Described by Teezo as “Rock and Boom is more focused: it’s R&B with the intensity of rock, with the R&B top lines, boom bap penmanship, and that 808 bass with the flavor of Beaumont.” Released on September 8, this breakout star gained traction through features on albums such as Call Me if You Get Lost,Utopia, and Love Sick. With all this attention and mixing of genres, how did it pan out?
Track List review:
OK
Being the opener and the first impression people may get of him, it is an amazing start. Right from the beginning, we get a choppy guitar riff and the first glimpse of Teezo’s bright and funny personality. The track’s lyrics are pretty general, dealing with how busy he has been leading up to the album and not following conventional standards and doing his own thing. Overall, a good opening track that sets up the album and its attitude nicely.
You Thought, featuring Janelle Monae
The beginning of this track follows the previous choppy guitar, adding in some drums and a more separated flow to follow. Lyrically, he talks about how people may perceive his mannerisms and actions. The second part of the track consists of a more flowing guitar riff and some electronic elements. He switches up the lyrics, speaking of how people may perceive his partner for her distant actions towards Teezo and her leaving him. With beautiful backing vocals from Janelle Monae that make it all the better: this track is another win for Teezo.
UUHH
Continuing the trend of the guitar rifts, Teezo takes a more grandiose approach with the seemingly large background vocals from Teezo and a sweeping riff. The lyrics on this one are well, interesting. He describes an “intimate” interaction he is having with a girl and the thoughts in their heads. What makes this track so fun and different is the fact that instead of describing any “intimate” actions he instead uses noises from those to portray what’s happening. Though this sounds awkward, it is implemented very well.
Sweet, Featuring Foushee
Going in a more R&B direction with the guitars and vocals, this track is more relaxed than the previous one. As more of an interlude, this track sees him going back and forth with Foushee talking about a positive relationship that makes both their lives better and more bearable. Between the subject matter and the vocals, this makes for one of the best tracks on the album.
Impossible
This is, hands-down, the best track on the album. The soft guitars not only sound great on their own, but contrast amazingly with Teezo’s more harsh and grave vocals. The lyrics consist of Teezo’s telling his audience to not give up on their dreams, lift others up, and to persist even if it seems impossible. The best part of this track is definitely how emotional the vocals sound: you can tell Teezo thinks if he can achieve his dreams, then so can you.
Neighborhood
This track follows Teezo rapping about his home over a melodic piano. The part of the track that makes this song really good is the subject matter. In the first verse, he seems happy in his home and wants to have a relationship with his neighbor. By the second verse, he seems aggravated by everything around him and when is neighbor knocks on his door he grabs his gun. The final verse follows Teezo as he is now homeless, he hears his daughter is staying somewhere nearby. When he knocks on the door, it switches to a passerby asking if anyone heard any gunshots. The song ends with the lines, “Just another day in the hood”. This song is amazing at conveying the dangers of one’s environment and how it can transform them.
Mood Swings
Taking a funkier direction, this song is just infectious. Teezo’s vocal high points go nicely with the swingy nature of the electronics. The lyrics to this one are pretty simple. Teezo has mood swings, things aggravate him, and he spends time online to ease his mind. While not as good as its predecessors, it’s a welcome addition to the track list.
Too Easy, featuring Isaiah Rusk
Seemingly a larger-than-life stadium chant about it being “too easy.” There are thumpy and wavy electronics, with echoing vocals from Teezo. Raspy verses from Isaiah reveal themselves in the last minute. The thing that Teezo made “too easy” was his relationship. He describes it as not serious and wants it to be easier for her to leave. Wanting her to have a more serious relationship. A great hype song that appears meaningless and braggadocios that transforms into a sorrow filled ballad, what’s not to love?
Familiarity
Probably the second most personal song on the album, Teezo expresses how he knew he was going to make it and abandoning his parents’ wishes. The second verse takes a turn describing Teezo’s minimum wage job and the suitcase he is living out of, but still stating the fact that he is going to make it. This song is definitely a highlight of the back half of the record. The message, the chilled out guitar and Teezo’s vocals make a very expressive song about how he had to forage his own path and leave expectations behind even if it gets rough.
I Don’t Think U C Me, featuring Isaiah Rusk
One of the weaker tracks on the album but not bad by any means. Lyrics consist of Teezo and Isaiah asking what this girls sees in them and thinks she may be better off without them. The instrumentation is pretty solid rough at the beginnin,g and smooth at the end. nothing to amazing or bad.
Daddy Mama Drama
This track is Teezo at his absolute best, with his message, instruments, and vocals. This track has the most personal material talking about his parents. He sings over soft and fragile sounding guitars about howhem and his parents are not on good terms saying “they said when I turned thirteen, I just stopped caring” and ” [it’s] a game of who gon’ call first”.He reminisces about how he has become like his parents, “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree”, but the most powerful part of the song comes near the middle. Voices come out and scream “I f**king hate you”, now this could be Teezo or his parents, and works both ways but I think it’s his parents(lines such as “you better not run away”). Finally, the song ends with most of the lyrics consisting of “player” perhaps symbolizing his gamble of leaving to pursue his dreams.
Nu Nay
I love this track because of the simple fun that makes it up. The song takes up a boom-bap approach with vocals and funky guitars. The track is probably the least interesting lyrically just talking about Teezo’s unpleasant experience with the club. However, I like to interpret this as Teezo’s disconnection with modern-day rap lyrics.
Stranger
Pretty average track coming out of the back half. The guitars sounds like you are driving through the desert and that sums up the lyrics, dry. The lyrics are about how everyone he meets is not a stranger, meaning everyone he meets share similarities. If you can’t tell I’m not a huge fan of the song probably the weakest on the project. Impressive though considering I’d give it a 5.5/10
The Original Was Better
If the start to this album was great the end to it is fabulous. The electronics near the end feel like a great send-off and the subject matter is quite sad. Teezo compares his life to a movie and sings about “how the beginning was better” and ” who the f**k is the director” seeing him unsatisfied with his life. While that is good what makes this the ultimate closer is this track compared with the opener “Ok”. I you remember in “Ok” he talks about how he’s going to makes it seeming very optimistic and even compares his life to a movie. Contrasting that the the uncertainty that he made the right choice in this track makes the album feel like it has circled back around.
Overall
I love this album, it has great subject matter about love, family, and society. Additionally, it has amazing vocals/ vocal range, and great instrumentation. As a debut from an artist that only recently came on my radar, it’s amazing how this sounds like nothing I have ever heard before. This is only the beginning for Teezo and I’m excited for whatever he comes up with next. 8.8/10
