Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I’ve Made (Macklemore LLC, 2016)
Macklemore’s follow-up to 2012’s The Heist is by all means a mixed bag. On one hand, songs like “Light Tunnels,” “Growing Up” and “Kevin” offer emotional perspectives into fatherhood and making it in the music industry. In these songs, Macklemore offers vivid recollections of his experiences that both inspire and evoke emotion. However, songs like “Let’s Eat” and “Brad Pitt’s Cousin” just make you shake your head as Macklemore’s bars are at their corniest. The song “White Privilege II,” while offering a fresh perspective on race relations, fails to come to a solid point or offer any real substantial solutions on these issues. Despite a few shortcomings however, Macklemore proves himself as a vivid storyteller, aided by the colourful production of his partner in crime Ryan Lewis.
Trial Song: “Light Tunnels”
7/10
