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Review Summary: A flawed but potentially endearing message of hope Disclaimer: This review was made for the review a random album game. I'd consider myself one of the least qualified (but still qualified!) to review a hip hop album. The genre is nowhere near my forte with only around 25 albums I've heard (and some of them are instrumental) at the time of this writing, especially since lyrics in music are often supplemental extras to me. But let's take a crack at it anyway.
Dark Time Sunshine consists of Onry Ozzborn, the rapper, and Zavala, the producer. With a gap of nine years between this album and the prior one, perhaps it was the pandemic being in full swing that inspired the two to collaborate on another release when the world felt like it was collapsing. Indeed, the first track's lyrics are a vague hopeful message of assurance, but it's quite fitting in the context of the time the album's release date came out. And later tracks directly reference it, making my theory more likely.
While it's not in the immediate forefront, it's Zavala's production and beats that carry this album. They're very crisp, with that nice lo-fi feel and psychedelic elements sprinkled all throughout. Ozzborn's off-kilter flow may work with the music but at times it does feel like he's reading lyrics without any regard to the beat. There are some inspired wording choices... but there are also some very corny lyrical choices throughout the album, and some bars that really feel like filler (do we really need to keep counting in The Rite Kids?). Some of the lines are the distilled essence of someone in their mid-40s trying to sound profound and uplifting but coming off as ridiculous instead, because... that's exactly what Ozzborn is doing here.
The message of the album is one of general positivity, but it feels like they're being delivered by someone out of touch to a far younger audience. It's an album that has an identity crisis from the get-go: Ozzborn is the right choice to accompany Zavala's beats for sure, it's just the execution feels all wrong. I can see some people finding the lyrics endearing, but they take me out of things. I'd love an instrumental version of the album, because the music is genuinely great, but as of this writing it does not exist.
I suppose this album is a test of patience for things that feel ever so slightly off. For those that can adapt, there is richness here. But for me, it was a swing and a miss. For an album that's entire message is to assuage the insecurities and anxiety of the modern world, I have to reflect when it asks me "Are we better off?" Not for the intended reasons, but was this experience worth it?
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Album Rating: 3.0
There was an attempt.
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Man, 25 albums is not a small number. A very nice and clear description of what works and what doesn't about the record
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Pos hard.
| | | Album Rating: 3.3 | Sound Off
zavala needs to produce more, I love everything he does. and this album is pretty much how you described it. it should've been way more than what it turned out being with the huge gap between releases.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Damn this is a pleasant surprise. Great review. I hated this when it came out but it’s grown on me.
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This is what's great about the whole random review concept. It forces us out of our comfort zone and challenges our brain to analyze and provide criticism on stuff that's out of our wheelhouse. Enjoyed the review, pyro! Also dig the abstract-expressionist goatse album cover.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Right, this was done in one sitting mainly besides the foreword because the lyric read-along I started to take psychic damage from
"LOL, LMFAO, Day A-O D-T-S, L-O-R-E
Party hardy, no more stress but wheat and barley"
but my point about the release gap that was left out was the pandemic probably put the fear of death into them, we gotta do something before we can't kind of thing.
And yes, it's an interesting experiment but I suppose I've seen enough comments on the internet to have a bias against someone not really experienced with what they're talking about. But those people often aren't honest upfront, lol.
Thanks for the kind words everyone!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Album rocks. Lyrics grow on you and the hooks are good. Nuf said bout the beats.
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Really good write up that covers a lot of the sentiments I had with this as well. Not even that bad but nowhere near as fleshed out as ANX or Vessel, Onry definitely feels like he phoned it in on a few tracks here especially on The Rite Kids like you mentioned above. Its kind of a misleading track because its obviously supposed to be a flip side to The Wrong Kids off their first ep but Onry's rapping really doesnt compliment the smooth vibe Zavala crafted. Also ridiculous their other two albums got an instrumental release but this just never did.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Onry has never been a lyrical genius, but he has a delivery and flow that I find really endearing. Vessel is the perfect amalgam of beats, lyrics, structure, and punch. ANX is a worthwhile follow up, but to me the cracks start to show, as Zavala can only cover so much for Onry's inadequacies as an emcee. In 2019, they dropped the track "V Girl" for Onry's daughter, who was battling cancer at the time. To date, it remains one of their greatest achievements, and despite the unfortunate circumstances that led to its creation, it gave me a lot of hope that their next full length would see a reinvigorated and determined Onry. Sadly, that didn't end up being the case. Lore contains too many throwaways, and frankly, Onry overstays his welcome to the point of being annoying in quite a few instances. I also don't feel this is Zavala's best effort, even though he's still the standout. He was likely tasked with too large an undertaking, having to make up for the all too often awful verses on display here.
On a more positive note they completely knocked it out of the park with the album art again. The vinyl bundle was too cool and I'm stoked to own every physical release of theirs.
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