Tyler, The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost

SEARCHING FOR LOVE, SURROUNDED BY DIAMONDS

Worry set in when Tyler declared, with assertion, that he wanted to make a Rap album. Not Hip-Hop, of which a clear distinction lies. A genre-bending savant returning to the mold of predictability, rigidness, and braggadocio would, in all likelihood, invite a swarm of new, casual fans while alienating, if only moderately, those who expect evolutionary steps in the vein of Flower Boy and IGOR. One can even include Cherry Bomb in that mixture, for while it didn't succeed, the strains of experimentation were undoubtedly planted. Oddly enough, Call Me If You Get Lost finds its closest comparison to the 2015 blunder, enlacing pent-up aggression through the guise of a tender heart. It's even name-dropped in 'Massa,' wherein Tyler equates the piss-poor nature of its recording to that of a falsified perception of maturation. CMIYGL seems, in the broadest sense, a reinterpretation of that transitory phase, complete with uplifting gasconade ('Runitup'), bullheaded bombast ('Lemonhead'), and vernal giddiness ('Sweet / I Thought You Wanted To Dance') that amount to a pleasurable, albeit scatterbrained project.

It's evidenced in the sporadic nature of CMIYGL's content, which never strays from being tangible and heartfelt. The general theme - one Tyler has tracked over the past half decade - deals with love and the complicated mask it dons. Much like a craigslist Missed Connection, the visuals of being out-of-sync with a romantic partner come through eloquently on tracks like 'Sweet / I Thought You Wanted To Dance,' 'Rise!,' and most prominently, the eight-minute, single-verse 'Wilshire.' On it, Tyler sums up (perhaps disappointingly, given his knack for abstraction) the entire premise of the LP; that of relational disconnect due to fame and the global tour schedule. It's a fine concept, though, in conjunction with the constant flaunting of wealth and material possessions on tracks like 'Corso,' 'Juggernaut,' and 'Safari,' it's hard to deny the tone-deaf outpour amidst a worldwide pandemic wherein millions lost the very things Tyler's 'Blessed' about. Though, this is hardly a reason to dislike the album, just one that unveils innate biases of the rich and famous.

As always when it comes to Tyler records, features are a mixed bag. Surprisingly, it's the new-school who inject a wicked flavor of venom to the mix. 42 Dugg scorches 'Lemonhead,' stealing the show with his autotune screech, while Lil Uzi Vert tip-toes with big-ticket flair through the eruptive 'Juggernaut.' Teezo Touchdown, Fana Hues, and Brent Faiyaz all elevate their respective tracks as well. However, Ty Dolla $ign on the ho hum 'Wusyaname' (one of Tyler's laziest, most bromidic tracks to date), and Lil Wayne on the slow-moving, deflated 'Hot Wind Blows' still proves to be a difficult pairing, as we saw on Flower Boy's 'Droppin' Seeds.'

In terms of production, CMIYGL continues to find Tyler nestling into his comfort zone. The drums remain muffled, Soul samples continue to entice, and the occasional burst of saturated bombast blasts out potent inanity. Really, only the cool, calm, and collected 'Wilshire,' with its psychedelic, wave pool synthesizer and stripped-back, "less is more" ideology finds headway in Tyler's musical circumference. All this amounts to an album that, while satisfactory with moments of great fanfare ('Runitup' and 'Juggernaut' being my two favorites), still gradually disappoints whilst compared to Tyler's renowned discography. In my eyes, Call Me If You Get Lost stands no higher than Cherry Bomb at the bottom of the totem pole looking up. Though, as the years go by, the distinction between all his records seems to be shrinking.