Bryson Tiller loses some of his momentum on “True To Self”

jonathan

June 2, 2017 4:46 AM

There’s enough in here to know that this is still the same kid who pulled off magic two years ago. But things are no longer the same.

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Album - True To SelfArtiste - Bryson TillerRecord Label - RCA Records (2017)Duration - 58 minutes

When you recall some of the greatest music stories ever told, Bryson Tiller’s name comes to the top of the list.

A young kid who worked at Papa John’s, blew on Soundcloud and from there never looked back. His debut album “TRAPSOUL” became a phenomenon, moving over a million copies equivalent in 6 months. Mashing up Trap, rap and R&B was his strongest angle, and he rode it out to fame and success.

Sophomore album “True To Self” has him lose some of that spark. 19 tracks full with skits, interludes and an excessive inclusion of samples, the album loses structure and drags itself from start to finish. The subject matter is still based on an exploitation of Tiller’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

The consequences of fame which depress him, his petty exes who he wants some more of, and then some more mundane subjects. He stretches himself painfully with very little by way of added dimension.

There’s enough in here to know that this is still the same kid who pulled off magic two years ago. ‘Self made’, ‘Run me dry’ and ‘Money problems’ represent some success on the project. But the problems are in the swag.

It is no longer as potent as it was on the previous project. Also a few redundant flows and an avoidable monotony make this a chore to listen to at some point. His vocals are mostly lacking in convincing energy, which made his first such a hit.

In the end, what kills this is the glaring lack of any bit of substance, which is magnified by the sheer mass of the project. Tiller isn’t the greatest of rappers, neither does he score huge points for his singing ability. “TRAPSOUL” served him in minimal doses which turned his flaws into an art form. Here, those flaws are needlessly magnified.

Rating: 3.5/5

Ratings

1-Dull2-Boring2.5-Average3-Worth Checking Out3.5-Hot4-Smoking Hot4.5-Amazing5-Perfection

jonathan