Review Summary: A study of the reflection in the mirror.
Growth through the passage of time, is there any other way? Even if there was, would we be able to appreciate the evolution that father time has crafted? I'm not entirely sure which thought is more unsettling: Is it the stark reality that pain and loss are our teacher, or is it the fact that this is our baseline for measuring the significance of change? To say that Melt My Eyes See Your Future is a masterclass on introspection would be an understatement. With that being said, when you truly come to grips with yourself, you can start to understand the world around you, "But when I felt it, my eyes melted. The selfish are constantly profitin off the helpless." So, will you avert your eyes or stare directly into the sun?
Transparency is a natural consequence for an album of this nature. On the very first track, Melt Session #1, Denzel discloses his struggles with objectifying women and how his sexual proclivities have likely resulted from his experience of sexual abuse at a very young age, "Dealt with thoughts of suicide, women I've objectified could'nt see it through my eyes so for that I apologize. I'm just hypnotized, working hard to empathize. Strung out on love addiction and groupies when souls collide. Ive been this way since the day I turned six, Ive been touched before, way before I touched my–" This track isnt accompanied by a complex beat to distract you from the lyrical theme. Denzel is serving his pain and shame on a platter for the world to see.
Melt My Eyez is a focused album. The quirky, rapid fire artist is standing on the proverbial soap box and he is commanding your attention through every bar. Denzel's flow dances effortlessly over these beats, and like the Dr. Who of the rap game, he is grabbing influences from his generation while simultaneously tipping his hat to the legends that preceded his era and these inspirations are not limited to the rap game (Jazz legend Freddie Hubbard gets a shoutout as well). This album pulls some influence from the deep cuts of 90's hip hop and R&B while still sounding current. The tenth track, Angelz, has a bass line that is deeply reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest with a flow that is eerily similar to Nas, yet it is unequivocally a Denzel Curry production.
When it comes to playing with time, Denzel has no equal at the moment. From dramatic pauses to vomiting on the mic just moments later, Melt My Eyz does it all seamlessly. While this album is a testimonial of Denzel's struggle, it still has a healthy amount of songs to keep the atmosphere of the album from being a somber one. Cuts like Aint No Way, X-Wing, and Sanjuro are a welcomed reprieve from the heavy subject matter on this album. Denzel has crumbled every protective barrier to dust on this record and the only thing that can obscure your view of him, are your own pre-conceived notions of who he is or should be.
