Lil Yachty's Take on Psychedelic Rock - Let's Start Here. Album Review

Ella Tsang (12)

9.2/10

Lil Yachty photographed for Vulture magazine

In a world where musical boundaries continue to be shattered, one artist stands out for his fearless exploration of genres and defying conventions: Lil Yachty. Let’s Start Here. is the title of his fifth studio album, and in respect to its name, it marks the beginning of a new era. A versatile musical interest has been one of Lil Yachty’s greatest assets ever since he released his Lil Boat mixtape in 2016. Yachty’s most recent album, a transition from impassioned rap to a howling vibrato over a modern psychedelic sound, is supposed to represent a new beginning for the musician who was blamed as a young artist for “killing” Hip Hop. Let’s Start Here. is an album infused with psychedelic rock sounds, a complete departure from the trap sounds that have defined his career up to this point.

Yachty’s transition wasn’t entirely unexpected despite this drastic change in style. In 2021, he featured on a remix of Tame Impala’s “Breathe Deeper”, which led to him being discovered by a broader audience and extending his musical knowledge. Additionally, in a January 2022 video with Icebox, he mentioned “My new album … It’s a non-rap album. It’s alternative.” Despite this, many people are shocked by this genre change, though It may be more surprising that Yachty managed to pull it off so well on his first attempt.

Lil Yachty starts the album with “the BLACK seminole.” and immediately takes the listener on a nostalgic journey through the 60s. The song begins with a slow, mellow instrumental groove which escalates to a harmonic progression. Almost seven minutes of psychedelic bliss, “the BLACK seminole.” resembles that of late Pink Floyd. This song begins the telling of a loosely written romance tale that continues throughout the album.

Among the many fans of this album, “pRETTy” has become one of their favourites. So far, this is the most R&B-influenced song on the record. There is a gratifying balance between the vocals of Lil Yachty and Foushèe on this track. Autotuned vocal inflections and Yachty’s up-pitch voice make for a fun sing-along. With its eccentric sound and self-reflective lyrics, this song proves that it is one of the album’s best.

“drive ME crazy!” is another fan favourite that trended on TikTok, and is one of the most streamed songs. As a whole, this song seems like a combination of old-school disco and R&B. It starts off like an old Marvin Gaye hit before a sultry female voice takes us into a sea of grooving currents. There is no doubt that Lil Yachty’s performance of the song is impressive, but Diana Gordon, who sings the female lead, is the true star on the track.

The final song ​​”REACH THE SUNSHINE.” provides two alternate endings to this ongoing journey and utilises heavy synths to increase dramatic effect. There is a clever blend of hip hop elements, rock elements, and classical elements in the song. The song begins with Daniel Caesar singing about his sense of emptiness, signalling the song’s sad ending. Despite this, Yachty’s verse resolves with the couple reconciling.

Let’s Start Here is another example of Lil Yachty’s care in sequencing the album so that it seamlessly transitions from track to track. With collaborators like Alex G and Mac DeMarco in songs “:(failure:(” and “drive ME crazy!”, Yachty draws inspiration not only from Pink Floyd but also classic jazz and funk acts. Yachty’s insistence on live instrumentation and commitment to the genre tropes ensures the project’s quality. It’s not the work of a bored rapper trying to experiment with something new, but rather the work of a well-crafted Rock album performed by a rapper.