By Jack McLaughlin
“CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” is the latest offering from artist Tyler, the Creator. This album comes off the heels of the 2019 Grammy Winning Album “IGOR.”
The album came with a fun release, which involved mysterious billboards appearing in cities with a phone number that would play songs from the album when it was called.
The mystery of this rollout intrigued me, as the low-quality clips from the songs when you called the number only provided a small clue for what this album had to offer.
“IGOR” was already a big departure from what listeners of Tyler were used to. “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” continues this trend by blending the types of songs I would expect from Tyler while also venturing forward to new sounds for the artist that make it my favorite album of the year so far.
I thought the album was OK when it first dropped back in June of this year, and now it’s been three months and I think that having multiple listens have significantly changed how I feel about it.
One of the best ways to start an album is with strong tracks that set the mood for the project and attract the attention of listeners, and Tyler does this flawlessly, which make these opening tracks more memorable.
A great example of this comes right at the start with the track “LUMBERJACK,” where listeners are greeted to these wildly catchy lyrics and fast, yet strong instrumentals that resonate long after listening to it.
These songs, though short, are so catchy that they haven’t left my head since I first heard them.
An interesting track at the start of the album is “HOT WIND BLOWS,” which I admittedly was not a big fan of the first time I heard it. The change in tone from the rest of the tracks that come before took me back at first, and I would usually end up skipping it. But through repeated listens I’ve grown to appreciate the different style on this track and is now one of my overall favorites on the album.
The true star of this album comes in the midsection, with the track “SWEET/ I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE,” which is also the longest track on the album spanning almost 10 minutes. The heavy reggae influence and lyrics are so well done on this track which makes it an emotional highlight on the album. My favorite part of the track is the duet between Tyler and singer Fana Hues.
Even after what I consider to be its peak, Tyler does not let up with the last few songs on the project.
The energy that was so prevalent in the first half comes back hard with tracks like “RISE!” and
“JUGGERNAUT,” which the latter brings in strong features from Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell Williams.
“CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” succeeds at being not only a successor to what is Tyler’s most popular album, but also succeeded to be even better than any of his projects that have come before.
It rewards listeners who are willing to return to the album frequently and relisten to tracks on it to gain more appreciation for them. I did this myself and I found myself loving more tracks with each listen.
I understand why people would prefer his older music to this new project because of this. I was far less enthusiastic about the album when it came out because I hadn’t listened to it as many times as I have now. Although it takes a bit of warming up to at first, its catchy tracks and refreshing style make “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” Tyler, the Creator’s best work yet.
Rating: A
I would not sleep on this ingenious album.