Emerald writers Dana Alston and Casey Miller give their takes on Childish Gambino’s newest album, Awaken, My Love!
Dana’s Take:
Donald Glover made a career out of being unpredictable. Originally an actor and writer known for his role in Community, Glover rose to musical prominence with 2011’s Camp, the first album released under his Childish Gambino moniker. It was a mess, but it did prove Glover’s versatility behind the mic. The Gambino name later gained further popularity in 2013 with Because the Internet, the screenplay-led, ill-advised super project that felt more like a desperate claim to relevance than an enjoyable rap album. For all of his talent, Glover seemed more concerned with proving himself to others than actually making good music.
This is why his new release, Awaken, My Love!, is such a breath of fresh air. On this sprawling, genre-twisting album, Glover has ditched rap almost entirely, opting instead for a fun romp that combines funk, reggae and R&B. It is the first project in his discography that feels fully unique, and a fantastic showcase for Glover’s artistic talent and versatility.
It is also unapologetically itself, and it doesn’t take long to fall in love with Glover’s sprawling, kaleidoscopic style. On the six-minute “Me and Your Mama” he shifts from a harmonized, hi-hat-led hook to a dirty funk jam, complete with heavy fuzz bass and guitars. Other tracks walk the tightrope between unique and bonkers. “California” relies on an auto tune/reggae beat combination, a mix that will leave many scratching their heads. “Boogieman” uses a overtly familiar guitar riff and uniquely modified vocals to offer a psychedelic soundscape.
The result is an album that is about as easy to love as it is to completely reject. Make no mistake, Awaken, My Love! is so strange and unexpected from Glover (who announced a Childish Gambino hiatus only recently) that it will not be for everyone. At times, its commitment to newness feels a little forced. But when artistically confidant tracks like “Zombies” appear near the middle of the album, it’s almost impossible to deny its quality. Welcome back, Gambino. For the first time, it’s good to have you back.
Casey’s Take:
As a long time fan of both Donald Glover and his musical alter-ego Childish Gambino, I’ve been left simply confused after listening to his most recent release, Awaken, My Love! However, my emotions towards the album were clarified when I listened to it not once more, but twice more. Gambino said it best in a recent interview with Fader magazine: “We play with pictures and sounds that affect people in ways they don’t realize are happening until the fifth listen.”
In an unusual twist from the harsh rap and smooth R&B of past albums Camp and Because The Internet, this new release is genre bending; Gambino told the Today Show in 2015 that he might quit rap and he certainly did. Awaken, My Love! is funk, gospel, psychedelic soul and old school hip-hop. But at the same time, it feels like a new genre altogether. Gambino alters his voice in nearly every song to ease in a better overall rhythm with the synths and instruments being used, to the dismay of some of Gambino’s older fans of his true rap and real voice in old favorites like “3005.”
Unfortunately, these new lyrics tend to get lost in this mish-mash of vocals and instruments that occurs with most of the album. And they are lyrics to be paid attention to, especially after election season and this year of extreme social unrest in the United States. With Gambino’s highly modified voice and overpowering rhythms in “Riot,” it’s easy to miss the passionate lyrics like “Everyone just wants a better life/They tried to kill us/Love to say they feel us/But they won’t take my pride.” It’s easy to see where Gambino has drawn inspiration from, sadly.
An open mind is necessary to listen to and enjoy this album. It’s a personal and spiritual journey that Gambino goes through, one to be respected and truly heard. It’s about exploring roots musically and personally, relationships with lovers and others, and justice in America.
You can check out tracks from Awaken, My Love! at Childish Gambino’s official YouTube channel.
Double Take: Childish Gambino’s ‘Awaken, My Love!’
Casey Miller
December 6, 2016
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