Review Summary: Good Good Not Great
Everyone seems to have their panties on the stage with this collaboration and it’s easy to understand why. On their solo releases BBNG has recently focused on modern jazz compositions first and foremost, but in the past they've always been keen to dabble in instrumental hip-hop covers. Their first album leaned heavily on them and they recorded a jam session with Tyler the Creator but slowly they segued away, culminating in III, which is to my knowledge, all original material. Now they’re back and reunited with their roots, working with legendary Wu Tang member Ghostface Killah. Both are critical successes and there’s every reason to be excited about this new venture. That being said, I've still got my undergarments firmly in hand.
Let’s clear this up first and foremost, this album is by no metric bad. It’s quite good and there are plenty of things to applaud. Ghostface brings his signature combination of delivery and lyricism to the table and I really like BBNG’s work on this, they can be interesting, flavorful but not distracting when they need to be the sidekick but also step up admirably when they’re given the floor. The production also is a positive contributor and is great at setting the atmosphere with the instrumentation; whether it be a jittery schizophrenic paranoia, THC soaked haziness or upbeat and crisp energetic riffs. The guest vocalist are also strong, but as I’ll explain later, this cuts two ways. Finally, on occasion the duo, with strong production behind them, come together to put together some pretty standout moments. The title track "Sour Soul" or "Gunshowers" exemplify good natural flow where Ghostface feels most at home and the songs are tight and strong. When all is said and done, it’s a pretty consistent album all the way through; there aren't really any long passages which are distinctly unpleasant. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who considers this not good (I'll stop now).
So keep that all in mind while I spin my web of detraction which this album struggles fruitlessly against to break into greatness. In a word, I’m disappointed. First, there are some niggling little complaints I've got. The feature from Trees was pretty bland. Some people have complained about the length and while I’m almost inclined to agree, I feel even a few more tracks would have made this album overstay it’s welcome. Never good when I'm glad the album is shorter. A handful of tracks, especially towards the end, were competently done but ultimately filler. Also a few of the instrumental parts tended to be a bit senseless meandering for my taste (looking at you Stark’s Reality). The tone is also pretty eclectic; it can't settle into a mood for long before getting bored and doing something else but all the jumping around makes the album pretty disjointed. What’s more is that this particular sample is not near the best work of either artist. Ghostface is alright but don’t think the performance on this is even up to the level of his recent solo work. The beginning of the album is better but slowly fades away by the end. BBNG is also good but aren't quite represented adequately; by extension they don’t get the chance to really flourish. Relegating their most prominent solo moments to bookend duty just forces them to encapsulate the work instead of allowing them opportunity to really show everyone their chops. In fact, sometimes it feels like there’s just not enough room, as though there’s almost a struggle for attention. On tracks like “Mind Playing Tricks” (among others) things have a inclination to get cluttered at times.
But my core complaint is that the majority of the positive elements of this album come not from collaboration but the individual elements of each artist respectively. BBNG sounds good. Ghostface sounds good. But together the mixture is short of what they should be when combined. I think some of this gripe originate from the seeming dissonance in tone between Ghostface and the band. Songs like “Nuggets of Wisdom” or “Food” feel like Ghostface’s verses were just added because he felt that he should show up and tries too hard to fit in. To me, there’s just not a lot of synergy between the two artists. While I could see greatness emerging from a few tracks, there just feels like there’s not a whole lot in common between them. The style and feel of the two are usually just coexisting peacefully but rarely feel in harmony.The newer feel and compositions of BBNG with Ghostface’s resolutely old school styling is fleeting in it’s novelty. There’s only one formula that works reasonably well: when they are both doing what they know best. Everything that strays away from this formula gets more mediocre the further it deviates. "Tone’s Rap" for instance is a bit different tonally and while BBNG does great at providing the boggy backdrop, Ghostface is noticeably out of his element. At many points, it feels as though one has to subvert it’s identity in order to attempt to compliment the other. While BBNG is a tad more flexible in my opinion and more apt to give concessions, Ghostface demands attention and is a bit more of a willow branch, bendable only to a limited extent where he’ll just whip back into the usual shape and maybe give you a good slap in doing so.
These concerns are highlighted by the features bought in. While I like the guest spots, it really just makes me wish this was a Danny Brown or a DOOM collaboration album instead. It’s great to mix it up by bringing in other talent, but something’s gone awry when I’d rather hear more of the featured artist. This point is even more evident to those who have seen the recordings BBNG did with Tyler the Creator. While it was like 4 years ago and it’s bloody raw, to me, there’s infinitely more synergy between the two. You can feel the way they feed off each other's energy; the styles, the tone, and personalities of the two just blend together homogeneously in a way that never quite happens with Ghostface. It proves that even with two bold sonic characters, a well executed collaboration leaves ample space for both instrumentation and vocals to be properly showcased and blends both seamlessly. There's no sense toes are being stepped on, no distinct stratification or dominant/recessive dynamic. They simply sound like they're enjoying working together. There’s just a hint of heartlessness, compartmentalization and discordance about Sour Sour in comparison.
So, letting the dust settle a little, Sour Soul is a good album. I spent far more time talking issues but everything I didn't explicitly criticize can be assumed to be at least decent. I'll remind you that I do like this project. It’s skillfully executed, consistent and interesting enough. But it’s like making two great individual figure skater into a pair; the program might be technically sound but lacks the true hallmarks of cooperation; dissonant in subtle ways only true compatibility can overcome.
