[Childish] Gambino's sophomore effort past his 2011 is by no means perfect, but its production and all-round charm make it an easily likeable project that most should be able to sink their teeth into. It cements Gambino as a one to look out for due to his ambition alone, this album being a show of things to come with his release later this year, "PHAROS".
"because the internet" spares no time getting into the swing of things, beginning the first of a five act structure with "(I.) crawl". But before you can do that, the ambition needs to sink in: a 76-page screenplay accompanies this album and is expected to be read before you can truly understand the concept that this album has to offer. But before you can read the screenplay you need to experience the prelude to it with his short film "Clapping for the Wrong Reasons". A cumbersome process but one that is necessary as the album's message doesn't stand on its own. This is where the ambition either sinks or swims with you as a listener as the amount of attention required to fully understand what is going on will be off-putting to some.
By all means you can still listen without watching or reading, but don't be surprised if the meaning is a tad lost on you at first, the general jist can still be acquired however. That being an attempt to comment on the social awkwardness surrounding the modern age of the internet. That is where it sadly misses, but its not with highlights to back it up and keep it on both feet. Purely as a piece to enjoy and listen to for its catchy beats, hooks and overall pop sensibility, it's more than adequate. This is seen with the lead single "(V.) 3005" with its sugary hook right off the bat that is sure to stick in your ear for many days to come.
Falling back on the aforementioned "crawl" after much diversion, it shows that while tracks like "3005" are still strong, its when Gambino is at his most aggressive when the best comes out. The sting of the vocal sample throughout and the charged, abrasive delivery of his verses mix together to make a truly memorable track with a real punch. It's more of the same with "(II.) WORLDSTAR", its comments turned onto the (rather depraved) world of WorldStar HipHop, showing the nature of its users, laughing at others misfortune and pain with its interlude towards the end.
What brings the album together in its overall sound are the interlude tracks between each of its acts, particularly "dial up" before the second starts, creating this almost introspective feel as it ties into the main beat of "(I.) the worst guys". This falls back on the more relaxed tone and possibly has one of the most pointless yet great features of a song I've heard in awhile. The instant Chance [The Rapper]'s hook comes in, a smirk is painted onto my face for the rest of the track and it doesn't leave until it's over. "All she needed was some," never clarifying what she needs and that they never gave her what she needed, being the titular "worst guys". Or as some speculation implies, all she needed was some dick, being the worst guys through their arrogance. Both are equally plausible and both are equally ridiculous.
The album's humour shines through on "(IV.) sweatpants" with its main hook as equally hilarious as "the worst guys", a tongue-in-cheek tease to his peers, yeah they've got the pretty aesthetic but are they really delivering, "are you eating though?" It's delivery is played for great comedic effect whilst simultaneously getting shots off. It's an admirable display of confidence, which is what he is at his best as mentioned prior, but with some of the lesser choice cuts on this album, it backfires. In particular with either "flight of the navigator" or "zealots of stockholm", both meandering tracks that may serve purpose with its screenplay, but really ruin the pace built up by the tracks preceding like "3005" and "no exit". "no exit" opens with an urgent, punchy and ever-so-slightly stilted hook that immediately grabs your attention with its eye-opening question: "I'm a murderer, what can I say? ... What does that change?" An exaggerated statement in regards to those he pushes away, "would you still love me if I was a murderer?" He poses. It's a dirty track, showing Gambino's character desperate as there's no escape from his own mind.
It's curious as there is a strong album in here with some filler pulling it down here and there which could easily be pulled for the sake of listening. For the sake of the screenplay, they make sense, and returning to that elephant in the room, is it worth the 'investment' if it were to fully appreciate whats on offer? That's on you to decide. Even though it's tale somewhat falls flat, leaving you with a "so what?" mentality as a result of its inconsequential nature, its ambition has to be lauded as Gambino still attempts to find his niche and hone his craft in both writing and recording. It sets the scene for things to come and with great promise, perhaps some "PHAROS" is all she needed.
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