Clyde_

Thoroughly impressive in its imagery, Tyler’s artistry blossoms in the abundant floral metaphors and gardening allusions of “Flower Boy.” He more or less spends the entire album in his car, with the fourteen track album mostly comprising the ruminations he entertains whilst driving, complete with radio bumpers intermittently dispersed into the song transitions. Once approached from that angle, it becomes clear how each track presents itself as an opportunity to be uniquely ... read more

The big band orchestration, the unmistakable optimism of the lyrics and those slick vocals evoke images of a city I have never been to, not because I am unfamiliar with New York, quite the opposite, but because it doesn’t seem to exist. The city that never sleeps in this theme is far closer to the fabled New York of my childhood, an ideal for a city of unrestrained aspiration and electricity tangible in the space between the highest penthouse and the subway floor. The opening swing of the ... read more

Ren demonstrates himself flawlessly on “Violet’s Tale,” delivering a story with significantly more substance than the previous bouts while iterating on the wandering busker presentation. I love what he’s done here; Violet's Tale feels just as much as a screenplay in the way the distinct choreography recited in the verse intertwines with the narrative. From “traveling back in time” with the guitar sting to the characterization choices paralleling the ... read more

My first Kanye album winds up being something of a headspin, for me as much as him. The idea of bipolarity lends itself shockingly well to a concept album, and at least on the sheer promise of presenting fluctuating emotions, Kanye delivers. There is a difference between a bipolar mood swing and a major release two years in the making however. He’s all over the place, not that I wouldn’t expect such a thing from later stage Kanye, but it isn't enough to base your album entirely ... read more