Let's Start Here. - Lil Yachty

REVIEWED: February 5, 2023

There is excellent production all around on this project. Initially, I felt like he autotuned his vocals too much, and it didn’t go well with the instrumentals. However, on my second full listen, I found that I had actually gotten used to, and even found myself impartial to his strange but melodic vocal inflections, which made it a more enjoyable listen. I think that any time an artist experiments with a new sound, naturally, our body rejects it, but the more we listen, the more we adapt and accept the new sound. It is very refreshing to see an alternative album from Yachty and to see an artist stepping out of their comfort zone. I can definitely see the influence of artists like Tame Impala, and I am not mad about the direction he is going in. I think that from what I saw of reviews, they bordered the extremes: people either really loved or really hated this project. Personally, I fall somewhere in between. Some viewed it as a masterpiece because of the complete change of trajectory of style from Yachty, and while I think this should be applauded, experimentation does not equate to perfection. Like any artist, there is always room for improvement, but I believe he is off to a strong start with Let’s Start Here. Some tracks sounded too similar, which meant that there were track runs that sounded like one song, and not in the way of a seamless transition, but rather, like a run-on sentence. I felt this was especially present with the two-track run from THE zone~ to WE SAW THE SUN!, as there was not enough variation for it to be interesting. This doesn’t mean the songs were bad, though, just a little boring. It was a pretty mellow listen, and although the lyrics don’t necessarily signify some sort of deeper meaning, the music is satisfying to the ear, as this genre tends to be. Another part of the album that I liked is the use of hidden features. Some other notable albums that use this are i am > i was by 21 Savage and The Off-Season by J. Cole. It is so effective because it gives the listener something to look forward to. For example, I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear Daniel Caesar on REACH THE SUNSHINE., but his breathtaking vocals were a pleasant surprise to my listening experience. Another track that had this effect on me was Fousheé on pRETTY. Overall, I had a good listening experience and added a few of the tracks to my playlist. I would recommend this to anyone trying to make the crossover from hip-hop into alternative, as it is an artist they would be used to hearing, and therefore it would feel less daunting. Thank you so much for reading this week’s review, see you next week!