Earl Alchemist Voir Dire review
Voir Dire by Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist is an immersive 11-song album akin to cosmic horror in both beat & rhyme. “Cosmic horror” is a subgenre of horror/weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible, rather than gore or shock value– and with Earl Sweatshirt soon becoming a Dad (as revealed on tracks “27 Braids” and “Mac Deuce”), fear/excitement of the unknown definitely played a part in the creation of this album.
The production by Alchemist on Voir Dire is a bit foreign. There are songs on this album that display Alchemist‘s signature “wet” and “dark”, atmospheric vibe, like on “27 Braids“, but much of the Voir Dire album sounds like it could’ve been co-produced by MIKE, Earl, or someone else native to the Tan Cressida group. The beats feel tailor-made for Earl‘s style of rap, and doesn’t feel like Earl reached into a bag on Alchemist‘s throwaways to find beats for an album– and that’s a GOOD thing, showing Alchemist‘s range of ability to produce for different rapper styles.
★★★1/2–★★★★: Very good; fans of the artist will find value here.
Odd Future OFWGKTA reunion – August 2023 (minus Hodgy Beats and Left Brain)
Earl Alchemist Voir Dire review
Rating Categories:
★★★★★: Best in show; pinnacle release from an all-time great artist.
★★★★1/2: Stellar example of genre; peak potential.
★★★★: Excellent; recommended to all fans of artist or genre.
★★★1/2: Very good; a few bland songs or minor flaws throughout.
★★★: Good; fans of the artist will find value here.
★★1/2: Average; does little to establish the artist or maintain quality.
★★: Unexceptional; a few highlights but otherwise bland.
★1/2: Weak; unrecommended for anyone but major fans of the style and/or artist.
★: Seriously flawed; very poor work but relatively listenable.
1/2: Terrible; a true embarrassment and akin to audio masochism.