Lasers - Review

Well what do you know, a second post in one day! This'll be more a collection of thoughts I had discussing Lupe Fiasco's new album 'Lasers' with some friends. It might seem only tangentially related to writing, but I genuinely consider some of Lupe's work poetry and one of his tunes is the basis for an idea I'm very fond of and hope to take somewhere, someday.

Essentially, my problem with this album is that it feels too mainstream. Lupe had a very unique style, some awkward bass lines and background sounds that were carried by the strength of his lyrics. 'Dumb it Down' and 'Gold Watch' are perfect examples of this, but his smartest lines are definitely in 'Gotta Eat'. You might not like them, but puns are very clever and a whole song of them can't have been easy.

In comparison, this album feels like a lot of it could have been done by anyone. Firstly, you've got to come out of the gate strong and having autotune be the first thing I heard really put me off. I liked 'I don't wanna care right now' and remarked on the similarity to Stronger (right down to the obnoxious too long outro), but that's just the third track. There are a few in the middle that are entirely forgettable, with some more that have moments of greatness that are clouded by an oppressive hook. The high production values crowd out his real talent, the clever wordplay, and at times you can actually feel him deferring to the chorus where in a previous album he might have taken that line and run with it.

At the same time, the album is a lot darker than even 'The Cool'. Lupe has always had something to say about society and people, but in this album it feels a lot more preachy; too much message with not enough song to back it up. My absolute favourite track of his is 'Put You On Game', which is so intelligent and insidious it makes everything that tries to emulate that on this album feel insipid.

I feel like it boils down to the fact that he wasn't really having fun with this album. I couldn't say why; it's taken a while to come out and he might have gone through a rough patch, which would explain the tone. He might have had less creative freedom and been under more pressure to make something that'd be commercially successful. This is meant to be his last album, which I hope means he'll have a tonne more freedom in the future and will be able to put out more of the stuff he loves.