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Jun 27, 2019 Tyler, the Creator By Adam Turner-Heffer

As we roll towards the end of this disturbing decade, Tyler, the Creator and his Odd Future cohorts Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, and the rest can claim as to having an influential voice over the past 10 years of music. Alongside the Brainfeeder group and Kendrick Lamar, Odd Future’s alumni have played a significant role in Los Angeles dominance as a creative force in recent times.

The group’s de facto leader, Tyler, has personally informed much over this decade, from his engaging arrogance on Goblin (2011) and Wolf (2013), his emerging eclectism on Cherry Bomb (2015) to finally creating his masterwork, Flower Boy (2017). But where Flower Boy sought much help from Tyler’s myriad contemporaries (Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and Jaden Smith, to name a few), his likely final statement of the decade, IGOR, sees a singular vision in which Tyler takes full control of his craft.

While Flower Boy served as a “coming of age” record, IGOR shows a matured, considered approach during a difficult time in Tyler’s life, a heartbreak. However, IGOR is not your typical break-up album. Tyler has used that energy and frustration to create 39 minutes of brilliant music that channels all the emotions and feelings heartbreak produces, before settling on acceptance on “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?”

The ride leading to that devastating finale, however, is a trippy nightmare brimming with anger, lust and confidence. “IGOR’S THEME,” for instance, is one of the most powerful opening songs of the year so far, before seamlessly moving onto the album’s lead single “EARFQUAKE.” From there we traverse Tyler’s mania as he attempts to navigate his way through this nightmare with no real let-up until the OutKast-reminiscent “GONE, GONE/THANK YOU.”

For the most part, Tyler has opted out of his rapping heritage, preferring pitch-altered singing vocals which will split some opinion. However, this elevated IGOR beyond the mere confines of genre, to a substantially great work of art, cementing Tyler’s case as one of this decade’s most essential artists. (www.golfwang.com)

Author rating: 8/10