Ultralight Beam: I like Kanye’s vocals on the hook on this one, and I can see what people say about the messiness actually being a good thing here. The-Dream’s vocals are solid, Kelly Price’s verse is really strong, Kirk Franklin’s outro is great, and of course, Chance the Rapper’s feature is amazing. I actually had a really fun time with this song, and while it feels extremely “stream-of-consciousness,” it’s so interesting and I just feel like I want to go back to this more after the review.
Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1: The hook on this one is pretty catchy, as is Kid Cudi’s feature, and I think Kanye’s verse, while not his strongest, is still pretty solid. It is really short and kind of half-baked (again, that’s the point), but while it lasts, it’s a good song. I think it might even grow on me in the future.
Pt. 2: Very different sound from Pt. 1 (I mean, this one samples “Panda” by Desiigner, and it features moments from Desiigner’s song throughout), and while Kanye adds some interesting things throughout (his verse is particularly strong), I can’t help but feel like he could’ve just called this “Panda (Remix),” because that’s essentially what it is. And again, it ends really suddenly and awkwardly, though I do think this is again kind of interesting, in that it feels very “stream-of-consciousness” for Kanye. I don’t know, as much of a half-baked knock off as it is, I feel like I might end up going back to this song in the future. That’s weird to say, but there’s something really interesting about it.
Famous: This was the song that riled up a lot of people (“…me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous.”), and I think it’s the most “commercial” of the songs here. Rihanna’s vocals on the hook are solid, and Kanye’s verses are pretty solid, but I honestly don’t see myself going back to this track in the future, oddly enough. It’s a solid song, but even though it’s arguably the album’s most popular track, I don’t feel as much of a desire to go back to it, unfortunately.
Feedback: Kanye’s flow on this one is pretty strong, and the hook is really catchy on this one. It’s extremely short, and again, rather unfinished, but it’s really fun and really interesting overall. I just feel like it’s something I’ll want to go back to, because it’s like, oddly hypnotic.
Low Lights: This song doesn’t even have Kanye on it, it’s a completely uncredited vocalist. This one is very spiritual and booming, but it’s really short and really messy. In fact, I’d honestly say it’s hardly even a song. If not for the uncredited vocalist’s solid performance and lyrics, this probably would’ve been under the list of “least favorite tracks” for this album, but I think those two things alone helped save this. That said, I won’t be revisiting this track anytime soon.
Highlights: I think the hook on this is really catchy and Young Thug’s feature on the hook is pretty solid. Kanye’s performance on the verse is really strong as well, and The-Dream’s vocal performance on the outro is good. I really like this track, it’s definitely one of my favorites on the album.
Freestyle 4: Kanye is given the chance to let loose on this one, but unfortunately, his performance on this one is just not nearly as fun or memorable as some of the other tracks on here. Desiigner is here as well, and I’ll be honest, I was kind of digging his verse, but then, of course, since it’s been this way throughout the album, it cuts off before he even gets a chance to really do anything. This is a rare case where the messy, unfinished nature of the album works against the song.
I Love Kanye: Even though it’s only 44 seconds and it’s a really strange interlude, I actually think this track is pretty clever, in that it’s Kanye being really conscious, addressing the ideology of him loving himself too much, and talking about his criticisms. And for that, I can say this track, as short and possibly memetic as it is, is pretty good overall.
Waves: I like the instrumental on this one, and I really like Chris Brown’s hook as well. Kanye takes a bit more of a back seat here, but his performance is not bad overall. It’s rather empty, and it feels far shorter than it is, but I feel like I’ll be going back to this for sure.
FML: Kanye’s performance and flow on the first verse of this track are really bland, boring, repetitive, and unmemorable overall, and while the second verse is much better, it’s hard to trudge through the first verse to even get there. And while I do like The Weeknd’s vocals on the hook, I don’t think this is one of the strongest hooks he’s made. Definitely one of the album’s weaker tracks.
Real Friends: The beat on this one is pretty solid, I like Kanye’s performance on the verses, and I really like Ty Dolla $ign’s feature throughout the track. I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this one too much, but all in all, it’s a solid song.
Wolves: I really like the way this one starts, and I like Kanye’s hook on this one a lot. While the verse can be a bit long, Kanye’s overly-autotuned vocals are actually pretty enjoyable. Vic Mensa’s vocals on the bridge are really great, too, and Sia’s surprising appearance is pretty solid, too. And even though I’m not usually crazy about “empty space,” the instrumental outro on this track is great. This is another track that I really like.
Frank’s Track: This was originally going to be the outro to “Wolves,” but it was cut and made into a track in and of itself. I’m glad it was cut from “Wolves,” as the ending of that song was already strong enough, and while this is really short, I’m glad it still made it on the album, because Frank Ocean’s vocals are really great on this one.
Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission: A voicemail to Kanye from Max B and French Montana. This…was a thing…that somehow made it onto the album…NEXT!
30 Hours: While Kanye’s flow on this track is solid, there’s not much of a hook on this one. Still, there are a few pretty clever lyrics on this track, and while it’s certainly not my favorite on the album (it’s a bit too long and boring), it’s a decent track overall. Oh, and Andre 3000’s on here. Just thought you guys would like to know that.
No More Parties in LA: Kanye’s hook on this track is not his strongest, but for me, this song was saved entirely by Kendrick Lamar’s verse. Don’t get it twisted, Kanye’s verse is still pretty strong. My only other issue is that this song feels a bit too long. It’s a pretty solid track, just far too long overall.
Facts (Charlie Heat version): Kanye’s interpolation of “Jumpman” by Drake and Future feels like a diss on Nike, and ultimately, it stales out way too quickly. It’s too repetitive and not nearly as fun as some of the other tracks on this album.
Fade: This one has a pretty fun beat overall, I like Ty Dolla $ign’s vocals on this feature, and I’ll say the same about Post Malone’s vocals on his verse. Kanye hardly appears on this track, so it’s hard to really grade his “performance” when he only has a couple lines. I don’t know if I’ll be revisiting this track a lot, but I think the “stream of consciousness” thing works pretty well on this track.
Saint Pablo: This final track on the album feels really personal, and I like how Kanye starts talking more about his insecurities on this one. Sampha is featured on this track, and I like his vocals a lot. Even if the track is pretty long, it actually feels like a fully finished, organized, clean track. It’s a really good song, and it’s definitely a great end to the album.
Overall, I can say that this album was pretty enjoyable. It’s really unfinished, messy, and unpolished overall, but for the most part, that works in its favor and makes it kind of hypnotic. Several tracks are so unpolished and incomplete that you kind of just want to go back and experience them again. It’s not like it’s “unfinished for the sake of shock factor,” it’s Kanye consciously releasing something really sloppy for the sake of the art. It’s not perfect: it doesn’t end as well as it started, and sometimes the sloppiness of it works against a few of the tracks, but overall, I had a pretty good time with this album.
I’d ask what you guys thought of this album, but YOU AIN’T GOT THE ANSWERS, SWAY!
Favorite tracks: Ultralight Beam, Feedback, Highlights, Waves, Wolves, Saint Pablo
Least favorite tracks: Freestyle 4, FML, Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission, Facts (Charlie Heat version)
Rating: Good
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