Summary:The debut full-length studio release for the Irish rapper features guest appearances from Amine, Anna of the North, Jesse Boykins III, Ebenezer, Micah Freeman, Krondon, Cam O'bi, Caroline Smith, James Solomon, and Dana Williams.
Dear Annie is a stunning odyssey through hip-hop, R&B, pop and beyond, one that will lend itself to both wintry nights in and blissed-out parties this summer.
You could call Dear Annie the first major Irish hip-hop album, but it seems more accurate to say it’s a solid debut by a rapper whose nationality seems beside the point--which is pretty obviously what it intends to be.
Overall Dear Annie is pleasant, with other highlights including Mon Amour, Pink Lemonade (mostly for its gorgeously woozy production) and Egyptian Luvr, but it could have benefitted from losing some filler and gaining just a little more dynamism from Rejjie himself.
He’s so dedicated to synthesizing his most obvious influences--channeling Tyler, the Creator and N.E.R.D. down to their throat-clearing ad-libs and neo-New Jack funk--that he hasn’t quite established an identity of his own. That failing doesn’t dull the jams or diminish his evident potential, but it does hold him back.
Dear Annie is a decent album that doesn't get as much recognition or love amongst the mainstream of music listeners, and I believe it shouldDear Annie is a decent album that doesn't get as much recognition or love amongst the mainstream of music listeners, and I believe it should receive more love and airtime. However, the album does have it's problems. The tone of the album is consistent and is a strength for Rejjie, as crossing over boundaries of genre can be difficult and creating a solid distinct sound during so is even more challenging. The tone of the album is what I would describe as sleepy and melancholic, drawing comparisons to other R&B artists of this era and borderline rappers like Tyler the Creator. Beyond these strengths, the album does suffer from a lack of adventure and the most common complaint is that all the tracks sound the same. There is some truth in this, and while a theme is important it is also important to expand your abilities and give listeners a refresh every once in a while. I think this album is underrated still, and rating it as an album it doesn't score nearly as high as if I was to rate it as a piece of art. Side note, the return to skits and intermissions that blend throughout the album is a nice touch.
Favorite Track: Greatness
Least Favorite Track: Bye Polar…Expand
At 20 tracks, this is quite bloated and unnecessarily long for a debut album. Nonetheless, it's interesting seeing a rapper from Ireland haveAt 20 tracks, this is quite bloated and unnecessarily long for a debut album. Nonetheless, it's interesting seeing a rapper from Ireland have a style that's blatantly influenced by artists such as Tyler, the Creator. The first half of the album struggles to really deliver, with only a few tracks really coming through and impressing me, ("Pink Lemonade", "Egyptian Luvr" and "Spaceships",) and the interludes don't add much and are just sort of irritating. The second half of the album picks up, but I still have a couple of issues with it overall. I really enjoy when Rejjie raps normally like on "The Ends," but it feels like for the majority of the album he puts on a 'silky' rapping voice, and it's not as enjoyable to me. The album is decent, but would be much better if it was cut to 12 tracks.…Expand
This is a horrible album. There's a line between being influenced by an artist and being a flat out copycat, and while Rejjie Snow does tryThis is a horrible album. There's a line between being influenced by an artist and being a flat out copycat, and while Rejjie Snow does try and carve out his own name in the music scene he is so blatantly an N.E.R.D. and Tyler, The Creator copycat. The album is boring, repetitive and sometimes so mind-numbingly repetitive and flat out mindless that I physically cringe listening to it.
There are some bright spots on the album, but most of them come from the shimmering instrumentals and the features, particularly Amine on Egyptian Luvr and Ebenezer on Spaceships, and the Anna Of The North-featuring Charlie Brown, which was a relief following a slog of Tyler, The Creator copycat tunes with choruses so annoying it made me want to bash my own brains out.
The worst song on the album, the sickly sweet Desole is so horribly composed and has a hook that, when sung in it's original French sounds alright, but if you have the slightest amount of knowledge of the French language you would know that it literally translates to 'I Am Sorry', which is a chorus so annoying and dumb that it ruins a run of increasingly improving tracks and reduces that run to a slog of boring Flower Boy knockoffs.
This whole album sounds like Flower Boy and Cherry Bomb rejects and while i commend some of the beautiful, relaxing instrumentals, Rejjie's sound and lyrics are at the centerpoint of my criticism, and there is way too much material and too little ideas for it's 60 minute runtime. Shameful stuff and the worst of the year so far in my opinion.…Expand
