@mac_tram

mac_tram

fan since 2025

reviews

★ 8.0

album

Picture Day: A PawPaw Rod Album

PawPaw Rod

“This guy can write an effin song, man. As with his original EP, PawPaw Rod has an outstanding ear for groove. His particular voicing of funk is lighter, airier than what we may preconceive for funk. And while PPR clearly pulls from many sources, making it not necessarily obvious in what genre he operates, I do think his primary mode is funk. Clearly he takes a lot of inspiration from Nile Rodgers, which you can hear in the funk/disco guitars across the album. You hear that most directly on "I Wish," a house-y number with a liquidy, chucking, Niles-style rhythm guitar and a bassline that conjures memories of Yeezus/TLOP era Kanye or Mac Miller's funkier collaborations with Thundercat on Swimming. The other most notable guitar song here is Lights Down Low, which uses another flanged-up, soulful guitar riff over a fat, juicy, low end of the low end bassline and culminates in a tactfully restrained guitar solo. It is clear that PPR's main influence, however, continues to be Tyler, the Creator, and, dare I say, he is Tyler's best influence. Whereas Tyler leans more into raps and synths, PPR goes more for melody and bass. That's not to say the rapping and synths aren't quality for PPR, but they're not the main attraction. To best hear Tyler's influence, check out the bridge on the penultimate track, Give It To Me Straight, a sparkly synth-y (in the chorus) reggae-curious cut. The keyboard chords are of the lush, complex, shocking, head-turning variety Tyler typically employs. That is to say, this bridge is a startling highlight of this record. You can also hear a good deal of Kid Cudi reverence in PPR's vocal and melodic delivery throughout. I also heard melodic vestiges of Andre 3000, Chance the Rapper, DRAM, and Young Thug here and there. This is yet another highly enjoyable work from PPR. At a crisp and clean 12 songs and only 32 minutes, its replay value is very high. At the time of this writing, I would contend there are NO SKIPS, and if you like funk at all, you will like this album.”

★ 7.5

album

A PawPaw Rod EP

PawPaw Rod

“Fun, bouncy, PawPaw Rod has a natural sense of groove. The luxurious funkiness of this four-song EP is its charm. At four songs it is a perfect dose of springy-summery fun to put you in a good mood. You can hear a good deal of Tyler, The Creator influence here, especially in the way PPR sings, which is to say, that's something that needs work. But his sense of rhythm in his vocal performances and his rapping is understated and yet technically rock solid. I also like that his voice is mixed in such a way as to be more like an instrument that's part of the band and not as a spotlight upon a musical backdrop. Really good, super fun. Hard to go higher than 7.5 when the singing is below average and only four songs. But really fun and highly relistenable.”

★ 6.8

album

DIE FOR MY BITCH

Baby Keem

“Still a fun listen seven years later. This album embodies youthful energy. Keem's flows still surprise--he's finding pockets in areas people wouldn't normally look for them. His lyricism is fine--good at times--but not really the focus of this album. His performances are what sell, and his ear for beats--something that he's gone on to prove to be a huge strength--is both natural and also zany. Additionally, the multi-genre experiments here go over quite well. "My Ex" and "Apologize" don't really fit sonically on this record, and yet, Keem's melodicism and clear reverence for punk rock and grunge make for some of the most compelling songs on this project. Not the most compelling, as that would be "Orange Soda," obviously, but shout outs need to be given to "Stats" and "France Freestyle" which both go hard. Ultimately, this is a strong debut album, but it's by no means perfect. As with many melodic rappers of his generation, there are sleepy moments when he leans too much into a monotone triplet flow over a trap beat that became way too tritely overused in this sort of genre. But Keem shows not just great promise, but legitimate technical chops and a great ear on this record. The energy of Die For My Bitch is it's strength, and it's just fun to spend a half hour listening to a young person leaning all the way into their youth. Lastly, I find it ironic that one of the first famous musicians to identify Keem's greatness was in fact Drake. I was going to say that I bet he regrets this based on what happened just five years later with Keem's cousin... except that, in retrospect, Drake was 100% right about Baby Keem. Funny how things work out sometimes.”

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