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9.4/10
slowthai comes through with an unexpected but beautifully executed punk/hip-hop project, following his half-hard-hitting half saddening 2021 release 'TYRON'. 'UGLY' takes a deep dive into slowthai's mindset, emotions, personal struggles, and frustrations, making for a gut-wrenchingly beautiful journey of a listen.
The first two tracks on the album, "Yum" and "Selfish", are two of the most outstanding on the album in terms of production. "Yum" comes through with a rough, grimy, industrial feeling instrumental that hits you in the chest, with slowthai's theatrical vocal performance on top of that--you can tell that slowthai poured his heart out into this track. He seems to be frustrated with his therapist, paying so much for breathing exercises, as he demonstrates through deep breathing into the mic, an interesting and anxiety-inducing detail. I love how "Yum" goes through so many different beats, it really draws you into wanting to hear what might come next. "Selfish" offers up similar grimy production, with rough and deep synths, a distressing bass, and punchy drums. I love the grittiness in his voice on this track--it's like he's talking with a clenched jaw. The lyrics are vulnerable, talking about how he's just "thinking for himself", and he seems frustrated that this is how he is.
"Sooner" is a more upbeat-sounding track that does sound a bit out of place following the harrowing duo of "Yum" and "Selfish", but the production is again perfection. I love how the drums switch up here and there, drawing you into slowthai's words. Lyrically, this track seems that slowthai is trying to accept the fact that he gets sad sometimes, trying to suppress this sadness by saying "we all get sad sometimes" and distracting himself with his phone. The melody is solid on this track, most notably in the chorus. "Feel Good" follows a track that isn't too stand out instrumentally, with a basic pop-punky drum & guitar beat that doesn't change much as the track progresses, but is lyrically intriguing. slowthai is so happy that it "hurts his insides", seems like he's putting on a happy face in public, while he's truly suffering on the inside. The fact that this track has a more upbeat melody and instrumental also sells this fake happiness; a genius touch.
"Never Again" is lyrically the most gutting track on the album, accompanied by a slow-paced, minimalistic down-tempo beat that adds to the emotion. The beginning offers up depressing lyrics about his depressive state, saying: “My shadow stayed on the wall, I walked away, I never thought I’d see you again, 24 hours passed, another day”. slowthai then goes through telling a story about a breakup that he's still trying to get over, then overhearing at the barber's shop about the death of that ex-girlfriend--it's agonizing to listen to, and impossible not to get a somewhat teary-eyed listening to. "I still sleep on your side of the bed" was sickening to hear.
"Fuck It Puppet" is a short but hard-hitting track, definitely a head bobber. I love the punchy mix of the drums, and boom-bap sounding keys accompanied by a slightly distorted bass, reminding me of something off of Black Thought's 'Cheat Codes'. "HAPPY" follows a track about slowthai craving happiness, saying "I would give everything for a smile". The drums are satisfyingly punky, meshing perfectly with the stunning electric guitar, which fully lets loose at the end. The bright synth in the background is also a wonderful touch, really opening up the track and adding this grand feel. "UGLY" showcases some singing from slowthai, which was pleasantly surprising to hear--he has a solid voice! slowthai is venting in this track, and you can hear his frustration through his angry adlibs and gut-wrenching screams during his spelling of "ugly". "Falling" is another short and sweet track, with beautiful reverbed vocal production, giving a spacey feel. The slight distortion on the guitar also adds a wonderful sinister texture. The rawness and emotion in slowthai's voice, especially on "away, away, away, away" is gorgeous. It's another track where slowthai seems to be letting everything out.
"Wotz Funny" is a track that grew on me. At first, I didn't understand its place on the album lyrically and didn't think it stood out instrumentally. With more listens, the distorted bass at the beginning took hold of me, the dirty electric guitar the same, and the catchy chorus (which would be amazing to dance to live). slowthai seems to again be venting his frustrations, but this time targeting individuals. Slowthai repeats “what’s funny?” in reference to how what he’s saying is a problem and nobody should find it comedic. One thing that is comedic about this track, though, is the little skittish snippet at the end. It does kind of lift the mood a bit since this album is so dreary and sad, but it is slightly out of place. "Tourniquet" contains a wonderful layer of piano and is littered with beautiful elevating strings. I also loved the touch of that siren-sounding synth that came in during the bridge, adding to the emotion. slowthai talks about how he keeps making mistakes and how he’s not learning from them--it seems that he's become desensitized, becoming "bored of everyone" and having a "diluted" and "polluted" mind. Closing the album is the beautiful acoustic guitar-based track "25% Club". slowthai yet again comes through with great vocals and a solid melody. I love the fullness this track has from the plucky guitar to the layers of vocals, the reverb is perfect all around. The track ends beautifully with what sounds like slowthai shivering or breaking down, along with the sounds of a thunderstorm, making for a theatrical sound. It's a gorgeous closer lyrically, with slowthai seeming to want to take the pain away and rebuild.
slowthai proves that he's a force to be reckoned with on "UGLY", coming through with moments of hip-hop, punk, and elements of noise-rock nearly flawlessly set up on a singular project. Who knows what genre he'll take on next?
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