The Melodic Blue＜限定盤＞

With the dismissive hooligan and the downcast no sense, Baby Keems 2020s singles gave him a moment of clarity. On Melodic Blue we find a self-focused but deeply jaded figure poised atop a mountain of nocturnal hedonism and industry backstabbing. While his debut album doesnt completely follow suit, its marked by a pensiveness lacking in the rappers earlier works; I cant help but feel neglected runs the opening line of intro trademark usa, Keems words surrounded by a chorus of disembodied vocals. The albums strengths manifest at polar extremes, at Keems moodiest and at his most outlandish. At the peak of the former is scars -- a self-reflection in the image of Kanyes 808s and Heartbreak -- as well as the Toronto R&B-esque closer 16, which dwells on broken relationships with a candid wont you think about you and I? From the other end of the spectrum come some of his most ignorant anthems to date: south africa stomps forward with a Mo Bamba-style melody, the heavily Future-like cocoa glides with the trap pioneers effortless flow, and family ties is a Keem-Kendrick rollercoaster of beat switches and cocky verses. Keem is a necessary, forward-thinking presence in the rap zeitgeist, and The Melodic Blue continues to provide his fans with plenty of unique takes on the trap genre. ~ David Crone