Whether they intended to be in the spotlight or not, it has been a huge year for the Odd Future crew. The Los Angeles-based music collective includes popular names like Earl Sweatshirt and Grammy-winner Frank Ocean, as well as frontman Tyler, the Creator. While Ocean’s “Channel Orange” is receiving all the praise right now, Tyler’s latest album “Wolf” may very well be some of the best music that the OF movement has created.
Like previous albums “Goblin” and “Bastard,” “Wolf” is a grab bag of emotions and reflects significant growth for Tyler as a composer. The style of its beats, which are produced primarily by Tyler himself, fluctuates a lot more than on earlier albums, with a consistently higher quality overall.
Tracks like “Domo23” and “Pigs” are exhilarating and raw, but “Wolf” really shines in its more tender moments. The beautifully smooth “Treehome95” and hypnotic “IFHY” are truly transcendent.
While “Wolf” is anchored around Tyler’s signature rough, rattling drums and dark melodies, the album refuses to be defined by any particular sound. “Rusty” evokes understated, gritty ’90s beats while the gentle layered chords of “Cowboy” and “Colossus” suggest a uniquely new style to Tyler himself.
The album does have a fair share of pacing problems. “Wolf” is a jumble of emotions that doesn’t flow properly with contrasting tempos and moods often married uncomfortably.
Tyler has always been divisive with his lyrics, to put it mildly. Alternating between malice and innocence with plenty of self-loathing, his songs’ tone keeps fans interested from start to finish. Like previous efforts, the rapper’s troubling word choice on “Wolf” is sometimes hard to stomach.
Despite his self-professed lack of homophobia or misogyny, Tyler needs to realize that his interpretation of harsh words is not shared by others. While he certainly doesn’t have an obligation to rap a certain way, fans shouldn’t have to struggle to justify liking an album, as many will have to do with “Wolf.”
This is a shame because the album features plenty of maturity for the artist. Tyler still doesn’t sound like an adult yet as he captures the angry, awkward and ignorant aspects of youth, but this time with previously unexplored depth. The recurring rape fantasies that frequented older work are replaced with emotional songs like “Answer” and “Lone,” which address Tyler’s family, fans and personal insecurities.
“Wolf” delivers a goofy yet interesting look into the life and times of Tyler, the Creator. While some of the album is hard to endure, the scenes that unfold are undeniably captivating.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, April 2 print edition. Peter Slattery is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].
