It feels like I haven’t done a review in ages. I didn’t really know what to expect with this album. It felt like it came out of nowhere, which is the way I prefer artists to release albums. I didn’t set my expectations high or low either, so let’s see what we’re working with…

The Library Intro & The Crawl
I like how it starts off the album. That wrestling soundbite in the background is just right for the production. I’m glad he chose to start off the album rapping. The second verse was a little more creative than the first.

“ain’t nobody got time for that“

Still makes me chuckle. I wonder who’s on the chorus. I’m not sure what that sound is at the end but it sounds so familiar.

II. Worldstar
The song starts out with a video excerpt that sounds like something you would see on Worldstar.

“Listening to Kilo [Kish]“

Those breaks with the soundbites are placed perfectly, they’re not choppy or nothing like that. His verses are partly comical and witty. I believe the song is about people trying to be famous and get their moment of shine. He brings the topic to the table and doesn’t seem to put his person opinion about their behavior out there, he just talks about them. Interesting song and point of view.

Dial Up
I enjoy how he makes it sound like you’re riding in your car on a rainy day playing something different. The sounds remind me of something that you would hear from a Jet Age of Tomorrow album.

The Worst Guys ft. Chance The Rapper
All she needed was some…

Some people may like that “Go home Roger” part but it just throws everything off pace imo. The rest of the song is a pleasure to listen to especially the ending. Is that a sample or somebody is actually getting busy on the guitar? The song ends with that same feeling of riding in a car, genius.

II. Shadows
Childish uses this song to get his Musiq Soulchild on.

“face down in the brown grass, shame shame on my brown ass“

Nice way to start a verse right there. The production will have your head bobbing that’s for sure. The addition of the background vocalists was a nice touch. The breakdown at the end of the song was a bit different. I thought that the song was kind of mellow but the ending had a spooky vibe to it.

Telegraph Ave (Oakland by Lloyd)

Very interesting song. The song starts out kind of like The Dial with that inside of a car soundbite. I guess that he tried to make this song sound like one of those moments when you’re in the car and you’re singing along to a song on the radio. Genius.

Sweatpants
This song is pretty much full of sleek punch lines. It’s truly a song about bragging and telling the competition that they don’t have anything on you.

“silver spoon koon hoe”
“Fiskers don’t make noises when they start up“

lmao. This isn’t a song that I would be anxious to listen to but his rhyme screen was very competitive.

3005
Abella Anderson, nuff said.
My initial thoughts

Playing Around Before the Party
The title is pretty much what this track is about.

The Party
I didn’t notice this initially but at the beginning of the song you can hear some heavy blurred bass which sounds like you are actually at a big party. You can hear people talking and laugh and everything. It’s a crazy short song, his flow is rapid as hell but the ending is hilarious.

No Exit
Usually I’m an advocate for songs that different but there’s not anything about this song that meshes just right. I thought it was going to happen once the keys came in but NOPE. It’s skippable imo.

Death By Numbers

When I first turned on this song I was looking at my pod expecting to see Lupe’s name pop up. What’s crazy about this joint is that he doesn’t rhyme on it. It’s pretty much a skeleton production. Interesting

Flight of the Navigator
I can’t help but to think about one of the interludes from The Love Below. I didn’t think it was going to be anything more than poetry until I heard that hi-hat. What’s crazy about this song is that I think this song is a perfect fit for the album, that’s something that I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s kind of airy but at the same time he manages to get his idea out and it plays out quite well.

Zealots of Stockholm (Free Information)

The title reminds me of those side ads that you would see on the “Internet”. The way the song starts off is melodic and the vibe is sensual. There’s an instant interruption with heavy 808’s. My face got extremely ugly at that moment.

“young girl with here ass out…“

Is that a feature from Kilo Kish?? I wouldn’t usually like a beat change after something so good but he managed the transition so well that I don’t have a complaint.

Urn
He uses this song to do some harmonizing. It sounds like he had an idea for a song and tried it out but didn’t quite get the finished product like he was expecting. I liked this joint however short is it was.

Pink Toes ft. Jhene Aiko
This my jam right here though. The production has a slight bounce it and it will have your head bobbing. If this doesn’t sound like a THC production with those Star Wars-like sounds. I wouldn’t say that the beat doesn’t change on this song but it continues to grow. Jhene’s part was on point.

Earth the Oldest Computer (The Last Night)
Started out sounded like a continuation from Telegraph Ave.

“eating right didn’t help shit“

HA! I’m still not sure if I like this song or not. It’s a mixture of electronic and R&B. There’s so much going on in the song that it makes it hard to listen to.

Life The Biggest Troll (Andrew Auernheimer)
This joint is so pure. His attitude in that intro verse was so confident. It’s funny how he made somebody’s name sound so smooth in the chorus. His flow in this song is kind of similar to Vic Mensa‘s. It’s continuous and he gets out his whole thought with no compromise with each line. That last verse was bonkers, on Kendrick level.

Conclusion
For something so unexpectedly I was genuinely impressed with the body of work that was presented. He sectioned off the album into groups of maybe like 3 or 4 songs and used those groups to make something continuous. He found a clever way of compressing several different ideas on an album and made them blend smoothly. The transitions weren’t elaborate but care was taken. He had a balance of focus on lyrics, productions, and creativity. He was experimental but not to the point were it would jeopardize the integrity of the album and push listeners away. Some songs would make you happy, some songs would make you think, and some songs would provoke less attractive emotions. The only thing that throws me off is that you can’t play this album during various moments. It’s more of an album to play while you’re chillin, driving long distances, or doings something not so active. I would recommend this album for a purchase and swift sync to the pod.
Rating: 9/10
Top 3 Fav Songs: The Worst Guys, Pink Toes, Shadows