New Music – Bound to Collapse

No longer running off the introductory period of his career, Earl Sweatshirt becomes a darkened veteran that waits as night begins to creep over the forest. He is the apex predator here, not always in control of the journey but always has an idea of where he will land at the end. Somewhere between the shattered temples and dynasties throughout history, Earl Sweatshirt adds a link to his chains that shake in and out of consciousness on FEET OF CLAY.

Seven-tracks in 15-minutes, FEET OF CLAY is the deconstruction of approachable rap that shows more of a lyrical set of teeth than an open hand. “74” is the first K9 that bites through the flesh in this icy and incredibly distant instrumental where a stumbling Sweatshirt is at the helm. “Selling kids culture with death circling like carrion, the more the merrier, phone got you living vicarious. Ice melting cause it’s so hot, the veil lifts the pain silent,” describes Sweatshirt as he forms this lyric heavy burst out of the seams. The track is a steaming heap of mismatched bars that are going to be frankly off-putting to new listeners and even harder for past fans.

On the following track “EAST,” Sweatshirt strips down to the foundation of an instrumental with only an accordion sample to cope. It is nautical, to say the least, but his rhyme schemes here need to be further analyzed through a magnifying lens. With these precise similes and literary devices that get lost within the pure flow of words that smack across the face in rapid fashion. FEET OF CLAY is a machine gun of rhymes that lights up quickly and is gone before the listener can really gather a solid grounding before them. Painting a deeper theme of depression that his previous releases both, Some Rap Songs and the 2015 release I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside that were burned into the minds of anyone who experienced a chest-destroying heartbreak.

Sweatshirt explains on FEET OF CLAY this almost fractured mirror of reflection toward his life that is encased in a shell of oftentimes, impenetrable sound and approaches toward creation which acts as a husk of protection. With the short, but substantial FEET OF CLAY, the record takes time to resonate and find a beat that can underly a path of direct enjoyment. There is no club hit here, there is not a track that can be played over the aux at a function, but that might be exactly what Sweatshirt wants as he steps away from Columbia Records to be in the sea of risk with sound.

This is definitely his most abstract work toward musical creation but shows promise for a brighter, more narrative way of style from Sweatshirt. Even as a fan from the first mixtapes, FEET OF CLAY is hard to hold and grasp. Similar to its name, FEET OF CLAY mold for only a moment, but begin to sink until hopefully there is an immense rebirth that lies deep within the paroxysm of Sweatshirt’s creative process.

Listen To FEET OF CLAY Here!!! – Youtube/Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes