Review Summary: Kno's production takes the forefront, and, for once, not always for the better.
Truthfully, before I had access to this album, I was expecting it to be my baby. I literally believed that it would be one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made and be my favorite. Little did I realize that when you set a bar so unrealistically high, you'll soon see that there's no such thing as an album of the angels that is pure ear-jizz. However, though I was disappointed, this by no means that it was bad.
Lyrically, the album was great. Every single rapper's performance on every track was dope, Deacon and Natti particularly outperforming themselves. From their touching and energetic verses on Stars Shine Brightest to Deacon's softly delivered verse on Darkness, Cunninlynguists usual charisma takes their place in Oneirology. Flow wise, however, they haven't reached any of the heights that they have reached before, but there is a reason for this, which I believe to be the albums only flaw.
Though Kno's beats are all beautiful and atmospheric, a term that I have never felt I have ever had to use before in a sense that it would fit applies. "Overproduced." In some songs the combination of synths and hard hitting drums work beautifully, creating amazing sonic landscapes, such as in "Darkness", but sometimes there's just too much going on, and with so happening for so long it's bound to eventually tire you out. By the time I reached "Dreams" I was sorely tired of what I perceived as the same drums sampled on every song, accompanied by several layers of synths once again. Although synths and angelic choirs are both great, they just didn't do so great on that song. Of course, after the second slip up in a row in the form of what supposedly could be called (corny) spoken word, the song Embers renewed my passion for synths, high pitched choruses, and divine choirs with its pure dopeness.
All in all, it was a great experience. The album had many great songs, and though there were a few tracks that I believe were subpar with the rest of the album, I feel that it was by no means a bad, or even average album. When I consider it as a whole, despite the fact that it had a few points where I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped, it was still sublime. I would highly recommend it to you, but rest assured, it is nothing at all like any past Cunninlynguists album, not even Death is Silent, though they might appear similar. Fan or not, it's a brand new experience, and even if you hate Will Rap For Food, Southerunderground, A Piece of Strange, and Dirty Acres, you might enjoy this one.
