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.
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