SICK!: ALBUM REVIEW
Los Angeles street poet laureate Earl Sweatshirt finds peace in a crazy world around him — sacrificing experimental tendencies for something more concrete. He comes down to earth, while riding a ridiculous high of omnipotence. As his 4th studio album, SICK! is a concrete, abstract social commentary on a world past, and one currently in and approaching pandemic. All the while, Earl passively showcases his thoughts on identity and revolutionary spirit. This album is filled with some of the Odd Future prodigy’s most prolific verses, as almost every song has a bar that stands out.
SICK! can be interrupted in many ways, both figuratively and literally. “Can't go out sad, can't go outside no more, 'cause n*ggas sick, ayy,” he raps on the third cut of the album. Earl is sick of the crumbling infrastructure holding up his western societal viewpoint, while simultaneously not being able to go out and enjoy things to the fullest. The first line of the album sets the tone of what listeners can expect. “Strong spirit where the body couldn't get asylum, The cost of living high, don't cross the picket line and get the virus.” In just one bar, Earl offers critical insight on raising housing costs and the current struggle of workers protesting for livable wages — despite being the first ones subjugated to risk of getting sick from COVID-19. In a passive yet passionate tone, Earl offers some of the most critical analysis on the world around him.
In tandem comes “2010,” an afrofuturistic hymn profiling Earl and his progress as a creative since his debut mixtape EARL. Lyrics like “Triumph over plight and immense loss, Ride alone at night, I get clear thoughts, Caught a couple slights and I veered off,” showcases Earls struggles though the last decade. SICK! also emphasizes how impactful Earl’s community is at his current place in life. His team is a close knit unit, and he gives praise and homage to his current rap contemporaries, such as Akai Solo, Na’Kel Smith, and the Black legends before him such as Fela Kuti and the La Mont Zeno Theatre.
With only a handful of producers and three features, the assembly for this album is probably one of the smallest in Earls discography. They’re all heavy hitters for a dream team of underground hip-hop artists. From the features to the means of production, every feature on here is impossible to skip. The lyrical gritty prowess of Armand Hammer hits hard on “Tabula Rasa,” standing in contrast to Zeelooperz’s drowsy eccentric flow on the previous “Vision.” The majority of the production is handled by Earl’s veteran mentor (figurative uncle) The Alchemist and the mind boggling, dimension-hopping Black Noi$e. They’re enough to make this album a stand out of the year.
SICK! is the first rap album I've heard in the last two years that has this sense of normalcy regarding the pandemic. It doesn’t highlight the tragic conditions faced by certain groups, nor does it have a grand capitalistic presence built from the ground up as if there wasn’t a giant fire burning right outside the studio. It feels like Earl found his quarantine routine and grew accustomed to a new world — crafting new approaches and habits around it all. This entire album was made during the pandemic and somehow makes you feel like it’ll never end.
There is a definitive start and finish to the thought process of the album, but it definitely loses steam in the second half. I don't mean that it gets less interesting, but the album structure and overall atmosphere loses focus. Compared to Some Rap Songs, there are fewer daring moments on this album. It almost feels as if Earl is keeping it safe instead of challenging his way of execution. The spirit is here, the execution just wasn’t as strong as I was expecting. Despite the two opening tracks working thematically next to one another, there isn’t much experimentation with structure later on. Some songs sound almost as if they’re randomly placed or in the wrong spot. The song “Titanic” is wonderful, but almost sounds like an album opener, with the previous track ending very abruptly with no lead into it. There’s nothing very negative to say about the project, it just didn’t live up to my expectations after hearing the three singles.
One aspect that didn’t live up to expectations is the production. There are a total of seven single producers on the project, which is the usual number on his projects. Earl himself no longer adds his own touch to beats as on previous records. The bar was raised to the heavens by the introduction single, “2010,” produced by the Detroit producer from the future: Black Noi$e. Noi$e takes the reins of production with nearly half of the instrumentals on the album and each one is this visceral, sci-fi inducing loop that’s reminiscent of an abstract painting through sounds. Songs like “2010 “ go hand-in-hand heavy with Earl in creating a Hype Williams futuristic bounce, while “Fire in the Hole” sounds like Earl is rapping with tears in his eyes in a painting that’s on fire.
Every Earl Sweatshirt project has its own mood and sense of identity, most of which can clearly define how Earl is in his career along with where he’s at as an artist. SICK! doesn’t have a strong identity or sense of atmosphere, but it’s normal. The album brings together a moment of peace as the world burns around you. Earl Sweatshirt is the lyricist of our generation and through dense prose-esque bars and metaphors, he battles his own personal issues while commenting on the ways of the land. Though there are issues with execution of style and structure, it’s well put together and is one of Earl Sweatshirt’s best albums in his decade-long run as a rapper. It might even serve as a new fan favorite for many listeners for his reverent revering word play and stoic emotion — which can be heard in every song.