‘C herry Bomb: the most hit-or-miss album by rap’s most hit-or-miss star. Tyler the Creator announced his fourth project a mere four days before its release (similar to how his personal friend and ex-collaborator Earl Sweatshirt’s new album was announced). An even greater surprise than Cherry Bomb’s existence was how much of a departure it is from Tyler’s past works. It is his first album without an overarching story connecting the songs (Bastard and Goblin revolved around Tyler’s fictional therapy sessions and Wolf told an abstract summer camp adventure). Flying is a re-occurring metaphor found throughout the album, and there’s a few skits that poke fun at corny radio stations, but that’s about it. Cherry Bomb places a greater emphasis on the individuality of each song. Tyler stated in an interview with HOT97 that each song on this album is like a photo. More noticeably, almost no one from his beloved Odd Future crew is featured on the album. The features, much like the songs themselves, are all over the place ranging from Charlie Wilson to Black Lips guitarist Cole Alexander. These talented individuals, as well as Tyler’s growth as an artist, make for some of his best work as a producer.
Tyler has always produced his own music, adding a unique layer of personality to everything he creates. A handful of songs on this album showcase his production skills much more than his rapping skills. “Find Your Wings”, “2Seater”, “Fucking Young/Perfect” and “Okaga, CA” all have wonderfully soothing musical arrangements and chord progressions worth just as much attention as the lyrics, if not more. Tyler even gained access to violinists via Hans Zimmer for “2Seater.” These tracks draw inspiration from 70s R&B and Stevie Wonder. Tyler actually tried, yet sadly failed, to get Stevie on the album. The roster of features on these tracks is still impressive though (Roy Ayers, Kali Uchis and Wanya Morris, to name a few). Tyler also is not afraid to try his hand at singing. His vocals during these bits are sped up so his pitch sounds higher, but the result isn’t half bad. He’s also a self-aware artist, mumbling to himself “Fuck, I can’t sing” during the intro to “Fucking Young.” This greater focus on melody is a shift from Tyler’s more negative and rap-driven past works, and he acknowledges it. “Hoping that I ditch the chords and go pick up the pen again/ because I kill the dark shit like I’m motherfucking Zimmermann” he raps in “2Seater.” There is still plenty of rapping found in Cherry Bomb, but those songs vary in quality and as a whole don’t compare to the aforementioned tracks.
Tyler may have exhibited some of his best work as a producer on this album, but the same can be said for his worst work. He made the odd choice of increasing the volume on the beats of certain songs so the lyrics are barely audible, such as “Pilot.” The album’s title track not only has this issue as well, but is loud, chaotic, distorted and very difficult to listen to. “Run” and “Keep Da O’s” are similar to “Cherry Bomb” in sound, but the lyrics are more comprehensible. To compensate, however, they have Tyler’s voice obnoxiously sped up to the point that it sounds like the disgraceful lovechild of Migos and Alvin and the Chipmunks. No doubt these tracks were purposefully produced to sound the way they do, but that doesn’t justify how terrible they are. Tyler may have done this so the intense tracks can juxtapose the soothing tracks, but he could have done this while still ensuring that the intense tracks were enjoyable. Or at least bearable. Take the album’s intro “Deathcamp” for example. It’s explosive and loud, yet still fun and entertaining. “Smuckers” is another rap-centric song that stands out as a highlight. Tyler and Lil Wayne play off each other verse by verse while Kanye verbally masturbates to his own reflection in typical Kanye fashion. Schoolboy Q can be found on “The Brown Stains of Darkeese Latifah Part 6-12 (Remix)”, a solid track that requires no description beyond its name. Those features are also noteworthy; the Tyler of 2012 would have thought twice before collaborating with such big name rap artists. It says a lot about his progress and self-perception.
This album showcases Tyler’s evolution. It’s certainly the most positive album he’s released. He’s made it so far simply being his bizarre, non-conformist self, and he encourages his listeners to do the same; to “find [their] wings and fly.” Cherry Bomb has a few enormous potholes, and even the enjoyable moments can be a bumpy ride. But during its standout moments, it’s the smoothest road Tyler has ever paved.
