Tyler, The Creator: Cherry Bomb
(7.1/10)
Tyler, The Creator has been in the news a lot over the years for things he says or things he has done, but it seems like that kind of behavior might be slowing down actually. Despite rants at Coachella, and many infamous tweets, Tyler has actually been recognized more for his music as of late. I think this is great for Tyler, and it is refreshing to see the man move ever so slightly away from his crazy antics. Deep down I know Tyler has the skill to be a great rapper, but sometimes his behavior has just overshadowed his music, and this has certainly hindered him. As Tyler's life is becoming a little less chaotic, his music is also becoming a little more unique. Goblin and Wolf to me were pretty creative lyrically, but the songs seemed to ranty and angry. Most of the songs just seemed like a use of Tyler's pent up angst, and this was pretty disappointing because he could have channeled his anger in many better ways. On Cherry Bomb, Tyler, The Creator has not moved away from this aggressive rap persona he has created, but he makes modifications to it, and the ending result for me is much more entertaining.
This album has some intense tunes on it. Most notably, the tunes Buffalo, Deathcamp, and Cherry Bomb are all bombastic, abrasive, and straight in your face. These tracks are all pretty entertaining despite sometimes having pretty cringeworthy lyrical content. Deathcamp is perhaps the worst lyrical piece on the album. The song pretty much details the frustrations of having to abide to rules, and being told he cannot wear a hat in a building. Yeah, it's pretty dumb. Regardless, the sounds on this are not bad at all. Buffalo is very reminiscent of an older Tyler song, but its beat is more unpredictable, which makes it much more entertaining to listen to. Yet again though, not amazing lyrics by Tyler. My favorite of these three tracks is probably the title track Cherry Bomb. This is the most insane track Tyler has made to date. The track is compressed, crushed, and filthy sounding. It actually kind of reminds me of Death Grips with the way it just kind of changes form every 40 seconds or so. This track's instrumental drew me in immediately, and it is noticeably more potent than a normal aggressive Tyler track. The production on here has improved tremendously, and it shows here. That being said, while these beats can kick, they also at times drown out Tyler's vocals and that is kind of unfortunate. The album really picks up steam when it makes a big jump stylistically. Up until now I've always seen Tyler as a hype rapper who just makes pump-up rant rap songs, but this album has plenty of sentimental jams as well. 2 Seater, Fucking Young, and Find Your Wings all bring out a new side of Tyler. This side is more personal and less why me. He actually conveys a lot of emotion telling personal stories, and not just reaffirming that he is a rebel. These tracks actually have very gorgeous instrumentals on them, kind of reminiscent of Outkast. A lot of different colors are featured on these tracks, and the different sounds and productions only benefit this album. I think these songs are not always successful, but they are a lot more listenable to me at least. Find Your Wings to me is not the best song, and sometimes these tracks really do get a little too sappy, but the change is pretty commendable still. I think the best moments on this album are when we get to see a merging of these two sides of Tyler. Smuckers packs plenty of aggression, but it is ultimately still smooth, and personal as well. This track also has Lil Wayne rapping like it's 2007 (I mean how the hell did that happen?). When I hear a song like this, it is clear to me that this man has matured a little bit. That is perhaps what I like most about this album. Although I am not a huge Tyler fan, I will acknowledge that he is a creative dude, and this album keeps his sound evolving. I hope to see him continue to grow.
Overall, this album is still not without its flaws. It at times does not seem very thematic, it is not impressive lyrically, and it can be inconsistent, but it still is leaps and bounds better than anything he's ever done before this. I have to say, this album was a lot better than I anticipated, and I am actually pretty eager to see where Tyler, The Creator goes next. If you like Tyler, check it out! If you don't like him, listen to this album with open ears.
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