Thoughts On: Cherry Bomb

Recommended Listening: Find your wings, 2seater, Smuckers

Welcome back to Thoughts On, I just survived one of the busiest weeks of my junior year and now have ample time to waste writing a review that no one will read. This week I will be reviewing the controversial album 'Cherry Bomb' by the equally controversial head of the Odd Future rap collective, Tyler, The Creator. Announced just about two weeks and released on the 13^th this album came out of nowhere, much like the sudden release of follow OF member Earl Sweatshirt's album. Upon release this album was immediately met with people arguing the difference between artistic integrity and stupid experimentation. For context the way that this album is mixed is...in a positive light interesting, and in a negative light just downright terrible. The vocals are often mixed so that they lie under the instrumentals, making them hard to decipher in the worst cases but also emphasizing the musical aspect of this album. I will get more into this when I talk about the actual songs but this highlights an excellent dilemma in being a Hip-Hop fan, or really a music fan in general. How far to you follow your favorite artists as they evolve and change their styles. When you have rappers like Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar who try and experiment and make sure their albums sound very different compared to maybe a Drake who more or less stays the same, which do you prefer? Do you stick with your artists through and through or does a change in style throw you off if done in a way you don't like? I believe Tyler was trying to establish a new persona through this LP and in the process stirred up the game once again.

So who is Tyler, The Creator? Well this now 24-year old man started out 6 years ago with the release of the mixtape 'Bastard'. In this mixtape the then teenage Tyler gave us dark fictional stories involving rape, being fatherless, depression, and murder all to wavy production and unique chord usage. While most of his hype came from the later release of his debut album 'Goblin' which contained the hit song 'Yonkers', It was his first mixtape that drew me in. While simultaneously founding a Hip-Hop group and marketing youth not just as state of mind but as a lifestyle, Tyler became the flagship of a weird rapper. Never really fitting into one category his music always contained layered messages often told through alternative personas he created for himself (Wolf Haley, Sam, Tron Cat, etc.), and despite the backlash he often got for using homophobic slurs or talking about killing Bruno Mars (actually a thing that happens in 'Goblin') he always made it known that he likes to use fiction in his music and should not be taken to seriously. In terms of his more violent music he often gets compared to Eminem, even though in terms of rap style and ability the two are not comparable. So after the release of first first mixtape which was followed up by his debut album that dove deeper into his alternative personalities (having entire songs dedicated to them and citing how they influence Tyler to do things he doesn't want to do) and the effect of fame on his young self, he released the album 'Wolf' to much success. Here he completes what become know as his own personal trilogy of musical projects, of which Wolf may actually be a prequel in the story that the trilogy forms (for more read HERE). With three major projects under his belt Tyler carved out his own niche of violent storytelling and depressing revelations, securing his place as one of the most unique voices in Hip-Hop.

So what does the album sound like? Well in an interview the was circulating before the release of the album Tyler stated that he was finally getting a chance to make music that he wanted to make, stating the influence of Death Grips (a hardcore experimental Hip-Hop group) and N.E.R.D. This is apparent from the jump with the powerhouse opening of 'Deathcamp', where he specifically cites that the album 'In Search Of...' by N.E.R.D inspires him more than 'Illmatic' by Nas (an album widely considered to be one of the best Hip-Hop albums ever made). On this track we get a rebellious Tyler spitting over distorted guitar riffs and high pitched piano chords. This already creates a stark contrast between this album and all of Tyler's previous works. Usually he starts of with and intro that is musically simple or smooth and gradually builds either lyrically or in terms of what more is added to the instrumental. For this intro he hits the ground running to make a statement about where he is going and what he plans to do. The track 'Buffalo' is bass driven and boom bap driven song where Tyler vents pretty much all of his frustrations from the past few years, including the pressure he feels due to this album and the time he was arrested in Austin for having a show so wild it apparently caused a riot. Eventually the track become is interrupted with chords from a synthesizer that carry a dark tone while Tyler is told by a man to “not f*ck” this up” because of all the kids he now has influence over. From tracks like 'Colossus' on his previous album we can already see that having such a large fan base weighs on Tyler in someway and he on this track he seems to liken himself to a buffalo, a dying breed. He asks if all the leaders in the room could stand up before remarking that there are never any hands in the air. In the next track 'Pilot' Tyler starts to really show off his skills as a producer, as this song starts off simple with tom-tom drum and cowbell beat before more dark and heavy chords come in to distort the sound and blow out the vocals. Again we can here the synth chords coming in (as they are part of Tyler's signature style) in a frantic 16^th note pattern before resolving to a more pleasant sound. Lyrically this song is about Tyler's desire to fly away and be the pilot of his own destiny. The hook of this song is actually quite beautiful with Tyler stating that he lives in first class but feels like coach, like no matter how much he does he may be stuck in a box that he has created for himself through his previous music.

