There’s a certain stigma surrounding an artist’s sophomore album. It’s no small task to trump the supposed blood, sweat, and tears that go into an artist’s first statement, and many fail to live up to expectations. The same can’t be said for slowthai, who doesn’t just avoid the notorious sophomore slump, but abolishes the very idea of it on ‘TYRON’. It’s no surprise that the emcee defies convention, as his very image stems from being this delinquent from the UK’s underbelly, yet even with this knowledge ‘TYRON’ never ceases to surprise. I know it’s premature, but his debut, ‘Nothing Great About Britain’ hit all the right notes of a timeless classic. ‘TYRON’ by contrast, may be more flawed in execution, but remains just as lyrically dense, with high-brow commentary that transcends the music, and some of slowthai’s most intimate confessions to date.
The record wastes no time in thrusting listeners into the thick of the oppressive nature and pessimism ‘TYRON’ is drenched in. On ‘45 SMOKE’ audiences are sandwiched between these downright filthy synth passages and a performance that sees’ slowthai enter a berserk-rage. It’s the audio equivalent of stepping into the cluttered and deranged mind of a prisoner so far gone from humanity. That same formula is effectively reanimated and contorted on every subsequent track, as slowthai pushes the limits of his maniacal genius.
Much like ‘Nothing Great About Britain’, ‘TYRON’ is yet another dose of dastardly dynamite that smooths over with a bang. The crooner remains front and center, as he strings together some of his most forth-coming and salient material to date. If it isn’t the bone-chilling drama and monstrous demeanor he raps with on ‘PLAY WITH FIRE’ that strikes fear into your heart, it’ll be his cold-blooded approach on the calculated, yet wildly unpredictable ‘terms’. It’s like watching a car crash, everything in your body is telling you to look away, but you can’t help but quench your suspicions.
If there’s one thing to take away from ‘TYRON’, it’s that slowthai refuses to play by the rules, as he remains just as untouched by the industry since his last outing. ‘VEX’ is an ode to the fickle plasticity and false truths of internet personas. Brought to the point of frenzy, slowthai sharpens his teeth as he fires off one condescending blow after another to the mindless leeches of the technological era. That same disdain for man-made constructs and superficial concerns bleed into ‘DEAD’. With vim and vigour slowthai alienates materialistic values as he parades about celebrating his music, an eternal bookmark of his achievements. In the process, slowthai likens himself to God, a figure above mortality, as his newfound mentality has him sounding invincible.
Conceptually, ‘TYRON’ is a reflection of the world and emotions slowthai experiences, the music, a canvas that the emcee is insistently adding to as he paints these vivid pictures with his uncompromising story-telling. On ‘nhs’ slowthai proves there are more dimensions than one to this roided rage-fest. With slowthai being as comparatively reserved as possible, his heartfelt celebrations and appreciation for the finer things in life are made all the more gripping. The record’s heart-aching sentiments are increased tenfold on ‘feel away’. In unison with James Blake, the duo lay bare for the world to see, as they yearn for a loved one, and muse over feeling incomplete as they admit to their own imperfections. It’s a real tear-jerker and the height of slowthai’s vulnerability.
Unfortunately, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, as ‘TYRON’ boasts some of slowthai’s most underwhelming production choices and out of place stylistic decisions to date. It attempts to pass itself off as meticulous and calculated when in reality, it’s all over the shop and tends to leave a lot to be desired. Sure, the bubbly synths and hypnotic vocals on ‘focus’ are a little colourful, but it doesn’t take long for things to get stale, and even worse, insufferably annoying. Equally as abhorrent is the inexcusably lazy trap instrumental on ‘terms’. For the first time in a long time, slowthai lowers himself to his contemporaries’ standards with an utterly forgettable instrumental that an artist like Gunna would foam at the mouth for.
What ‘TYRON’ lacks in appreciation for the basics, it makes up for by being more versatile and experimental than its predecessor. ‘TYRON’ really is a buy one get one free scenario, that slowthai orchestrates seamlessly. The indicator for the change of pace on the second-leg, an infinitely more solemn experience, is ‘i tried’. Brought to life with a boyish charm and this anthemic orchestral arrangement, it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s easily one of slowthai’s most unconventional inclusions. ‘WOT’ isn’t necessarily a shoo-in either, but a moment where slowthai steps out of his comfort zone and the result is a pleasant surprise. As mesmerising as the flickering synth passages are, it’s all too short-lived to leave a lasting impact, as slowthai sells us a dream only to crush our hopes.
Unlike ‘Nothing Great About Britain’, here, features are more of a luxury than a necessity, as slowthai is far too welcoming of his contemporaries. The result is a mix-bag of performances that end up doing more harm than good. With a list of who’s who fit to make hip-hop hipsters the world over cream their pants, slowthai has all the right tools to succeed but doesn’t have the faintest idea on how to make it work. Presented as quintessential slowthai material, ‘CANCELLED’ is a ‘fuck you’ to those who chastise and antagonise him. The only issue? It’s an unsung Skepta song. The very inclusion of slowthai is beyond baffling given just how pathetically short his performance is. It’s 2021’s very own ‘Renegade’ by JAY-Z and Eminem, but only a fraction as functional.
Things take a turn for the worse on ‘terms’, the album’s weakest link. On paper, few combinations are as exciting as Denzel Curry and slowthai, yet in execution, it barely materializes. What we’re instead greeted with is a particularly torturous and ugly hook from Dominic Fike whose chance to prove himself is all but dried up at this point. With a star-studded line up used as fodder more than anything else, I can only assume the track exists for commercial appeal. It’s a real spit in the face given the untapped potential slowthai has at his fingertips.
Despite ‘TYRON’ being a far from perfect listen, the record still prides itself on boasting some of the most off the wall and envelope-pushing material slowthai has assembled thus far. It’s balls to wall action on ‘MAZZA’ as slowthai and A$AP Rocky parade about as if they were on top of the world. The track is loaded with juxtapositions as the former attempts to find clarity in a rush of shuffling thoughts, returning to addiction and drugs, whilst the latter is calculated and bold, as Rocky recounts the luxury of fame. But it all pales in comparison to the album’s closer, ‘adhd’. Here, slowthai feels like a prisoner in his own body, silently witnessing his own deterioration as he glosses over the mundanity of life and the vices that keep him going. He similarly feels like a puppet on strings, as ‘adhd’ is this whirlwind performance where slowthai exceeds his breaking point, and veers towards the brink of insanity. It’s slowthai’s last hurrah.
‘TYRON’ is not so much an album where slowthai the rapper proves himself, as Tyron Kaymone Frampton, the man behind the mask, sharing his encyclopedic knowledge and lifting a weight off of his shoulders. Despite his accumulated fame and success, slowthai remains just as grounded, and perhaps even sharper with his criticisms of society, recognising that he is a prisoner to it. Looking past the LP’s steady through-line, ‘TYRON’ desperately requires fine-tuning, and a condensed feature list. ‘TYRON’ is painted as slowthai’s journey, and his alone, and the experience is only diluted with insufficient experimentation. Even with his faults, slowthai continues to be one of the most exciting and daring figures in the peripherals of the mainstream, and on ‘TYRON’, he’s twice as riled up, and thrice as observant than ever before.
TYRON – slowthai – 7/10
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