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The rise and fall of Odd Future happened in a blink of an eye, you might have missed it, but one of its surprise successes may have just released a breath of fresh R&B air that reminds us of their importance.

 

The third release by OFWGKA graduates, The Internet, is their strongest and most confident to date.

 

Team Syd the Kid and Matt Martians take us on a tour through the late nineties and early noughties when R&B and Hip Hop were the biggest genres on the planet. The opening track, ‘Get Away’ is a snappy example of Martians’ thump bumpy bass heavy production, effortlessly complimented by Syd’s spookily seductive tones. Close your eyes and it's Timbaland and Aaliyah at their very best.

 

‘Special Affair’, ‘Somthing’s Missing’ and ‘Under Control’ all owe their sounds to the Neo Soul kings and queens Erykah Badu, NERD and Frank Ocean.

 

‘Girl’ featuring the unmistakable bounce and beat of a Kaytranda production stands strong. ‘Just Sayin/I Tried’ is Syd at her sassy supreme, you can virtually hear the door slamming behind when she says “I don’t even want you/Can’t believe I wrote another song about you”. By the end, the song slips into a bittersweet slow jam as she jokes to herself that “Maybe one day we’ll find common ground/When the ocean’s cold and all the pig’s fly”.

 

This is an album made by fans, who know what they like and how they like it. The humble nature of the album cover reminds us that this isn’t the all too familiar story of a young girl who can shake her arse and read lyrics, particularly prominent in R&B. It is wonderfully nostalgic but void of the tired clichés that have become synonymous with urban music. A mid-tempo masterpiece, brimming with swagger and style.

 

Fav Songs:  

- ‘Just Sayin’/I Tried’

- ‘Special Affair’

- 'Get Away’