Absolutely Preachy.
After multiple delays, a scrap, more delays, and more dealings with Kanye Wests "sane" and randomly complex gothic sayings for a long time, we got this album... Finally, I guess.
If there is something that I will say right out of the gate, is that it is the most dissapointing, most self-absorbed, gross, and preachy album from Kanye West.
But before I even go to that, I might as well call out a few highlights. Every Hour, for one, is good enough but is held back by the clunky piano chords and the pitch shifting that does not even help the song at all (and also because Kanye West isn't singing in this track), as well as Water with Ant Clemons contribution sure does help at elevating this track from being trashy, and with some good enough bubbly production and backing vocals too... Only to be held back by the lyrics, which I will get back on soon enough. I did also liked the intro and the chorus of Everything We Need that Ty Dolla Sign and Ant Clemons contributed on, until those "woo woo" mantra kicks in and it just puts my excitement to a downfall, even if the production is decent enough with rattling and the snappy drums.
And now, let us talk about the negatives, and there's a lot of them.
First, I just myself underwhelmed by the production of this thing, the instruments being either flimsy, cheap, or just plain flat. The repetitive bleeping sound on Use This Gospel sure just irritated me to a degree, the percussions and backing vocals on Selah to create that epic atmosphere just ends up being flat and weak, the flimsy pounding beats on Follow God, or the atrocious synth tones on On God.
Second, Kanye Wests on vocals and delivery, his rap flows are underwhelming and he doesn't sound convincing on selling this album at all, and his singing can be alright, but the tone just felt a bit too weird for me. And to be honest, his guest features just overshines him when it comes to conviction and trying to make the tracks to have some power and shine to it, unlike Kanye who just sounds bored and utterly plain once he starts rapping or singing in the album.
Third, the structure, with as short as this thing is at 27 minutes, each track just flows and continues on too quickly, making it lack cohesion in the sound and just makes some tracks to start and end abruptly, hell the closer is short and abrupt that it doesn't even put the album on a strong note, it's more of an interlude than anything.
And of course, the lyrics, which is well, pretty much self-absorbed, gross, weird, and ridiculous lines. And instead of me talking about it, let me pull out some of those off-putting lines here.
"Closed on Sunday, you're my Chick-fil-A
Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A."
"Switch my, switch my attitude
I'm so, I'm so radical."
"When I thought the Book of Job was a job."
"Listen to the words I'm sayin', Jesus saved me, now I'm sane."
And yeah, basically, 1/10, and if this is going to be Kanye Wests' way to fix his hellbent image and cult of personality, nope, it's not. And goddamnit Kanye, if the next album is delayed or scrapped for something new, and it ends up being terrible again after multiple delays? Yeah, I might as well move on, or just go back to your older albums.