The Daily Spin, May 26
Childish Gambino | Because The Internet
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Because The Internet (2013)
Artist: Childish Gambino
Link:
He may have been pretty well-entrenched in the world of television with Community by this point, but my earnest introduction to Gambino was this album, 2013’s wacky showcase that functions as a grab bag of hip-hop styles, never too serious, never too introspective, but with a slightly more earnest tone under the comedic flair that earmarked so many of his earlier releases.
The lyrics swing wildly between wickedly clever and unfortunately weak, bouncing often within the same song between couplets that have me wincing and bopping my head in turn, making said vocals arguably the weak point of the album. As amusing as it is that Donald Glover is never taking himself too seriously, it’s definitely to the detriment of an album that attempts to be genuine in most other aspects.
The production, though. The production is unreal - the sort of stuff that stings when it needs to whilst remaining endearingly airy in softer moments. Usage of samples is a particular highlight, especially on ‘Telegraph Ave.’, where a Lloyd song is spun out from the fuzz of a car radio into a encompassing universe of sound. ‘No Exit’ feels almost clipping. like with a slamming bass, relentless and near-violent, while 3005 takes an 8-bit clip and turns it into a beachy, floating masterpiece.
At heart, I think the album knows its limitations, and one of its greatest strengths is that it doesn’t attempt to outdo those, tempting as the idea may be. Though the comedy doesn’t land quite as often as I expected it to - certainly not ten years on - I still think there’s enough there for a few smiles, and when that isn’t present, a surprising depth that, if nothing else, leaves me feeling a bit hoodwinked in the best sense.
Rating: 8.6/10
Best Tracks: III. Telegraph Ave.; 3005; IV. Sweatpants; II. No Exit
Worst Tracks: II. Worldstar; I. The Party