'Findyour wings', one of the best cuts on the album, is a straight jazz song. With wavy chords and a lounge like vibraphone playing in the background we get to here Tyler experimenting with music in an honest way. With trumpet flourish and bass riffs that evolve into a basic Hip-Hop drum pattern that comes in this song reminds of music I used to hear on KBLX as a kid. Smooth Jazz and R&B inspired music that carries the message of finding what makes you special. This song goes into what is both my least favorite and also best executed song on the album which also happens to be the title track, 'Cherry Bomb'. This song starts with a guitar simple lick before erupting into a much of static noise covering up Tyler's lyrics and chords playing in the background. It actually sounds like he had a complete song, picked one part of the instrumental, and just cranked it up to eleven. The distortion on this track is so immense that you cannot even make out what Tyler is saying most of the sound. On Twitter the rapper told the world that this is exactly what he wanted, and the hook of “Tie the knot, kick the chair, strangled in the air, cherry bomb” was the only part he really wanted to be heard. In this array of noise and talk of death it seems like Tyler is making a song that represents every aspect of his artistry at the same time, which results in this cluster of terrible noise and beautiful music for the last minute or so of the song. Following that experience comes the much smoother 'Blowmyload', which is the most Tyler-like track that has been on the album thus far, with the 80's synth chords and melodic backing vocals playing over Tyler's slow and deliberate rapping style that is lyrically about a girl. We get a change in pace halfway through before a voice announces that what we just heard was a new song from an upcoming film whose name is censored during the song. The voice is a DJ on Golf radio (a name and idea commonly associated with Tyler and Odd Future). This transitions perfectly into the relaxed jam '2Seater', a simple song with an instrumental made up of 2 chords and drums with blaring sythns, bass riffs, and even a saxophone solo that setup up the pace for Tyler's lyrical content involve his car and a girl he wants in it. About halfway the song changes to Tyler (whose voice is pitched higher) sings about how he loves the way a certain girls hair blows in the wind. This song is a great look into what this man is capable of as a song maker, creating a dreamy yet relatable track that after a funny interlude, goes into what is the only banger on this album. In 'The Brownstains' Tyler opens up with the statement that all common bling-era rap tropes don't really fly with him and as the beat drops and the song becomes infused with sirens and distorted drums we get to hear Tyler spit more than he does anywhere else on this album. We even get a feature from ScHoolboy Q in a manner that reminds me of this pairs collaboration on Q's 2014 album 'Oxymoron'.

The next track 'FuckingYoung/Perfect' continues the trend of the 10^th track on a Tyler album being a double song. This beautiful R&B ballad about Tyler falling in love with a girl that is 6-years younger than him, complete with a hook about police arresting him for going after an underage girl and his conflicting feelings between his morals and desires. In the second half the beautiful voice of Kali Uchis comes in and this ballad turns into a duet with the musical accompaniment similar to a Mary J. Blige song. While Kali tries to convince Tyler they are meant to be Tyler just proclaims she is still too young. In the most high profile track 'Smuckers' which surprisingly has features from Kanye and Lil Wanye, we get an anthem about black excellence set a soulful instrumental sampled from the 70's song 'Metropolis Notte'. This song reminds me of the intro to an old superhero show with three of the biggest names in rap laying bars on a cold beat. The album ends on another smooth track about escape titled 'Okaga, CA', we get wavy guitars and bass riffs layered with slow moving sythn chords as Tyler tells the tale of a girl he is with and great lifestyle he has going on. He wants to escape with this girl and continue to stay in the high that they are currently in. When Female vocalist Alice Smith comes and proclaims she wants to be taken away the album seems to be coming to an end. However in the last few seconds you hear Tyler telling someone to shush as a movie is about to start. A gorgeous ending that ties together the conceptual theme of escape.

This album is an experiment in freedom, through this album there were no mentions of the characters that Tyler has become famous for portraying, and new songs themed around therapy or his missing father. It seems that Tyler wanted to escape his past and make something that he enjoyed making, much to the dismay of a lot of people. Die hard fans of Hip-Hop may be thrown off by the intentionally bad mixing, which actually gets better after the title track, while Tyler fans will praise his genius and willingness to take risks. I respect Tyler's decision to branch out and through his actions he has created what is probable one of my favorite projects of the year so far, an album about finding confidence and not letting your past tie you down. Even to those who may be put off by Tyler's reputation, I urge you to listen to this album and judge for yourself if this rapper is a genius or just crazy. If you can: LISTEN SOON to this album a traverse the minds of one of the oddest minds in rap.