The Life Of Pi'erre 5＜Clear Vinyl＞

The long-promised fifth and final volume of innovative trap producer Pierre Bournes The Life of Pierre series is a continuous hour-long suite which largely sticks to a similar mood, showcasing his atmospheric beats and relaxed lyrical flow. While much of the material had been previewed through Bournes Instagram page and online performances prior to the albums release, here its all shaped into a cohesive statement, complete with segues which add unexpected effects, interjections, and melodies interesting enough to work as full songs. The segue at the end of Couch incorporates a call-and-response bit from a live show which riffs on Bournes signature Yo Pierre producer tag, and other transitions almost feel like they mark the completion of levels in a video game. The songs themselves generally stick to midtempo beats, occasionally switched up or down during segues, and simple yet expressive melodies, while Bourne smoothly delivers melodic, Auto-Tune-shaded lyrics which often hinge around sexual themes. He drops a few clever pop cultural references and turns of phrase here and there, but on the whole, he still hasnt really distinguished himself as a rapper yet. Even if his vocals arent stellar, the album is still worth a listen in order to marvel at his production skills. He excels at painting his tracks with ear-catching sounds, like the sweet and trippy melodies on Practice or the ominously droning synths which slightly overshadow the vocals on Sossboy 2. Despite a few individual tracks that are a bit too repetitive, the albums pacing is masterful, gradually adding new elements and making a few surprising turns without drastically interrupting the overall vibe. Unlike the completely solo The Life of Pierre 4, this volume has a few brief guest features, from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and newcomer Sharc, a signee to Bournes SossHouse imprint. The Life of Pierre 5 debuted at number 35 on the Billboard 200 following its June 2021 release. ~ Paul Simpson