REVIEW: Tyler, The Creator's "CMIYGL: The Estate Sale" (Columbia)

Call Me If You Get Lost was a top ten for me in 2021 and now the leftover songs have dropped. Tyler did his usual strategy for this one; show up on social media, say there's music dropping and put it out almost as soon. On first listen I sort of wrote these b-sides off as throwaway tracks. Now that I've had about a week to sit with them, not only do I think I was wrong but I cannot stop listening.


These being demos and b-sides is actually my only critique. Don't get me wrong, these are polished and they are quality. Tyler and DJ Drama even went out of their way to record new segues for them and Tyler even opens the bonus tracks by thanking the fans for the successful album cycle. There is an occasional leak in quality however. On the outro of "Stuntman" the final bar sounds a little out of place and appears to use a working title of the record that's pretty close but also noticeable. Then on "Sorry Not Sorry" there's a line where Tyler "apologizes" about you not knowing him personally, which is a powerful statement, but sounds like it was recorded on a completely different take altogether and sounds disjointed.


That, like I said, is my only critique however except for a sort of questionable pronoun bar on "Sorry." Even at that I feel that song is a much more powerful closer than "Safari," I really admire Tyler's unapologetic run through of his life right now. All of these songs are incredible and in some cases I prefer certain cuts to the songs that did make the actual project. "Stuntman" is bouncy, full of memorable moments and comes with a killer Vince Staples feature. "Dogtooth" was a great choice of a lead single for this edition, has a great vibey, warm weather, beat and a great hook. "What a Day" sort of feels like it's just straight up missing from the base album. The album's entire narrative talks about Tyler going on vacation and enjoying his success, but on "What a Day" he talks about being stressed out and overworked and getting some advice to do just what the other songs describe.


I thought these were really great additions to the canon overall. The songs that were missing weren't too different from the ones present, but in a way some are more exciting. If you liked the base record or have liked any era of Tyler's music you'll like this. You'll get some form of gratification out of it as Tyler teaches you that it's not selfish to want to focus on yourself before you start a family and to not take body negativity from someone who doesn't respect themselves. So, I suggest plugging in, closing your eyes, and taking a trip with Tyler and Drama once again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Best of Month: The top 25 songs of the year

Hi, it’s me, it’s Claudia, and today I’m going to do something I haven’t done yet. So every year I do the top ten singles of the year, but I don’t actually even listen to singles anymore. Unless I know they’re going to be singles, like on their own, otherwise I feel like they’re spoiling the record for me. This year I thought it’d be fun to broadcast my top twenty-five songs of the year because I do this every year for friends, mainly myself, but now it can be content. So, this won’t be a highly produced blog post and instead be very casual but hopefully you’ll get something out of it. If you’re coming from Reddit read the link below before leaving any comments for me on here or Reddit itself and let’s get started. Also, quick note. Some of these did not come out this year but are on records released this year. In those cases, assume I haven't heard the track till this year. Coming from Reddit? Start here! #25 “Glow in the Dark” by Mothica is from Rocksmith+ but it's also just
Read more

Best of Month; the Top 10 Albums of 2023

Image
2023 has come to a close and it was a lot to unpack. After relocating last year I had to figure out what to do next, admittedly a scarier process than moving itself. I’ve settled in now, changes have gone on, there were a lot of hard times and a lot of great memories made throughout the year. You may have noticed, if you’re a long-time reader, I was far less open about my own personal life in my reviews. If you’re new and this is your first year here, then hey you never knew this part of the blog. In these blurbs there are personal anecdotes, but they are far less revealing. Regardless, thank you for even clicking here. This year for my own writing was possibly the best yet. I reviewed more albums in one year than ever before and worked with ten artists to promote their stuff before the release date. If all the stars align there’s one more thing coming out this year. I hope you had a great year yourself, are having a relaxing holiday season and enjoy this recap of albums. Please suppor
Read more

Best of Month: The final reviews of the year

Image
Best of Month! We wrote so many reviews this year there were a ton leftover. So, to open the year end stuff this year, we're emptying the vault. There are a few pre-requisites for reading this year (but only if you came from Reddit) So look for that below. From Reddit? Start here! Rat Jesu - Prepared to Die (Drixxo Lords) I have been a pretty public cybergrind defender on the timeline, but in all honesty I haven’t dug into the genre on my own time. I’m not sure if you would consider Rat Jesu cybergrind but they’re definitely part of the movement, in fact I came to this record by following this artist from a feature on the newest Blind Equation. As I said above, Prepared to Die isn’t so much cybergrind but it is a neat, quick nu metal record with hyperpop influence. James from Blind Equation does show up as a feature and the song he’s on is a hit regardless of genre. My favorite track on the record, however, has got to be “Priestess of the Godless Valley,” There are two other featur
Read more