Don Toliver’s third studio album, “Love Sick,” reminds me of the tunnel of love ride at a carnival—dark, intimate, and you’re put into a whole new world.
But just like the carnival ride, the album is extremely redundant. It doesn’t have any striking developments or provide anything more value than his previous work, similar to the cyclical nature of the tunnel of love.
It seems like Toliver is attempting to progress aesthetically. For instance, this album is flooded with futuristic and psychedelic instrumentals with abundant atmospheric synths. These instrumentals provide the listener with an out-of-this-world experience instead of solely using traditional trap beats like in his last two albums. All in all, it just seems like the album lacks cohesion and consistency.
However, there are few diamonds in the rough that make this album worth listening to, like “Let Her Go,” where Toliver teams up with singer James Blake. Toliver exhibits his vocal versatility here, shifting between a trap flow and a smooth R&B melody throughout his verse.
The back-and-forth between Toliver and Blake is also so infectious as both artists use their angelic voices to create a heavenly aesthetic. I’m eager to hear more about the Toliver-Blake duo.
Apart from the diamond “Let Her Go,” the album goes downhill.
“4 Me,” featuring his girlfriend Kali Uchis, is a prime example of why the album is not his greatest work. In theory, a track with his lover should fit the love-struck vibe of the album, but instead, it feels overly saturated with affection.
Uchis and Toliver’s vocals are inviting, but the song’s energy feels way too lovey-dovey lyrically and sonically to the point where it seems both artists are trying too hard to be big-hearted.
The production in this track is all over the place, as there is so much commotion in the background, which is simply irritating. It lacks some of the early tracks’ heavenly aesthetic, makings it feel out of place and not nearly as contagious to the ear.
Similarly, in “Bus Stop,” featuring singer Brent Faiyez, Toliver again includes this messy production. There are infinite layers of background vocals that feel like he’s trying to put a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn’t fit.
The lyrics of the track do not make it any less annoying. The repetition of “Okay, what about the girl in the drop-top / With the lollipop at the light, by the bus stop,” tries to create this vibe of a 70s romantic comedy with the desirable, popular girl in a vintage convertible.
This storyline is presented in Toliver’s short film, “Love Sick: Open All Day, Every Night,” which was introduced in the album’s rollout.
However, the delivery is very corny in the track and the film.
I respect Toliver for experimenting, but “Love Sick” feels as if he put more effort into creating a unique aesthetic than creating the actual music itself.
“Love Sick” is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify and other streaming services.