Logic - No Pressure

On what is being marketed as his retirement record, Logic has the pristine honor of bowing out on his highest note. No Pressure is sleek in production, well delivered, and most importantly not a chore to listen to.

The grandest highlight is without question the production here. Aided by the effortless work of No I.D., who has lent his hand in the works of artists like Common and Vince Staples, No Pressure sounds soaring in its beat choices and layered elements. Where other Logic albums feature beats that are as mundane as they come at times, Logic's sixth album sounds unlike anything he's released before. It doesn't sound completely new by any means; other underground artists like Blu and even Milo have utilized these more atmospheric beat choices before, and even Mac Miller explored these kinds of sounds in his music. However, they suit Logic's sound well and provide a pleasant and conscious backdrop to Logic's performance.

Of course, Logic's performance is also key to the success of No Pressure. He seems more focused, taking his time with lines and allowing them to breathe rather than blurting them out with such velocity they are impossible to ingest fully. Logic is by no means the most accomplished lyricist, but these sound like his most introspective and thoughtful bars he's ever delivered.

One could argue the production becomes a little repetitive over the course of a full length hour long album. The songs do tend to blend together, but luckily they sound so smooth that transitions are essentially moot. The album plays like a constant project rather than a collection of thrown together tracks that only happen to be on the same record.

As someone who has never been impressed with the music of Logic, even finding his performances grating at times, I can openly admit that No Pressure is a pleasure to have listened to. Logic seems to have let go of the necessity of being accepted in his retirement, allowing his music to take its own shape and perhaps sounding like the kind of music Logic always was meant to make. It's a bittersweet reality that his most universally enjoyable record is his last; a major success and high note for the artist, but a shame that it is the last we get to hear this side of him.

Favorite track: Dark Place