By: Ryan Martin
A lot of former Odd Future members have been releasing debut albums recently. While they all may have been roughly 4 or more years late, it's interesting to see how former members are trying to reshape their careers to compete with the likes of superstars Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and the pop icon that is Frank Ocean. I wasn't impressed with both Domo Genesis and Hodgy's new albums. But I was interested in Syd's (F.K.A. as Syd Tha Kyd, the female producer force behind Odd Future) solo debut from when it was first announced. I've never been a die hard fan of The Internet. Which is the neo-soul/R&B band that Syd fronts. But that was also because none of their albums have really grabbed my attention enough for an entire project. Syd's solo debut may not be as musically impressive as some of The Internet's past efforts, but it succeeds in the attention grabbing aspect.
Syd has the chops to carry a full R&B album by herself and have it sound not quite as commercial as Kehlani but also not too druggy and moody like 6lack's debut FREE 6LACK. The production on the album is handled very well. It can fit the mood of hanging out with friends as background noise or a lust filled car ride with your significant other. The album itself follows a similar tone throughout the almost-40-minute duration. There are some tracks that have a very sexy R&B feel to them, like "Body" and "Smile More" to bangers like "All About Me", "Over" and "No Complaints". The lyrics are very personal on songs like "Insecurities" and "Nothin' to Somethin'" and reflect some of Syd's mental health issues and relationship troubles.
A lot of former Odd Future members have been releasing debut albums recently. While they all may have been roughly 4 or more years late, it's interesting to see how former members are trying to reshape their careers to compete with the likes of superstars Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and the pop icon that is Frank Ocean. I wasn't impressed with both Domo Genesis and Hodgy's new albums. But I was interested in Syd's (F.K.A. as Syd Tha Kyd, the female producer force behind Odd Future) solo debut from when it was first announced. I've never been a die hard fan of The Internet. Which is the neo-soul/R&B band that Syd fronts. But that was also because none of their albums have really grabbed my attention enough for an entire project. Syd's solo debut may not be as musically impressive as some of The Internet's past efforts, but it succeeds in the attention grabbing aspect.
Syd has the chops to carry a full R&B album by herself and have it sound not quite as commercial as Kehlani but also not too druggy and moody like 6lack's debut FREE 6LACK. The production on the album is handled very well. It can fit the mood of hanging out with friends as background noise or a lust filled car ride with your significant other. The album itself follows a similar tone throughout the almost-40-minute duration. There are some tracks that have a very sexy R&B feel to them, like "Body" and "Smile More" to bangers like "All About Me", "Over" and "No Complaints". The lyrics are very personal on songs like "Insecurities" and "Nothin' to Somethin'" and reflect some of Syd's mental health issues and relationship troubles.
I personally find Syd's album very solid. I don't think there is anything on this album that hasn't been done before, for better or worse, but there aren't a lot of weak songs. It's a solid debut and it's a more commercial route than what The Internet has been doing for a couple years now. It's a smart move that Syd tries to market herself as a pop star before going out on tour with The Internet this spring. It can bring a lot of fans to the band and even though they already have quite a following, it can boost their popularity as new fans of Syd can revisit The Internet's catalog and more than likely find something they like. Syd's debut won't wow you, and even though there are some songs I prefer more than others, ("All About Me" and "Body") there isn't a lot of tracks that bore me and it's a consistent vibe throughout the 40 minutes of the album. A solid and short listen.
So, is it worth your time? Yes and no. If you're chilling and need an album to vibe to, this is worth checking out. It doesn't have enough distinguishing qualities about it to probably make it on my end of the 2017 list, but it was a fun listen and is good at what it's attempting to be, which is a balanced mix of both commercial R&B and trap flavored neo-soul. I'd recommend giving it a listen; because there isn't a lot of new exciting albums out right now, it's easy to make time for it. But, if you can't get around to it, you won't be missing much.
So, is it worth your time? Yes and no. If you're chilling and need an album to vibe to, this is worth checking out. It doesn't have enough distinguishing qualities about it to probably make it on my end of the 2017 list, but it was a fun listen and is good at what it's attempting to be, which is a balanced mix of both commercial R&B and trap flavored neo-soul. I'd recommend giving it a listen; because there isn't a lot of new exciting albums out right now, it's easy to make time for it. But, if you can't get around to it, you won't be missing much.
Ryan Martin
Ryan enjoys old Gamecube games, dad hats, and Chic-Fil-A
How you feelin about Syd's new album?