Review Summary: Well I Should Have... (Learned How To Play Piano)
If you’ve been keeping tabs on hip-hop trends or whatever counts as “cultural events” these days, you’ve probably seen that André 3000 decided to drop a piano improvisation sketch album. The timing conveniently lines up with his Met Gala appearance, where he literally wore a piano on his back, because sure, why not. He explained the whole thing on Instagram, which, frankly, is probably more entertaining than this review. But here are the highlights: there are no bars (because at this point, were you really expecting any?), and in his own words:
“I spread my fingers out on the keys and randomly but with purpose move them around until I find something that feels good or interesting. If it feels really good I will try to repeat it. I cannot name which notes, keys or chords that I’m playing.”
7 Piano Sketches—mostly recorded on his iPhone a decade before New Blue Sun—is exactly what it says: seven meandering piano doodles. To his credit, 3K does sort of sound like he knows how to play the piano. Sort of. Each track opens with a spoken intro from either André, a woman, or, in the case of “When You’re an Ant…”, a half-dead robot. “Bluffing in the Snow” stumbles through a murky soup of consonant and dissonant chords, with some random choppy intervals thrown in for good measure.. The same could be said for “And Then One Day” and “When You’re an Ant,”. “Hotel Lobby Pianos” lives up to its name—it sounds like something you’d hear in an actual hotel lobby, while also giving the distinct impression that André is trying to play “Take Five” but accidentally doing it in 6/8.
Things kind of pick up in the second half. “Blueberry Mansions” was reportedly recorded in a proper studio, which is hilarious considering it’s the sloppiest track on the record. But the final two pieces are, surprisingly, kind of great. “Off-Rhythm Laughter” starts with a looping piano figure, then gradually gets swallowed by a laughing track and some weird reverb-heavy ambiance, until it’s fully submerged in sonic quicksand. It evokes strong William Basinski vibes, and legitmately for the first time post-rap André has dropped something with actual potential. If he were to return to a sound or aesthetic, this would be the one. The closer, “I Spend All Day Waiting…”, sounds like a b-side piano instrumental for Beach House’s first album. It’s oddly pretty. Dreamy even, but is cut short before it can take off anywhere, which might be better for that.
Honestly, I’m probably giving this more credit than it deserves. 7 Piano Sketches is a decade-late passion project you can hear other contemporary artists execute far more compellingly. If you enjoy minimal ambient piano music or remain curious are Andre's latest musical endeavors,
7 is worth a curious spin or two. Still, the real draw here is watching one of hip-hop’s all-time greats stumble around in the musical dark, trying to figure his new musical identity in this mid to late stage chapter. If you’re curious, go to his website where you can buy this 16-minute EP on his website for $8 digitally. Or drop $35 on the vinyl. Or go full send and snag the $120 crewneck. (Don’t worry—that’s before taxes, shipping, and whatever piano-wearer tariff applies.) The front/Bach t-shirt is kind of fire though, not gonna lie.
