Tyler, The Creator - Cherry Bomb
The Scene
You know Odd Future, sure you do and Tyler, The Creator is the leader of the pack. Well he was and still kind of is but as the OF members start to find their own identities in this music business, they are beginning to venture out on their own a bit more. Earl Sweatshirt has firmly established himself as one of the best in the game while other OF members such as Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis and The Internet have all been very productive over the past year or so. Then you have Frank Ocean doing his thing and it feels like the OF vibe of youngsters running amuck all together has slightly dispersed.
'Cherry Bomb' comes as Tyler has been doing a whole bunch of other creative pursuits, he's got a lot on his plate. Whether it's TV, art, clothing or launching Golf Media, Tyler is always doing something and it's crazy in a sense that he's been able to put together an album such as 'Cherry Bomb'.
The Songs
- Deathcamp - Angst, that typical Odd Future jam with some Tyler wisdom
- Buffalo - Tyler spitting like he's got something to prove, on a leadership tip
- Pilot - Slightly bi-polar but in a really good way
- Run - Short and sharp, signals the end of the hectic start to the album
- Find Your Wings - Love the creativity, a bit more soulful.
- Cherry Bomb - Noisey, wait, we're back at the hectic vibes
- Blow My Load - Romance in its purest form
- 2Seater - Romance in an awkward form
- The Brown Stains Of Darkeneese Latifah Part 6-12(Remix) - A hood jam with a twist
- Fucking Young/Perfect - Melodic genius, smooth and crisp but also creepy
- Smuckers - Listen to the words, like, really really try hard to listen to the words
- Keep Da O's - A few curve balls to keep you intrigued as the album winds down, wistful.
- Okaga, CA - Think this one perfectly sums up Cherry Bomb and Tyler right now
The Vibe
It is a Tyler, The Creator musical project so it has his signature chaotic element to it. Whereas much of Tyler and OF's early music was centred around teenage angst and cheeky shock tactics, 'Cherry Bomb' feels like it means a bit more. The angst is still there but it now has a few years of growing up behind it and with Tyler emerge as somewhat of a leader, there seems to be a solution offered as well.
There are many songs that resemble a riot with a variety of sounds attacking your ears but there are also incredibly mellow moments as well. In that sense the album is a bit all over the place, there's no one sound that brings it all together but that's not really Tyler's style and it still works out well. It's an uplifting album, you're not going to be able to drown your sorrows with this playing in the background because it will make you want to get up off your backside and do something. There are also many entertaining moments, both in terms of the sounds you here which offer plenty of variety but also paying close attention to what Tyler says is an entertaining task itself. You'll find lots of little moments to enjoy hidden deep within tracks and it's somewhat of a throwback to the classic album style where you're rewarded for your efforts.
The Music
There aren't any credits which is odd, but funky as when listening to it on my iPod I found myself trying to decipher who was actually featuring on songs. To start with, all the production is done by Tyler which is perfect because I don't really think anyone else could really serve up the overall sound that suits Tyler's vocals as well as he can.
Schoolboy Q features on a few tracks while we also hear guest appearances from the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Syd Tha Kid and Pharrell. Each and every feature offers something to the album but it is really hard to pick up exactly what they offer some of the time with many of the features being subtle, compared to West and Lil Wayne who spit verses on 'Smuckers'.
There's no real flow to the album but it's refreshing giving how many follow a stock standard formula in composing an album. Some songs are around the six minute mark while 'Run' only lasts just over a minute which ensures that you're always involved in the album because you never really know when the next turn will come.
But I never give a fuck, it's like I was born dickless
I don't wanna crash anymore, I don't wanna crash anymore
I just wanna soar through the space, let the wind hit my face
'Till there's nothing left in the gas tank - PILOT
I know some dudes that would find you
That carry rugers and shottas
And fucking shoot at your Honda
Then fucking zoom out in Mazdas
Them GOLF boys is bad for you like the food from McDonalds
Boy, I'm a king and I ain't lyin', boy, hakuna matata
Better watch for them hyenas if you flex then they swarm
Cashing so many checks there calling him Tyler O-Comma - 2SEATER
My garden's full from breaking these hoes
A hand full of green and a couple of stones
Your lawnmower's foreign, you rent you a home
But nigga, how much of that shit do you own?
See me, I don't compromise, I know my accomplishments
Fuck your compliments, bitch I got confidence
I don't need your approval, my nigga you suck - KEEP DA O's
Eureka!
You've got to credit Tyler because he seems so comfortable with everything that he's doing and all the mayhem he causes. On 'Smuckers' he reflects on his path and even drops New Zealand a shout out - 'got banned from New Zealand' but he doesn't sound bitter or twisted about anything. He sounds comfortable with the path that he's blazing.
Schoolboy Q has his moments and he and Tyler have worked a fair bit together over the past few years; how awesome would a TDE x OF group collabo thing be!?
Creativity, bless creativity.
There's nothing else or no one else who is in Tyler's lane, that must be cool.
Finale
It's hard to pinpoint how 'Cherry Bomb' should be listened to or where it should sit on your playlist because it's not quite suited to any social situation nor jamming it on your lonesome. I reckon it's so different that you can't even box it into a situation or even a genre like 'hip hop' because there's so many anti-hip hop moments that it just doesn't feel right.
That's where I land on this idea that you've just got to give it a go. It may not be for you, you may want something different but give it a go because I guarantee that you'll find a song or moment that you like and that gem might lead you to another and so on. It's not the sort of album where you can expect something or have an idea about where the album is going, just open your mind and let 'Cherry Bomb' take you on a ride.