Review Summary: As promising as it is sophomoric.
If you pay attention to underground music in Minneapolis or abroad you probably know who Spooky Black is by now. With numerous plays from local radio stations and shout outs from prominent critics like YouTube’s infamous Anthony Fantano, by fall of 2014, the Lil Spook craze was in full swing. Enter Thestand4rd: a loose coalition of local teenage sensations looking to ride Spook’s limited fame into musical success. And make no mistake, this album is dominated by Spooky. Whether or not he’s the mastermind, he sure is the poster child.
Despite that though, the other members of Thestand4rd seem desperate to break forth from the silky production into something smarter and better put together than what’s here. The album falls short of being pretentious or hackneyed, though it often comes close. But on the other hand, selected cuts from this could forecast some real brilliance. So ultimately what you’re left with is a mixed bag of tracks that fail to gel into anything cohesive or bigger than the sum of its parts.
No more is this apparent than during the first five or so tracks after the opener, which fail to do anything except blend into a nebulous cloud of smoke and teenage lyricism. “Pretty” is a perfect example. Low impact beats slide around throughout while Allan Kingdom and Spooky Black laze about in the foreground offering such gems as “Pretty, yo she’s so pretty, she might make me sweaty, but still she can get it.” In fact most of the cringe worthy moments overall come from Allan Kingdom’s shallow bars and Bobby Raps’ awful vocal performance which sits waiting for the auto tune retouch that never came. “Decisions” is a perfect example if you want proof that sixteen year olds shouldn't be writing intellectual hip hop.
Yet, about halfway through creativity rears its head and the album moves into much more accessible and upbeat territory. In fact the four song block between “Too Involved” and “Vital Signs” could easily comprise a great EP. Despite their general disjointedness, these cuts really showcase the potential at the core of this project. None of the lyrics are particularly insightful or evocative, but poppy production and catchy hooks punctuate soaring vocals and clever beats and here, Thestan4rd explores a personality that could prove successful on future projects, before the album dies with the closer “weight” which swells with slow swirling synths that kill any energy the last few tracks carried.
Thestand4rd’s strengths are as apparent as their weaknesses. Though the project never reaches the excellence and intellect it clearly strives for, tiny glimmers of each here and there round out a sadly disappointing record. As up and comers, each member and the band itself has a lot of room to grow. Here’s hoping that the next time around, Thestand4rd catches the lightning they’re grasping at.
