17

About

The introduction for XXXTENTACION's debut album is called "The Explanation," but it's more like a demand. Speaking in a tone just above a whisper, the 19-year-old implores listeners to take residence in his damaged psyche, a living arrangement that involves both surrender and a trip to the dark side. Released less than a year before his tragic death, <i>17</i> is a forlorn constellation of indie rock, alt-R&B, nimble rap, and engrossing emotion. Coated in shadowy thoughts and flurries of sullen melody, <i>17</i> largely neglects the explosiveness of X's previous works; you won't find the propulsive nihilism of "RIP Roach" or the demented euphoria of "Look At Me!" And yet it's no less intense. Sandwiched between ambient coos and supple acoustic string, "Everybody Dies In Their Nightmares" packages suicidal thoughts in a lullaby; X's muted tone evokes the quiet disaffection of someone who accepts depression as life's only constant. If "Nightmares" is the sound of grim acquiescence, "Save Me" is a soundtrack for exasperation, with its dazed strings and X's emotive yelps emitting a destructive brand of isolation. That desperation surfaces again on "F**k Love," a longing, Trippie Redd–assisted single that renders their shouts as a painful last-ditch love letter. It’s a detour for what’s largely an exercise in fatalistic calm. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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