The exuberance and anarchistic glee on the “Radical” fully embraces his myopic nihilism. The freedom of this frame allows for a similar purging of the subconscious, which alternately lifts the album up, and then buries it. The Therapists’ recurrence here is the first hint that Goblin is more of a continuation of Bastard - in other words, Tyler still hasn’t gotten up off the couch. Clever, cultured, and crass - “c-words” we actually care about when they comes from Tyler’s mouth.These two songs lead the sweet spots on Goblin, with the former displaying the best of what was, and the latter exhibiting the best of what’s to come in Tyler’s career.Īs on his first LP, 2009’s Bastard, Tyler plays therapist to himself, literally, casting his digitally lowered asthmatic growl as the purported voice of reason. Instead of drunken synths and bloody beats, there’s a sparse drum loop Dre would be proud of, an incessant dog-yelp propelling the momentum, and thick jazz chords played clean on a piano. To the same extent, there’s the now ubiquitous “Yonkers”.
It’s prime Odd Future that jumps off the cliff with mouth-agape imagery (“rape a pregnant bitch then tell my friends I had a threesome”), too-soon cultural references (“Got a nigga shaking like the calmest fucking Haitians”), and absurdest punch-lines (“I’m awesome, and I fuck dolphins”). So after Goblin drags on well past the one-hour mark, after hearing several tracks that are musically and lyrically insulting, after ideas and themes are lazily repackaged, after Tyler and his crew spit misogynistic and homophobic raps without agency one-too-many times, there’s a bittersweet sense of pity you feel for the kid.īefore the pity sinks in, a track like “Tron Cat” digs deep into the vulgarity Tyler wears without reservations. All of his so-called shock and hype can be traced back to him being one talented teenager with a microphone which is a gift for him and to us. Undeniably, it’s Tyler’s age that carries the plot of the album to its nether reaches.
He opens his second LP Goblin with the lines “I’m a 19-year old fucking emotional coaster of pipe dreams” and converses on the title track with self-conscious acidity about perception, mindsets, fame, suicide, and, of course, the familiar juvenile venom OFWGTKA champions as a way of life. Tyler, the Creator has made some small steps in the doctor’s office all while keeping his defense mechanisms raised and his aggression palpable. What kid is ever cured after their second appointment with a therapist? It’s a process that takes a lifetime of introspection, honesty, and, most importantly, a willingness to accept change into your life.
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