‘Come Back To Earth’ has those dreamy Frank Ocean vibes, but at not even three minutes feels more like an extended intro. ‘Hurt Feelings’ has well-delivered lines like “Listening to Whitney and whippin’ it through the city,” but feels too much like Kendrick without the same punch. Featuring vocals from Snoop Dogg, Syd and Thundercat, ‘What’s The Use’ is pure groovin’ goodness, with a slapping bass and some of his best lyrical work.
After the dawdling start, ‘Ladders’ immediately becomes one of the best songs on the album once that disco-twang drops and then builds again with the Ronson-esque horns. Similarly, ‘Small Worlds’ is pleasant, slow-boppy fun, featuring a great piano mid-section. Unfortunately, the quality drops for a bit towards the end; ‘Conversation Pt. 1’ drags for too long and ‘Jet Fuel’ is just a bad song with a bad chorus. Thankfully ‘Dunno’, ‘2009’ and, ‘So It Goes’ make amends.
All in all, this release is perfectly timed for the warmer weather, but unfortunately just a few bangers short of really sizzling.
6.5/10
