Review Summary: An artist becoming comfortable in what he excels at.
Last year saw the Ghostface Killah take several steps forward, with a cohesive and impactful statement that stands as one of the best of his solo career. However, there was an understandably nervous atmosphere surrounding the release of this next album. Dropping it a mere week after the new Wu-Tang Clan revealed some tension, while the artist sounded notably disinterested and lazy in what was quoted to be “the best Wu-Tang since Forever”. Disregarding the relevance of ‘36 seasons’(9 years) as a time period in the album’s narrative, the striking titular similarity to acclaimed classic
36 Chambers shows Ghostface distancing himself further from the clan and attempting to go toe-to-toe with the legacy he helped create, made more pertinent by the fact that no Wu-Tang members feature on this release. This sounds like a brave and deliberate move away from his past, yet there is no innovation to be found here.
36 Seasons is simply a continuation of the cinematic style found in
Twelve Reasons To Die, but comparing his delivery here with the recent Wu-Tang shows where his heart lies – and it’s not with his tired old crew. It’s with Tony Starks and the gritty tales surrounding his life.
Comfort albums can often give way to stagnation, and
36 Seasons ends up a very mixed bag. Clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the brevity acts as a double-edged sword – focused enough to hold the listeners attention, but too short to truly flesh out the narrative arc. GFK has always excelled in storytelling, but the penmanship found here is very simplistic; the entire tale is covered in a short 4 panel comic that comes with the physical copy. Due to this, repeated listens fail to reveal facets of Tony’s escapades that you didn’t catch previously. Even without a lyric booklet, a couple of careful listens will fill in the whole picture, leaving the job of enhancing replayability to the producers. Despite the fact that Ghostface’s delivery is no worse than it has been in the past (and the numerous guest spots filling out the album are on point), the writing has taken a hit, and the album suffers as a result.
In a similar vein to last year’s solo album, here we see a particularly distinct producer paired with GFK, who chose to enlist ‘The Revelations’ to provide the backing tracks. However, these artists often end up in the limelight, with the emcee ceding the stage to the instrumentalists and not even making an appearance on a third of the tracks present. In cases like ‘Bamboo’s Lament’, this is a resounding success, providing a brief respite from the aggressive rapping styles in transition between major story elements. However, in other places (Thin Line… being the notable offender) it kills the building momentum; a major detractor for an artist who relies so much on narrative progression and energetic delivery. The nostalgic vintage tunes alternate between smoother grooves and more menacing cuts, existing as perfect backing tracks and setting the atmosphere admirably, but they’re simply not variable enough to succeed in the spotlight where they are placed.
The worst part is how frustrating it is to hear cuts like ‘Blood In The Streets’ and ‘Call My Name’ where it all comes together, showing glimpses of the potential the album had. With menacing guitars slicing through the air and GFK making the best use of producers, guests and his own abilities, he is still more than capable of making a great album. However, between his half-hearted contributions to the old clan and upcoming collaborations with MF DOOM and BADBADNOTGOOD, GFK simply hasn’t committed enough of himself to this release for it to stand tall with his past works. The individual elements are fantastic, but cohesion is important for an album built around a story, and that is where the release falters. Yet despite all of these flaws and missteps, it’s refreshing to hear Ghostface continuing along the path he’s clearly most comfortable with, rather than shackling himself to his past achievements. While
36 Seasons doesn’t hit all the targets, it shows an artist who hasn’t lost his ability and who still enjoys his work; hopefully rendering this release a forgettably safe bet before a creative peak in tandem with more impressionable producers.
