Listen, Fred could slap me directly across the face and I’d probably rate it five stars. Quieter , slower, more emotive instrumentation than his previous albums but I don’t hate it. Good stuff to hug ur friends to on the dance floor or soundtrack the pivotal scene in a coming of age indie film. The features on this are curated specifically for me (emmylou ??? R u kidding me ??) and tho I’ll always love a Fred/skrillex/four tet collab I am also thrilled to see him dating other people.
This is probably the most well-executed of Fred’s LPs thus far. With much to like here, you can see his growth from AL1 to now. I like the idea and cohesion of the ten days that glue together distinct vibes; the run from “four” through “where will I be” is great. But let’s talk about why Fred has yet to put out an album better than a 7/10. At the end of the day, Fred falls victim to his Achilles heel: he’s an incredibly talented artist with a great ability to make the most out of collaborations, but his song composition ability typically falls short in favor of sticking to his “vibe” and vision. Perfect example… More
I love Fred's club-ready stuff, almost everything that gets added to USBis fun, and some of the advance singles from this were encouraging... "adore u" is a little Gap-coded for me but hits in the right mood and obviously "places to be" is a banger. Everything else here sounds like Fred spinning his wheels.
Complete waste of that Emmylou track but if it gets anyone to listen to Wrecking BallI could consider that a win? Listen to Wrecking Ball!