In the last month so much music has come out; Childish Gambino’s singles, Bruno Mars album and so much more. Childish Gambino, however, is changing the game. Everyone was expecting a very rap heavy album. His two singles so far have been everything but. Me and Your Mama was the first single he dropped and it was very soul heavy and strayed away from his usually releases.
The track begins with a very dreamy instrumental; it reminded me of the Mr. Rogers theme song combined with Find Your Wings by Tyler, the Creator. A choir sings over the dreamy piano, a thick bass line, and a simple drum pattern. The track then goes into a much heavier beat with Glover delivering very strong vocals, reminsicent of James Brown and 70s soul music. The backing track sounds dark and ominous and reminds me of Black Sabbath’s earlier music. It then calms down and goes back into a very chill guitar and percussion beat. Childish Gambino’s voice really sets a tone for the album.
The next single, Redbone, is the 6th track on the album. It’s another tarck that takes it back to the 70s sound of slap bass, and flangy guitar with reverb over the whole track. Gambino’s voice in this track is much softer and higher pitched. It reminds me of Al Green or Aretha Franklin with the way he delivers the lyrics. It also reminds me of the band T. Rex, that has very funky sounding instrumentals with high pitched alterered vocals. The sound of the vocals on the track are a little distorted with some echo but ti just furthers the experience. The track gives you nostalgia of time you never lived in. The harmonies are also very beautiful, it sounds like a gospel choir and just elevates the track. Redbone, really makes you feel. It touches your soul. The guitar solo at the end, while simple, sounds beautiful. Again it has many layers of effects; phaser, flangar, reverb, distortion and then its doubled on top of itself in a lower pitch. I think these tracks show the complexity of Childish Gambino’s talent as a musician, not just a rapper.
The album Awaken, My Love, drops the 2nd of December. Go pick it up or pre-order it on itunes. Defintiely worth the money.