CARE FOR ME - Saba

REVIEWED: September 16, 2022

This project is four years old, but I only listened to it for the first time two years ago. It has had a lot of time to marinate. As I have expressed before, Saba has a very unique flow, and rappers with unique flows intrigue me. He is comparable in this sense to Chance The Rapper, Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar, and Smino. The album was engaging for the most part. Saba is a talented rapper with great bars and cadence, so even when the song lags a little bit, he is able to pick it up swiftly. In terms of album sequencing, I like it. It feels like the songs are in sequential order and flow from one to the next logically. In terms of rollout, I don’t actually remember; the project was on my radar when it dropped, but I only got around to listening in 2020 during quarantine. So I don’t remember the rollout, but regardless of that, I was excited to listen as I had come to really enjoy Saba’s music from Bucket List Project. The hooks and choruses from his features are very pleasant to listen to. For example, another artist whose flow interests me, Chance The Rapper, is featured on the song LOGOUT and has an impressive performance. Kaina also has an excellent performance on FIGHTER. Some of the songs feel like a confessional; a diary entry, almost. FIGHTER is one of these tracks. It mirrors Saba’s inner monologue or stream of consciousness and evokes sympathy from the listener. The album in general sounds like contemplative thought. I always enjoy putting on my headphones, lying in bed and just listening to the album in full. I don’t get bored and would argue that there are no skips, for the most part. One of the tracks that is particularly catchy is SMILE and follows the others in having an addicting hook or chorus that reels you to the point where you feel that you can’t click away. One of the only cons of the project is that it is pretty short, and there is not a lot of actual content for me to judge.I like Saba, but I feel like if you were just getting into his music, you may think some of the songs sound similar. I think the beats are great and vary from track to track, but if you are not a frequent listener, you may feel his flow doesn't change between the songs. And of course, there are many people who don’t want to relisten multiple times in order to make themselves enjoy a project. All in all, I really like this album. I would recommend this album, and the rest of Saba’s discography, to anyone who enjoys alternative rap, and is looking for new music. Thank you so much for tuning in to today’s review, I hope you will swing by again next week!