Awaken, My Love!- Review

“Awaken My Love!”, is the third studio album released by actor, producer, writer, and recording artist Donald Glover (better known under the alias Childish Gambino) on December 2nd, 2016, and is yet another achievement in his creative escapades that he can tuck under his belt. Gambino succeeded in promoting hype for his long awaited album; before releasing his two singles, “Me and Your Mama” and “Redbone”, he oversaw the design of a smartphone app, PHAROS Earth, which included a countdown feature and the ability to purchase tickets to an exclusive performance in Joshua Tree Hill, California. There he performed “Me and Your Mama”, two months before its actual release date; the song’s jarring sound from his original genre of music psyched the audience and left bystanders wondering where exactly Glover would direct his creativity next. Delving away from his characteristic hip hop and rap, Gambino integrates elements of psychedelic soul, funk, and R&B into this 11 track composition. Though tacked with the occasional flaws, ultimately “Awaken My Love!” is a compelling reason to keep Childish Gambino on your radar.

Gambino wails, he rips on the guitar, he escalates into airy falsettos- this album is unconventional and unexpected in the musical realm he was operating in beforehand, and that’s what propels the album’s significance further and renders it worthy of praise. He tinkers with his vocals and sounds, noteworthy in the song “Redbone” which is sung in full Prince-esque falsetto. Exemplified in “Terrified”, “Baby Boy”, and “The Night Me and Your Mama Met”, songs also feature spacey bass lines, odd sonic manipulations, and winding guitar solos-refreshing to an audience that has been subject to his previous spastic attempts at rap. Another highlight is Gambino’s single, “Me and Your Mama”, which seduces the listener’s ears with a twinkling intro/outro and is performed with perhaps the most rawness found on the entire album.

Throughout “Awaken”, Gambino crafts his music with a twist reminiscent of 70’s funk, and also manages to ground his music with modern day context. We find him reaching deep into his voice and into his heart: he channels an energy that has previously been unseen from the artist, perhaps suggesting he has found a genre platform he is comfortable with. His previous albums, like “Camp”, come off with a slightly sour flavor, as he was often battling the criticizers and close minded listeners of his musical work; “Because the Internet” was a less imaginatively confined creation, although its meaning was often distorted and abstruse to interpret through its lengthy 19-track compilation.“Awaken” seems sincere, a genuine expression of Gambino’s sentiments. He’s no post-Funkadelic god, but for this bold venture into some of today’s musical roots, I applaud Childish Gambino for his experimentation with his sound.

His echoing choirs and resounding vocals seem to hail a message, all right- but what message exactly? Gambino’s album is rife with intricate utterances, but seldom laced with poignant meaning. This is one of the album’s downfalls; he reaches out to hit some sort of relevant political context, but misses his mark. The album’s title itself is a suggestion to the world, that love needs to be treasured, valued and ‘awoken’ now more than ever. You can note his nods to the state of current political affairs (”so stay woke!” stands out in “Redbone”, along with "Though we're not the one, but in the bounds of your mind, we have done the crime" in “Boogieman”) but his lyrics are often broad, vague and non-expansive. At best, this is a cheery, well-meaning album to vibe to, but at the end of the day Gambino’s strengths lie in his music, not his meaning. The lack of original lyricism holds this album in a disparity most artists find themselves trapped in, the vast purgatory between good and great.

The album flows in cohesive synergy, apart from one cringe worthy ditty- “California”. Delivered in an unsolicited beachy twang, “California” disrupts the flow of the album and leaves most wondering (especially following the pleasing “Redbone”, if listened into in track order)-”What the heck did I just listen to?” Despite this musical mishap, the rest of “Awaken” is composed with positive direction as the tracks slowly segue from raucous to refined.

Overall, “Awaken My Love!” is a prominent example of the versatility and talent Childish Gambino brings to the table. His odyssey to find his true sound is still flawed and in the works, but one has to admire the eccentric authenticity and zealousness that Gambino brings to each album. “Awaken My Love!” definitely deserves your listen-if not for the groovy, soul-filled jams, then for the refreshing sound of a unique artist that has taken yet another progressive step in his career.

Rating: 7.5/10