In an almost effortless manner, Miles Davis became the definition of “cool” back in the late 50’s due to his tremendously transcendent talents on the trumpet. Now, in 2015, Syd tha Kid and her crew are bypassing the standard he set thanks to a smooth blend of sensuality, intimacy and enigmatic energy in their recent collaboration.
“Ego Death” is the third studio album released by The Internet, a neo-soul band comprised of a handful of Odd Future contributors. It is much different than the previously released works from many other members of the Los Angeles based hip-hop collective.
Fans of Odd Future have become accustomed to the brash and boundary-pushing style of Tyler the Creator or the furious lyricism of Earl Sweatshirt, but The Internet has found their niche by embracing a more low-key approach to music.
The 12 songs on the track listing are watermarked with simplistic, yet engrossing beats, all of which are paired with Syd’s soulful vocals to create an auditory experience that can leave you both at peace and conflicted at the same time. “In what way?” you may ask. It has to do with the tone of the album.
“Ego Death” places the listener in a weird state of emotional purgatory, as there’s no clear direction on what we, the audience, are supposed to feel or think. Maybe I’m thinking too deeply into this whole thing and overlooking the fact that it’s possible that we’re not supposed to have a clear grasp on the true nature of the album in the first place.
After all, an ego death is defined as a “complete loss of subjective self-identity,” so it’s possible The Internet wants us to feel a bit lost within ourselves afterward. It’s also quite possible they didn’t know what they were going for with this album and just went with the flow because it sounded nice. I highly doubt that’s the case, but it’s a thought.
The album features appearances from other artists like Janelle Monae, who does her thing in “Gabby,” and Grammy winner James Fauntleroy who contributes to “For the World.”
Tyler the Creator’s raspy voice can be heard during “Palace/Curse,” in which he assumes the role of a charismatic DJ at a party. During the bridge, he mentions that he’s about to play a “world exclusive” song from The Internet, and the beat transitions from an up-tempo head-nodder to a mellower, atmospheric slow jam.
It’s weird, because that’s not exactly the kind of song you would expect to hear at a party these days. None of the songs on the album really are, but that’s far from a bad thing.
“Ego Death” may not feature any tunes that you can shout at the top of your lungs when driving with your friends or pump your fist to when you’re at the club, but one thing it does have is an inherent amount of coolness that will leave listeners begging for more.
