Existentialism, absurdism, nihilism. These are just a few of the cozy themes woven into Struggler, the wild second album from Australias Genesis Owusu. His hard-to-define 2021 debut, Smiling with No Teeth, was a huge critical success in Australia, taking home a quartet of ARIA Awards and winning the Australian Music Prize. Not bad for an album that didnt even make the Top 20. It also set the bar rather high for his follow-up. On Struggler, Owusu takes a philosophical approach, whipping up a nervy concept album about keeping up the fight and the search for meaning in a bonkers world. Whats more, its largely from the point of view of a cockroach. Frank Ocean and Jimi Hendrix may have been Owusus early inspirations, but Struggler is wrought from the literary minds of Kafka, Beckett, and Camus. Musically, the strange collision of experimental post-punk, rap, and R&B that marked his earlier work remains in effect. But where his debut dealt with the black dog of depression, Struggler is the caged animal fighting its way out. Strapped to a frantic synth bassline, opener and flagship single "Leaving the Light" is a thriller of a song, setting the tone as the roach dodges and weaves to escape its cruel oppressor. "Better run, theres a god and hes coming for me!" barks a paranoid Owusu, using the malevolent deity as a stand-in for everything from environmental disaster to racial injustice. The theme continues on "The Roach," an icy missive which this time marshals the underdog power of its protagonist with lines like "for the pests Im the great commander (the Roach, the Roach)." The weight of the world can be heard in the frantic tones of Strugglers more uptempo cuts, but Owusu breaks rank on "See Ya There," a sweetly soulful track that sighs in its acceptance of defeat ("youre going to hell, Ill see you there"). In spite of its overarching themes of struggle and desperation, there are playful moments, too. The Prince-like groove of "Tied Up!" and its jazzy partner "Thats Life (A Swamp)" are downright funky, and "Stuck to the Fan" closes the album on a high note. Owusu could have gone any number of ways on his sophomore set, but its a testament to his artistic conviction that he chose to make something so risky and complex. Even better, he pulled it off. ~ Timothy Monger

Rovi