Nice review Kellen. Couldn't agree more with your description, though my final verdict is quite different. That middle section (tracks 5-10) take up about 12 minutes total, while tracks 1,2, and 11 take up over half the album's length. 3 instrumentals is way too many, and even the 'nice' instrumentals feel out of place. The other short songs feel like there's a hardcore, gang vocal, shout-out approach going on. Maybe it's related to the crossover element of the sophomore album? Regardless, you're spot-on that it's a jarring shift after the first few tracks. That middle really sinks the album for me. The record ends up feeling like a nice EP during tracks 1-4, then a bonus track at the very end. But tracks 5-10 completely lose the plot and as such I don't foresee myself playing this entire album much moving forward. It's a shame; they almost nailed it. But when the most memorable thing from the 6 middle tracks of an album is a sound clip of dogs barking, I am not onboard with that.
Great review Kellen. I've only spun it twice so far but I remember pulling a "what the.. " face after the first few bangers.
Nice review Kellen. Couldn't agree more with your description, though my final verdict is quite different. That middle section (tracks 5-10) take up about 12 minutes total, while tracks 1,2, and 11 take up over half the album's length. 3 instrumentals is way too many, and even the 'nice' instrumentals feel out of place. The other short songs feel like there's a hardcore, gang vocal, shout-out approach going on. Maybe it's related to the crossover element of the sophomore album? Regardless, you're spot-on that it's a jarring shift after the first few tracks. That middle really sinks the album for me.
The record ends up feeling like a nice EP during tracks 1-4, then a bonus track at the very end. But tracks 5-10 completely lose the plot and as such I don't foresee myself playing this entire album much moving forward. It's a shame; they almost nailed it. But when the most memorable thing from the 6 middle tracks of an album is a sound clip of dogs barking, I am not onboard with that.
Kellen is great, informative, well spoken, and objective.