Mainstream Sellout (Alternative Cover/Exclusive Litho)＜Gray Vinyl＞

mgks transition from rapper with pop sensibilities to pop-punk revivalist that began in earnest on his 2020 album Tickets to My Downfall continues enthusiastically with sixth album Mainstream Sellout. Made once again with blink-182s Travis Barker acting as producer and drummer, Mainstream Sellout goes even further than the last record in reshaping mgks sound as a 2020s approximation of the kind of melodic but anguished punk Barker and his peers were making in the start of the aughts. This is most apparent in songs made up of big, distorted guitars, simplistic but catchy hooks, and Barkers tight, snappy drumming. Willow duet "Emo Girl," the frantic and harmony-heavy "Born with Horns," and "Drug Dealer" (one of two tracks here featuring guest performances from Lil Wayne) all model themselves after the kind of 2000s pop-punk that was exciting enough to evoke a sense of rebellion and angst, but not too aggressive for radio airplay. mgk doesnt erase all traces of his commercial rap past, however, and tracks like the blackbear-featuring "Make Up Sex" and "Die in California" -- an album standout with contributions from Gunna and Young Thug -- incorporate either trappy drum programming, fluid rap flows, or other familiar elements of rap production. ~ Fred Thomas