ALBUM REVIEW: Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - Voir Dire

    Those who have been reading for a while may know that I'm not overly fond of Earl Sweatshirt - his previous studio album SICK! did close to nothing for me upon release with Earl's mediocre rapping and generally unexciting moments, to the point where even the short 24-minute runtime began to feel like a stretch. Well luckily (or unluckily), Earl is back with another incredibly short album (which seems to be his bag), but this time with some help from the beloved producer The Alchemist, who has previously worked up some magic with Freddie Gibbs (Alfredo) and rap duo Armand Hammer (Haram), which means that there's plenty of room for the goods to be brought on this collaboration - there was also the whole NFT thing when this album dropped, which is why I've taken the liberty of reviewing the version that will be on every streaming platform instead of the August release of this album - I have heard both, and frankly they prove very similar listening experiences. To make a short story even shorter, The Alchemist does in fact deliver some fantastic production throughout, albeit sometimes it is overly minimal, and some much-appreciated features help bring some great energy to the record, which is all benefited by Earl's performances, which leave me much more satisfied than the work on his previous solo album. The resulting mini-album presented is a short and sweet endeavor, and one that doesn't feel like you've wasted your time for that matter.

    Being only 26 minutes long makes for a relatively quick review, but I'll still do my best to dive into the meat and potatoes of this record, starting mainly with The Alchemist's work. Now while I admire his production on albums like the previously mentioned Alfredo, The Alchemist can be a bit more hit or miss in comparison to some other producers that I love dearly. That being said, The Alchemist is certainly delivering on this project with some flavorful samples and enjoyable instrumentals, some of which are carrying an otherwise disappointing moment in the album's runtime (the loop on "Vin Skully" is probably the best part of the song). Other times, the meshing of the two artists can help elevate the performance into a bona fide album highlight, such as on the energizing "Heat Check" or the collaboration with rapper Vince Staples on "Mancala", which may prove the album's absolute best moment off the back of strong performances from Earl and Vice Staples, all meshed together with one of The Alchemist's sharper productions on the album. While the album keeps a good balance of quality from both performers, each have their low moments or weak tendencies - for as nice as The Alchemist's production is, his beats can get repetitive at points, even on great moments like the MIKE collaboration on "Sentry", ironically one of the album's stronger moments. In contrast, "Mac Deuce" features a pretty uninteresting performance from Sweatshirt, even with a fantastic instrumental behind his voice - seriously, what a fantastic sound! The same can be kinda said for "Sirius Blac", albeit Earl is a bit sharper on this moment than earlier. There's also the closing "Free the Ruler", which makes for a certifiably fantastic way to cap off the short release, and complete with yet another killer production job.

     I don't think I'll ever get Earl Sweatshirt fully, but I can at the very least walk away from his latest project with much more satisfaction than his previous endeavor. While it's still an incredibly brief affair, Voir Dire proves more immediately enjoyable and more consistently interesting than SICK ever was, and it's more than just Earl's improved performances. The Alchemist's beats help carry the album's momentum through the finish line, and more often than not the minimalist nature of his productions help to place focus on Earl's style and skill, and some features from other artists help to vary up the listening experience or bring some energy to bounce off of Earl in a fun way. While it isn't the most impressive rap project this year (although admittedly, the competition has been steep), Earl & Co. have created a very good album at the end of the day, and one that can be enjoyed by fans of Earl or otherwise. Whether you listen to this on Spotify or you've got your NFT copy of this album, chances are you'll be leaving pleased with the experience.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Voir Dire.