba | 80 |
11 | Go 4:22 | 83 |
12 | Questions 1:54 | 76 |
13 | Something Came to Me 3:10 | 59 |
14 | Rememory 2:34 feat. Erykah Badu | 74 |
15 | Sunday Candy 3:46 feat. Jamila Woods | 94 |
16 | Pass the Vibes 2:30 feat. Eric Butler | 76 |
#9 | / | Okayplayer |
#9 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |
#12 | / | Stashed |
#13 | / | Complex |
#13 | / | Pigeons & Planes |
#14 | / | The 405 |
#16 | / | Stereogum |
#18 | / | Slant Magazine |
#20 | / | PopMatters |
#21 | / | Entertainment Weekly |