Earl Sweatshirt
Doris
4 stars
Hip-hop
Much has changed since Earl Sweatshirt’s grimy and abrasive debut mixtape Earl. A much-publicized hiatus, his subsequent return and a few excellent guest features have built up a considerable amount of hype for the 19-year-old’s major label debut. Doris, Earl’s new LP, is well worth the wait.
When Earl released “Chum,” the first single from Doris, he announced a change towards more emotional and heartfelt lyrics. Songs like “Chum” and “Sunday” show him at his most personal.
But Doris still contains the same zany lyricism that the Odd Future collective is notorious for. “Sasquatch” and “Whoa” both feature darkly funny verses from Odd Future leader Tyler, the Creator.
Although most of the guest appearances on Doris are stellar, a few fall flat. SK La’ Flare’s feature on “Pre” is a head scratcher, especially since his voice is the first heard on the album.
The production on the album is uneven in places. When guest producers step in — such as RZA on “Molasses” and The Neptunes on “Burgundy” — the instrumentation is at its best. But the Earl- and Tyler-produced tracks fail to standout from one another, each having the same minimalistic aesthetic.
While Doris isn’t an instant classic or album of the year, Earl Sweatshirt has demonstrated that he is well worth the hype, and that this LP could be a stepping-stone in a legendary career.
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