Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Aug 10, 2021
68
Definitely one of the more unexpected directions from Tyler, but I suppose we should expect nothing less at this point. CMIUGL sees Tyler slide back into each of his personas kaleidoscopically, bouncing from his dreamy R&B-leaning Flower Boy sound, the pop weirdness of IGOR, and heavy into the abrasive rap of the Goblin-era, to mixed results.

I know his albums are always a bit of a mix, which really is the beauty of Tyler's creations, but this one specifically feels a bit more, maybe, aimless? There isn't really a vibe to this one, except maybe "here are the new tracks"? Doesn't feel like a cohesive album, like his previous work has.

Why the DJ Drama stuff? Why only for the first half? This is the first clue to me that he is just throwing everything at the wall. It adds nothing, and clouds an already overstuffed mix. And I love overstuffed! But it gets real noisy real quick here. The classic nod to the ghost of mixtapes-past with Drama host your joint, but it just doesn't work here (like it has on something like Childish Gambino's STN MTN, which this whole album gives me pale shades of, tbh).

The good parts are when he takes some time to celebrate his wins (it's really nice to hear him sound so happy on "Blessed"), and eases magically into the magnum-sized "SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE" & "WILSHIRE", both clocking in over 8 minutes of Tyler doing Tyler best: a mix of rap & weirdly sung, on an inventive sample/riff. Any maybe this is my problem, and not something I should be knocking -- I am clearly here for his hits & pop prowess, and not his gangster self.

My peak Tyler fandom was after his thoughtful Tiny Desk (promoting Flower Boy), which got me thinking "wow, this kid is gonna grow into something large, outside of his creative niche. But now we're back to the niche, I think. No hits, no accessible mass appeal (in my eyes) for someone headlining festivals around the world. Maybe that is the point? Just to show you he can?

Can't tell whether Tyler took his disappointment with his Grammy pigeon-holing of IGOR into the "Best Rap" category (which he won), and elected to create something more rap-heavy to shove it in their faces? "You want rap? I'll show you rap!" Otherwise I can't see why he would lean so heavy back into the rap world, following the near-unanimous success of IGOR's direction?

It's always cruel to measure an artist's new work against their old stuff -- who am I to tell them what they should be doing? Each album can be it's own piece of art, and expecting someone to follow a trajectory you craft in your mind really isn't a fair way to experience new works.

But here I am, giving Call Me If You Get Lost a 68, cuz it wasn't the pop smash album I expected (and hoped) for.

Comments
Sign in to comment.
Advertisement
Rate and review albums along with the AOTY community. Create an account today.
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
More Reviews
Chode
Doublez
MattsReviews
JacksonLerner
PipePanic
BaddieBaphomet
Case
Bobby792003
TheDankestMeme
TomBejoy

February Playlist