DISCLAIMER: Tracks aren’t discussed in order they’re presented on the album. It was very rainy while I was walking around reviewing them, so they played through on shuffle in the safety of my dry pocket. Whoops.
The Heist is the debut album from the collaborative efforts of Seattle hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who you’ve definitely heard, but still can’t quite identify. Beware, his words and Ryan Lewis’s beats make for an album pretty capable of a near-Napoleonic takeover of your newsfeed.
While not all his attempts at genuine lyrics are completely successful, in a few, like “Same Love,” he kills it, filling the song with anecdotes describing his 3rd grade perception of homosexuality while pleading to his listeners for tolerance. What really drives this song home is the incredibly catchy and softly emotional hook by Mary Lambert, whose voice contrasts beautifully with the husky grit of Macklemore’s and solidifies the song’s “this is who I am” message: “And I can’t change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to/ My love my love my love/ she keeps me warm.” Lewis’s subtle music backs up this track to make it one of the most memorable of The Heist.
Another of the album’s strengths is Macklemore’s sincerity as an honest rapper. His lyrics in “Starting Over” bleed anguish and shame as he discusses his relapse into the drugs and alcohol he hadn’t quite fully escaped from yet. One listen leaves you desperate to find his exact location and pelt him with armfuls of fat furry kittens (pelting someone with skinny kittens would seriously hurt) and scream “YOU CAN DO IT MACK DON’T GIVE UP!”
Heist’s one weakness: at times, Macklemore’s sincerity flops and seems more clichéd than inspirational especially in the song “Make the Money”: “Make the money, don’t let the money make you/ change the game, don’t let the game change you.” At points in the album he sacrifices clever lyrics and wordplay for flat verses with good intentions. It doesn’t bring down the entire album (Lewis is way too good) but you’ll definitely find yourself skipping through some of some of it.
After applying the skip button, you hit tracks like “Castle,” which follows his earlier spoof hit “And We Danced” where Macklemore reminds us of why we love him so much in the first place. In a stroke of genius he attempts to beat the egregiously bad pop music he’ll be competing with by making the track even more ridiculous with lyrics like “Unicorns and wizard sleeves/ Hammer pants and make believe/ pirate ships sailing off to sea/ Will you come party with me in my castle.” YES MACKLEMORE. SHOW ME THE WAY TO YOUR FABULOUS PARTY CASTLE FILLED WITH WIZARDS AND UNICORNS, it sounds way better than the white trash party I had lined up for this weekend anyway.
The standout track for sure is “Thrift Shop,” another silly cut in the style of “Castle.” Lewis masterfully creates light music that isn’t too laden with base and is seriously heavy in sass. A few seconds in and you’re bouncing, and as soon as the hook drops you have to stop, laughing at what featured artist Wanz is spitting: “I’mma take your grandpa’s style/ No for real, ask your grandpa/ Can I have his hand-me-downs?” Hipster culture should really appreciate this song. Non-hipster culture shouldn’t have too hard of a time either.
In the end, The Heist successfully unearths four gloriously musty Goodwill Zebra Jammies out of five.
Photo Credits
http://www.goodishmusic.com/20…