Tyler The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
A mid-90s style backdrop to Tyler’s typically intelligent rhymes.
Tyler the Creator has established himself as one of the smartest rappers in the business. Over 6 albums, his style has been varied and he seems to enjoy experimenting especially with the backing tracks. On albums like Flower Boy or Igor, this perhaps stretched the limits of what a popular audience would accept. Call Me If You Get Lost is a switch to the opposite direction and he deftly employs guest vocalists to direct a group project more than the sum of its parts.
The first impression is of strong mid-90s production style, bringing to mind immediately De La Soul’s creative masterpiece De La Soul is Dead. Spanning 16 tracks, there is an unusually (for Tyler) cohesive sound from track to track.
TRACKLIST
SIR BAUDELAIRE
CORSO
LEMONHEAD
WUSYANAME
LUMBERJACK
HOT WIND BLOWS
MASSA
RUNITUP
MANIFESTO
SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE
MOMMA TALK
RISE!
BLESSED
JUGGERNAUT
WILSHIRE
SAFARI
STANDOUT TRACKS
CORSO
Leading off with a strong retro hook and “It Takes Two” tambourine, Corso sets the pace for the album and lets you know this is a party album. Background hype vocals and crowd chanting form the base for some braggadocio lyrics.
HOT WIND BLOWS
Jazz flute and ride cymbal punctuation, tom tom fill and a gradual build up of piano provide a colourful and animated background for guest vocals from Lil Wayne.
SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE
More flute, but slow down tempo bring on the R&B vibe as a mid-album break, perfect for partiers to catch their breath and work on a little romance. Vocals by Brent Faiyaz perfectly match the Stevie Wonder synth line and Billy Ocean digi-chimes. Modern soul production at its best.
JUGGERNAUT
Picking up the pace again towards the end of the album, JUGGERNAUT is based around a dirty fat synth line with 90s Busta Rhyme space lasers. Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell Williams offer sparse on-beat vocal appearances.
WILSHIRE
The 2nd-longest track on the album, Wilshire picks up speed and is perhaps the best showcase of Tyler’s lyrics. Up-beat tempo ends the album off on a high
FISHTAIL
The proverbial coda to the album when the party is cooled down and guests have to decide what direction to go in next? Will it be serious and home time? Or straight back to Track 1 for another hour?? A perfect ending in mix-tape style.
CONCLUSION
While not up with the pantheon of 90s mixed-tapes, Call Me If You Get Lost cements Tyler the Creator as one of the top hip hop artists of today. Compared to the moody recent releases from Drake and Kanye, its refreshing to get a truly fun and enjoyable party album during Covid times. This is a “repeat-album” which can run all day and not get boring. The precise instrumentation, although sparse at times, is so layered and interesting that it constantly reveals something new each time.
While not as musically adventurous as the sonic feast Flower Boy, it is perhaps more listenable, approachable and mature, incorporating each of the facets that Tyler the Creator has become known for. Perfectly measured and expertly packaged, it may be his best work yet.
AVAILABILITY
THE RATING
7/10 Absolute
10/10 Relative
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