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A lot can happen in 3 years. From amateur bar spitting on MySpace, to being picked up by erratic Odd Future honcho Tyler the Creator, releasing a stunning debut mix tape at 15, being dislodged to Samoa by his mother to ‘keep him out of trouble’, and returning to superstardom as he and the OF crew discovered unprecedented fame – now, LA rapper Earl Sweatshirt is days away from releasing his debut studio album Doris, via Columbia Records.

The expectation on this album is irrefutably huge. The Earl mix tape saw Earl establish his aggressive and vile prose, that is craftily laced with eloquence and meaning; all backed by some pulsating – albeit somewhat simple – beats. His advanced and poetic flow spawned a cult following as well as critical acclaim, with comparisons to the likes of Nas and MF Doom being hinted at.

Doris sees Earl progress lyrically and stylistically, as he delivers a much more refined and subtle sound, in collaboration with the likes of Domo Genesis, Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, Vince Staples, Casey Veggies, Mac Miller, and RZA. Earl was quoted as admitting, “I anticipate a loss of fans…. I rapped about raping girls when I was 15; you can hear the progression.” He might not ‘put the ass in assassin’ anymore, but Doris is nonetheless an interesting, diverse, and at times intricate LP. Here are our first impressions, track by track, as well as the full album stream: 

1. Pre (featuring SK LA’ Flare) – 2.52 

The opening track starts with an ominous and sinister tone. Droned synths oscillate up minor chords as SK LA Flare talks of a mysterious girl, backed by a slow beat. The song slowly builds until Earl makes his long awaited arrival. A much more mature, and slightly less pre pubescent voice takes control as Earl asserts himself with self-confidence, inundating his lines with the usual clever word play. Earl creates a mysterious beginning, leaving the rest of the album up to anything, however little variation in the beat or synth lead means the song drags out ad nauseam.

2. Burgundy (featuring Vince Staples) – 2.07

Many fans will be decently acquainted with Burgundy, being subject to much live play by Earl. The track has one of the most energetic beats on the album, as Earl delivers a candid and outspoken lyrical performance. His references range from the guilt of not taking the time to see his ill grandmother amid the album dropping, to “them [sic] expectations raising because daddy was a poet.” Earl also displays here his subtle ability to change tone very quickly mid song, as he moves from ‘relishing in this anguish”, to living the ‘golden life’, demonstrating impressive pace and flow in doing so. Excellent production, flow and percussion – with cymbal crashing cacophony never lending a dull moment – sees this track be one of the standouts on the album.

3. 20 Wave Caps (featuring Domo Genesis) – 2.12 

The all-important third track features fellow Odd Future member Domo Genesis, as some more sinister sounding synths back an interesting broken beat. Domo delivers a strong opening verse, dropping a clever 2pac reference in the first couple of lines. Earl loosely comes in as the song continues to build. His fast paced flow contrasts the slow and disjointed beat well, however the song ends rather abruptly.

4. Sunday (featuring Frank Ocean) – 3.26

High expectations for an Earl – Frank Ocean collaboration here, with the last track these two did together being ‘Super Rich Kids’, off quite possibly one of the most impressive hip-hop/RnB debuts in a long time (channel ORANGE). A much more mellow and lugubrious sounding beat, with clear stylistic input from Frank features, as Earl spits lovelorn flow in a much more dejected tone. A nice bridge, and even better chorus, characterized by a polished and catchy guitar line, and a lamenting hook resounding ‘All my dreams got dimmer when I stopped smoking pot.’ Frank’s verse, as lyrically cunning as it is, breaks up the progression a little, and the song fails to gather momentum thereafter.

 5. Hive (featuring Vince Staples & Casey Veggies) – 4.37 

The latest official single to drop from Doris, Hive is a clear stand out. An aggressive and sinister beat will be music to the ears of fans of his first mix tape, adopting a very similar sound and lyrical approach, with dark and introspective themes. Very commendable contributions from Vince Staples and Casey veggies keep the song flowing, but it’s Earl’s first couple of verses, coupled with the chorus that will keep your head boppin for some while to this menacing track.

PS: look out for the Jekyll and Hyde reference at the start of the second verse. A+ on that one Mr. Sweatshirt.

