He's managed to come up with something unlike his discography again. First listen was quite underwhelming but it's growing. Reminds me of Blonde in feeling which is not a bad thing.
Great insights! I missed “session 10 - breakthrough” implying the previous tracks were each a therapy session. So interesting. On another listen yesterday, I decided that if I needed to drop the album down below 72 minutes that I’d drop “Savior (Interlude)” and not “We Cry Together”. “We Cry Together” has been integral listening for me still even though it is difficult.
I think they’ve got it right….These 100/100 reviews on Metacritic within 48 hrs of the album’s release were a little dubious. It’s still a fascinating listen. Lamar’s rapping is often extraordinary , but the actual sonic wallpaper that surrounds his voice is often jarring . DAMN is clearly a superior album.
I don't know if I'd say DAMN is clearly superior. They're both approached quite differently as albums. DAMN is great for picking up and just vibing to it. It touches on many different themes, but they're more outwardly focused. This one is a lot more introspective and uncomfortable, which I think was the point. As such, it's not as immediately accessible as an album. Doesn't mean that MMTBS is necessarily better, though, either. But I feel like they're completely different listens.
The quality of his rapping and his willingness to shine a light into the darkest corners of his psyche would elevate this album regardless…However, is it enough to justify the ‘instant classic’ status many have bestowed on it? Not this time - but it’s possible I’ll change my mind after more listens.
Pitchfork is taking the cautious approach, which I totally understand. It sucks that music critics are expected to get a review out there as quickly as possible, especially for an album like this that rewards repeated listening and analysis. At this exact moment I’d put the new album above DAMN but below TPAB. DAMN has some very high highs but the middle of the album loses me sometimes. I’d be really interested to read some reviews and analyses a couple months down the line, when folks have been able to digest it more fully. I’m loving the insight from @Saturns Pattern above. I thought the pitchfork review for Ye was pretty on point. Especially this last bit, which sums up almost all of Kanye’s recent output IMO: “Maybe we should abolish the word “genius,”or just find heroes who give a ****. But I can admit that after ye ended unceremoniously the third or fourth time, I put on “Family Business,” and I thought about the kid from Chicago who wanted to be the biggest rapper in the world, who now lives in an empty-looking concrete mansion in Calabasas, who has stopped trying.”
Oh I agree about the dubious reviews, no doubt about that. I can't say it's an instant classic either. All these "masterpiece" reviews popping up within 12 hours just made me roll my eyes. I'm still not even sure where I stand with this album yet.
Don’t disagree with the general thrust of the the review, it’s not his most musically interesting album, will turn some people off based on their tolerance of excessive rapping. Agree that reviewers who gave it 10/10 day one are a bigger concern. I think the biggest issue with P4K these days is the competing agendas of the editors. On one hand they want to retain the hot-take music snob reputation, but on the other they’ve gleefully embraced poptimism. This week’s “Sunday Review” of the Kelly Clarkson debut has the exact same score as the new Kendrick album. Seriously? No offense to her, but that album is probably not even in the top 100 of 2004 (which was a very good year for indie music). Hard to take them seriously as a voice of reason with Kendrick (even if I ultimately agree) when they’ll give something you’d hear at a pop-punk club night the same score.
Rolling Stone review is also out. Similar score to Pitchfork. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/kendrick-reviewreview-kendrick-lamars-mr-morale-the-big-steppers-1352910/amp/
Chris Richards from the Washington Post put up a good review. I always like his writing https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/05/16/kendrick-lamar-mr-morale-album-review/
Regarding reviews I think mixed receptions are going to happen with a record that is designed to challenge and provoke. Personally, I am loving it although it has taken a few listens to get there. Is it my favourite Kendrick? Probably not. Am I likely to put it on with a group of friends? Probably not. But in my opinion an excellent piece of work that has progressed Kendrick’s sound and capped off his TDE career. Fingers crossed for a nice vinyl package announcement soon!
i can't stop thinking about the track "we cry together". the way taylour paige delivers her vocals is so visceral. this whole record has been on my mind all weekend.
That last line rubs me the wrong way: “causing you to wonder who, exactly, all of this trauma dumping was meant to serve.” Are they saying albums are supposed to serve someone, and is that someone the listener? Why should art serve anyone? Are they saying trauma dumping is supposed to serve anyone? Who cares if it does or not?
Just had my first listen to "We Cry together" and---not making fun or her OR Eminem---but Paige's vocal struck me as very, very Eminem in flow and diction and that "on the edge of about to lose yr ****" of so much Eminem of past decade or so. Record on a whole seems pretty great and expect it to reward many listens.
I've listened to it twice and my initial thoughts are that it's an excellent album. I like the fact that lyrically it's very scatter-shot and musically it's such a dense recording i get the feeling that we will be breaking it down for many months to come. I wouldn't say it's perfect and the few misfires are on the first disc. Die Hard and N95 don't really go anywhere and We Cry Together gets boring very quickly. However the 2nd disc is fantastic and the final four songs in particular is one of the strongest closing sequences that I can remember for a long time. One thing that struck me listening to it is that that there's a sense of finality to it. Now that he's got a family and this will be his last album under Top Dwag,I'm wondering if he will walk away from music altogether. With the last track constantly repeating the lyric "I'm sorry but I choose me" it does seem like it's somewhat of a full stop for him.
Rolling Stone is more concerned with its political agenda than actual music. Lamar is a complicated, interesting human who won’t be boxed in…they don’t like that.
And all my posts here are getting deleted/not approved. To those who hated my contributions, congratulations, you got what you want. Bye now.
I was thinking the same. As much as I would love more albums from Kendrick, I think it would be a boss move to drop the mic forever with this album. for his career: Bring it hard, then bounce, don't start slipping into weaker and weaker material.
Yeah, that article and the one linked in the quote from @ghoulsurgery above ( Kanye West and Why the Myth of “Genius” Must Die ) have me remembering why I don't read any music press. Paradoxically, it seems like the authors are more self-aggrandizing than the rapper. I went to the record store today, and they had single CD versions of GKMC, without the bonus tracks, so it looks like there were both single disc and double disc versions of it. I had another listen today thinking about the biters in the press and some of the comments in this thread, and my appreciation is only growing with each listen. Thinking of each track as potentially a therapy session helped me pick up the tap dancing effects sprinkled throughout. Yeah, some lines could be better, but overall I am still really impressed with the album.
I do agree with the basic idea behind that Pitchfork article about the idea of “genius.” Moreso in the “kill your idols” sense, that no artist should be held on too high of a pedestal and we should always remember that these are complex, probably flawed people making the art we like. Kendrick leans hard into that idea and that’s what makes him so compelling