![]() There are some efforts that have much more meaning than witty one-liners though, the main one being “Her”. The amount of great one-liners throughout Goblin are too much to really focus on part of the listening experience is finding these out for yourself. “Tron Cat” is one of Tyler’s greatest accomplishments thus far in his young but rapidly growing career. The occasional interlude, with the piano stabs and child-like singing recital sample, provides just the perfect amount of variation. Its structure is fairly minimalistic, but the repetition is warranted with the reverbed twinkle and synth inspiring the idiosyncratic ferocity that onlookers of OFWGKTA’s live shows are familiar with. ![]() It’s “the type of shit that makes Chris Brown wanna kick a whore”, or inspire movement of some sort. After “Transylvania”, we get treated to “Tron Cat”, an awesome effort with squiggly synths and 808s percussion. For now though, this is one example of experimentation gone awry. Tyler is no The-Dream, but one day may incorporate R&B into hip-hop with the same suave level of cohesion. The actual verses enjoyable enough, drenched in a sinuous synth that practically sounds slippery under Tyler’s rhymes. “She”, with Frank Ocean, desperately attempts to establish a hook during its overplayed R&B chorus. Griping about the superiority of a live version is fairly snobbish though, so I’ll just consider it an alright track with leftover potential for remixes and re-recordings. ![]() ![]() In addition, the “fuck church!” section – where Hodgy Beats proclaims God as “a cancer” – is interesting lyrically, but not nearly as effective or daring rhythmically as the “wake n’ bake” live take. When they repeat “wolf gang!” with a high-pitched effect it almost seems like a joke compared to the bellowing growl of most live performances. It is clear they were toying with creative ideas for the song which were never fully unveiled live, and while not a failure it is evident that opting for a more familiar approach would have been for the best. The studio version of “Sandwitches” is too clumsy and slow-paced, with a lack of explosiveness compared to its outstanding live version. The haunted twinkle resembles a haunted xyolophone, but backing accompaniments are second priority to Tyler’s creative delivery. On that front, he is as diverse as any hip-hop artist. Trailing over an ominous synth straight outta Castlevania, the track’s bloodcurdling enigma is a perfect example of how Tyler implements mood into his tracks. The stellar “Transylvania” reminds me of outstanding Earl track “Stapleton”. While Goblin is overly long with a moderate degree of filler, those that dig through it to find the handful of gems will be treated to a preview of a legitimate budding star. Goblin will later be regarded as a stepping stone toward the releases that get Tyler recognized beyond the pre-existent niche. OFWGKTA’s brightest days are ahead, just like Tyler. The explanation is simple whenever a hip-hop group touts the sort of rare explosiveness during live performances that OFWGKTA have on several occasions, it is easy to see their potential for quality, cult followings, and longevity. So it’s hardly relevant that “Sandwitches” was better live that night than its appearance on Tyler’s second full-length, Goblin. Some critics mistakenly refer to his material as an example of buying hype with shock value, but these are often people trying to prove a point before even listening to the material. The thought is too naive for music as surprisingly in-depth as Tyler’s. To some people’s shock, it was not because their lyrics were controversial or opposed to authority. It was suddenly evident why “free Earl!” was a staple on observant music blogs and forums, and why OFWGKTA and their leader Tyler were the most buzzed-about indie hip-hop group in recent memory. That was a night when many naysayers of the LA-based collective changed their minds entirely, instead agreeing with the billowing machine of hype that preceded their performance. Surely, having The Roots as the backing band helped, but even without their stellar accompaniment OFWGKTA’s energetic talent was undeniable. had me sold when they performed “Sandwitches” on Fallon in February.
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