Cheat Codes

This might actually be flawless.

I've heard this record three times this year; once on release, when I thought it was good but nothing to really write home about aside from the Belize/Aquamarine two-parter, once on the bus while returning from my classes and without much energy to really judge it fairly, and once around an hour ago. My return to it was mostly out of boredom and due to a desire to see what the Cheat Codes fanatics really see in it, and this time it really clicked. The beats on this are immaculate, the record flows seamlessly from track to track, Black Thought's rapping is stable and sturdy and the features are on point. I kept playing back some of the tracks I used to be skeptical about months ago only to find that they kept getting better, not worse the more I listened to them.

There's a chance this rating goes down to a 9.5/10 when I revisit it in the future, but make no mistake that this is my choice for album of the year. Congrats.

Favorite Tracks: Aquamarine // Belize // Because // Saltwater // The Darkest Part // Strangers
Worst Tracks: none
Special Commentary: the way this album transitions from one song to the next feels like you're spreading butter on toast