US屈指のリリシスト=Earl Sweatshirt(アール・スウェットシャツ)2018年他界した父に捧げる、3年ぶり3枚目となるソロ・アルバム『Some Rap Songs』

2013年に2ndアルバムとなる『I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside』をリリースした後は、しばらく音沙汰がなかったEarl Sweatshirtだが、今作はそんな沈黙を破る久々の新作だ。
今作は2018年7月に他界した父親Keoraptse Kgositsileの死をきっかけとして両親に捧げるオマージュ的内容となっており、アルバム13曲目に収録の「Playing Possum」にはその両親が共に客演参加している。その他にも「たとえ上手くいかない時だって 俺は神に感謝し祈るんだ これ以上お願い事はもうないよ」と父の死から乗り越えた自身の心情を歌う先行シングル「Nowhere2go」や、Navy Blueを迎えた「The Mint」、NYの注目グループ=Standing on theCornerを迎えた「Ontheway!」など全15曲を収録している。これまでも自身の両親について度々楽曲の中で歌ってきたEarl Sweatshirtだが、今作では改めて両親の存在と影響、感謝に加えて、子どもから大人へと成長を遂げた自身の"今"の姿を歌った注目の1作となっている。

発売・販売元 提供資料 （2018/11/30）

Pitchfork - "The project is distinctly rough around the edges, to great effect; there's the sound of dust popping off vinyl and cassette hiss throughout. With these imperfections, Earl and company tap into the same sort of illegible, yet undeniable, feeling jazz musicians capture in slurred notes." Spin - "[W]hile his technique remains flawless, his subject matter embraces everyday life, albeit distorted." Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "SOME RAP SONGS is simply a project full of good songs about bad emotions."

Rovi

Always the standout lyricist from the hyper-stimulated teenage days of the Odd Future crew, Earl Sweatshirt also underwent the most interesting artistic evolution as he transitioned from outlandish MF Doom-modeled flows to darker, more inward-looking work. Fans expecting the intricate, rapid-fire flows and surrealistic wordplay that shone on early collective works and first album Doris were met with the comparatively subdued moodiness of 2015's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside, a largely self-produced affair that felt dark and restless. Third album Some Rap Songs takes yet another sharp turn, abandoning everything previously explored and starting over in an opaque, dreamlike world. The production is the star of the show on Some Rap Songs, 15 brief songs made up of jagged samples and scattered, bumpy beats flying by in a lo-fi blur. Earl himself sounds like a friendly ghost haunting these tracks, sometimes dissolving into the beats more than rapping over them. That's not to say his rhymes are any less inspired than before. Instead his always internal perspectives and personal narratives feel even more imbued in the music, looking at depression, the death of his father, loneliness, and the winding path of his youth from a pensive distance. The abstract production complements Earl's truncated reflections perfectly. The confused off-time loop of "Veins" doesn't keep him from finding his way through a precise rhyme scheme where he accesses his strange relationship with fame. Key track "The Mint" occupies a similarly rocky emotional space, observational rhymes about an always crumbling world riding a wistful piano loop, production courtesy of Detroit artist Black Noi$e. "Nowhere2go" exemplifies the role of production here, too, as Earl's lyrics nearly compete for air time with the chopped vocal sample that comprises the beat. The entire album takes on a beautifully muted quality as tape hiss, distortion, and a collage aesthetic contribute to its otherworldly feel. Sonically, Some Rap Songs is in line with the Congos' Lee Perry-produced masterpiece Heart of the Congos, Panda Bear's psychedelic tapestry Person Pitch, or any number of '90s hip-hop cassettes left baking in cars in the summer sun, a little warped when they're played again in the winter, but still holding memories of brighter times. Simultaneously sad, strange, and warmly nostalgic, Some Rap Songs is excitingly listenable and emotionally connected despite its abstruse approach. The album's triumphs are in its fearless risk taking and the insight it allows into the journey of Earl Sweatshirt's constant creative regeneration. ~ Fred Thomas|

Rovi