On August 20th, one of the best albums of the year dropped. In fact, the only album that follows Doris by Earl Sweatshirt, in terms of having such an awe-inspiring sound in the hip-hop genre, is Sweatshirt’s earlier mixtape Earl, released in 2010 when Sweatshirt was sixteen.

Earl Sweatshirt is one of the most well known rappers in the group Odd Future. Odd Future is a hip-hop collective founded in Los Angeles around 2006 led by Tyler, The Creator. If you like Mac Miller, Flying Lotus, A$ap Rocky, and/or Kendrick Lamar you’ll definitely like this album.

Doris starts off strong, but the actual experience of Doris doesn’t really start until track 2, “Burgundy featuring Vince Staples”. The song sets a new very high standard for the whole hip-hop genre for not only rappers, but producers as well. No longer is Sweatshirt sticking to cheesy synths over drum tracks, they are now using intensely orchestrated arrangements which sound so smooth under Sweatshirt’s avant-garde and thought provoking rhymes.

Sweatshirt has tons of great artists featured on this album, including (in order of appearance) SK La’ Flare, Vince Staples, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Casey Veggies, Tyler, The Creator, Mac Miller, and RZA. It is worth mentioning that RZA is one of the founding members of Wu Tang Clan, he also is well known for producing cinema soundtracks that have more orchestral influence.

Something to take into consideration is that the song “Sunday” opens with Odd Future member Frank Ocean, not singing like usual, but rapping instead. This blew me away. Not only can the man sing and write lyrics like no one’s business, the dude can spit like crazy! Along with him, Mac Miller killed it. The same goes for Vince Staples in the third verse of “Hive” – Vince raps almost as well as Earl when he was sixteen.

Along with less offensive lyrics, and new beats, Sweatshirt’s single featured on Doris, “Chum”, is extremely personal; a very different approach to Odd Future tunes. In this song he expresses his thoughts and feelings towards his father’s abandonment, trying to find himself in high school and life in the inner city as an adolescent. I can’t exactly put a finger on why, but the way Sweatshirt chooses to present these words baffles me. The complex rhyme schemes and metaphors keep me on my toes waiting to be swept into the lands of donuts, dolphins, shark cats and Supreme pop up shops.

In the end, Doris kicks some major donkey. If you haven’t heard it, buy it. Unless you’re Mr. Hilt, you will not be disappointed.

By Isaac Green