This is borderline sellout material from Kells, who admittedly was my favorite rapper a few years
back. After a handful of solid mixtapes and a decent debut LP, it seems to have all gone downhill
from there. The *Lace Up* mixtape, *Lace Up* LP, and *Black Flag* all showcased his "machine-gun"
style, lightning fast delivery with impressive lyricism and flow while sprinkling in pop
sensibility. Just a few years removed from those releases, and *Bloom* is totally pop-heavy,
without much (if any) of the namesake-esque rapping that allowed him to burst onto the scene. The
trap tracks are laughable, the pretentious pot smoking anthems are boring, and the poppiest bits
just don't hit for MGK as they used to. "The Gunner" and "27" pose the most passable songs, while
"Let You Go" and "Rehab" aren't terrible (full-band) pop rock songs, but the majority is instantly
skip-worthy. And with the massive success of the Top 40 smash "Bad Things," it doesn't appear
we'll see MGK return to his "Chip Off the Block" roots any time soon.
Bump |