6. Chum – 4.04

The first single to drop around the end of last year, Chum was the first indication of the changes that would ensue. A surprise to many fans at first listen, Chum reveals itself as one of Earl’s most introspective and mature performances to date. A deep and broody voice sets the tone, as Earl’s lyricism reaches new intricate heights, stringing along multisyllabic lines jumping from family, to expectations, to even physics and religion.

7. Sasquatch (featuring Tyler the Creator) – 2.48

The Earlwolf combo features for the first time, as Tyler’s bass voice kicks things off. A beat very redolent of his work on Wolf, the song moves slowly, with some guitar picking in the background. Tyler’s vile imagery offers some throwback Odd Future moments, however the song’s drab nature offers little replay value.

8. Centurion (featuring Vince Staples) – 3.04

Another eerie sounding beat starts the song off, as Vince Staples’ sluggishly raps behind some humming synth leads. A high-pitched squeal introduces Earl in, and an unexpected change of beat keeps the song moving. An appealing idea, however the song loses momentum quickly, and Earl’s lyrical performance is at times vague and bitter.

9. 523 – 1.32

Produced by Tyler, the 9^th song on the album is a musical interlude, with a nice arrangement of synths and eclectic percussion. Whilst at first seeming superfluous, the track signifies a turning point in the album, as Doris moves to a much more familiar and energetic sound straight after.

10. Uncle Al – 0.53

A short, but entertaining track, Uncle Al features some of the most novel percussion arrangements on the album, with drum loops speeding up and slowing down at whim in whimsical unison with whirling synth lines. Earl’s flow fits craftily around it, and his usual wit delivers.

11. Guild (featuring Mac Miller) – 3.54

Some may not know that Guild in fact dropped back in May, however mixed reviews kept it out of the limelight. An interesting approach, characterized by a laid back and lugubrious beat delivers an almost spaced out sound. Most of the criticism however circled around Earl’s octavated voice, dropping to an almost unrecognizable bass tone. The result is questionable, as the song fades off in this haze of broken beat and drone. A victim of its own ambition perhaps.

12. Molasses (featuring RZA) – 2.17

In an interview recently Earl said that he was ‘blown away…like whoa’ (no pun intended) when RZA dropped the beat for Molasses in the studio. You can see why. Arguably the strongest song on the album, Molasses features a bopping, almost fun beat. The key is in the contrast between the low bass notes, and the high, resonating pad sounds; coupled with unexpected broken beat. Earl’s voice is much more relaxed than usual, as he fits effortlessly into the grove. His references tread perfectly between arrogance and modesty, as some old school themes from the Earl days pop up. It all cumulates perfectly with the simple chorus line: “I fuck the freckles off your face bitch” (sung by RZA).

13. Whoa (featuring Tyler the Creator) – 3.16

The second single to drop from the album, Whoa, lets Earl’s older fans know that “we going back to that old 2010 shit.” A beefy, swaggering beat backs, peppered by some droning synth tones, and a classy little piano ditty that features in the chorus. A fun, nefarious sounding song that represents everything that OF is about: ‘having fun and fuckin shit up’, as Tyler once said.

14. Hoarse – 3.52

Some slow, almost Western music (?) opens up the penultimate track of the album. The song builds, with Earl’s voice befitting of the title track. Sinister samples resound in the background, and the track appears to be of little value. However a subtle guitar chord progression towards to the end of the song breaks things up well, evolving into a dynamic piece of music

15. Knight (featuring Domo Genesis) – 3.14

The final track sees Earl end on one of the most novel and appealing beats on the album. Major vocal hums upheld by some snare and Tom work on the percussion lends an uplifting and mellow sound. Domo returns for another consistent verse.

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Earl has never been one to rest on his laurels, and Doris is testament to that. A much more mature and refined sound has developed, as greater emphasis is placed on production, and the subtleties in song writing. Appeasing to old fans whilst trying to attract some new is the old catch 22 in the music industry, and Earl might just be a victim of that in certain cases. But he isn’t that new awkard kid on the block anymore, and with a third album – Gnossos – set to be in the works already, what happens next for Earl is solely up to him. 

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