You can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing Donald Glover nowadays, whether it be his acting on the critically acclaimed NBC comedy Community, as Lando Calrissian in the upcoming standalone Han Solo Star Wars film or on his incredible new FX show Atlanta. For many, Glover takes form as Childish Gambino, the snarky, hilarious rapper who last brought us Because the Internet in 2013.
Recently, Gambino was on a little bit of a hiatus, outside of his STN MTN / Kauai mixtape in the fall of 2014, which was released to pretty shaky reviews. That was until September of this year, when he performed his incredibly innovative PHAROS experience, blending music and visuals in a way no artist has never quite done before.
When the first reports of the concert came out, and I heard Childish Gambino was doing something completely different, I was cautiously optimistic. I was never a huge fan of his previous works, outside of Because the Internet. While BTI had some great songs like “3005” and “Telegraph Ave.,” the album seemed too serious and pretentious for its own good, especially when the album was released alongside a 75-page screenplay. When the lead singles for this new album, “Awaken, My Love!” were released, I was floored, with Gambino completely ditching rap in favor of a funk and soul sound.
Was Childish Gambino’s jump from hip-hop to funk successful? The results are mixed.
The album starts off with “Me and Your Mama,” an incredible opener. The intro builds and builds to an intense climax of wailing guitars and thunderous cymbals crashing as Gambino shrieks and screams about the relationship between himself and his lover. The bridge has him singing about how their relationship “isn’t just puppy love” while the acoustic guitar strumming in the background makes for an emotional and passionate moment.
“Have Some Love” provides a nice break from the intensity of the last song. With a lo-fi, acoustic aesthetic and fun sing-along lyrics, this track starts a rocky path of Childish Gambino modulating and experimenting with his vocals. It works to an extent on this song, but on songs like “California” and “Redbone,” the concept can range from off-putting to downright annoying.
“Boogieman” and “Zombies” both seem like simple, corny tracks at first, until you dig a bit deeper into the lyrics. Instead of “Boogieman” being a simple song about monsters, the lyrics reveal that Gambino’s role as “the Boogieman” represents the fear of African-Americans that some people possess. On “Zombies,” the monsters represent people trying to steal Gambino and his family’s culture.
Although short, “Riot” provides one of the best and most frantic beats on the album. Songs like this really show the inspiration he took from artists before him like George Clinton and Parliament–Funkadelic. The last three tracks make the perfect ending for Awaken, My Love! “Baby Boy” has him singing to his newborn son, leading to one of the most touching moments of the album, as he says, “There was a time before you, and there will be a time after you/With these vibes or not/Walk tall little one,” as a message to his child.
“The Night Me And Your Mama Met,” provides a beautiful interlude to the final track “Stand Tall.” The later did exactly what it needed to; it had Childish Gambino rely on his natural singing (which was great all over the album by the way) while smooth guitars and a children’s choir that sings throughout complement the overall emotion of the song. “Stand Tall” might be the most experimental song on the album, with various pauses and beat changes during the almost seven-minute runtime. The experiment definitely paid off.
Awaken, My Love! will not be for everyone, but after multiple listens, the album grew immensely on me, despite a few missteps.
Awaken, My Love! has released on all streaming services, and in stores.
7.5/10
