aaamusic | On 02, Apr 2012

2011 was a big year for rap collective OFWGKTA who found themselves thrust in to the limelight; praised and criticized in equal measure by various branches of the media. This is the third OFWGKTA collaboration after 2008’s The Odd Future Tape and last years, 12 Odd Future Songs.
The album starts with the same bone-liquefying, bass-heavy beats that Tyler, The Creator utilised to a great extent on his album Bastard (after, of course, the obligatory insults thrown at the entire crew) although one of the two tracks, ‘Bitches’, is produced by Left Brain, further demonstrating that this album has been created through a truly organic and fully collaborative process. Tyler produced ‘NY (Ned Flanders)’ is the first stand-out track on the album with syncopated beats pounding out over a gentle piano loop, topped off with vicious bars spat out by Hodgy Beats and Tyler.
To say that this album is much of the same from OFWGKTA would be premature as The Internet’s lone contribution, ‘Ya Know’ is heavily influenced by N*E*R*D, just as Jet Age of Tomorrow (who don’t feature on this album) are. It is worth noting that Matt Martians features in both groups and is therefore likely to be the reason for the soulful, space-age feel to both groups’ work. Frank Ocean’s presence adds a soulful contrast to Tyler’s brooding lines on ‘Analog 2/Wheels 2’ and Hodgy Beats’ aggressiveness on the brilliantly raw ‘Snow White’. Happily, Ocean gets to demonstrate his mellow; Stevie Wonder influenced vocals on solo track, ‘White’.
Odd Future continue to offer a refreshing dose of originality, and whether or not you like the brutality of some of their lyrics and the abrasiveness of certain tracks, that cannot be doubted. As Tyler says on ‘P’, he’s “learnt some new chords while you uncreative were sampling”. OFWGKTA are an alternative to the empty music of Black Eyed Peas et al. They are not in the business to be liked; they are here to hold a mirror up to an industry that is mired in laziness and to create something fresh and new. With this album, they continue to succeed.

Will Pye

★★★★★