Rating: NN
Emo-rapper Kid Cudi went on an angry Twitter rampage recently because he believes his label is under-promoting his new alt-rock duo project, WZRD. But despite the label’s apparent lack of confidence, the self-titled debut has actually had a pretty good first week on the charts. Just don’t expect the good sales to last once people actually hear the thing. These directionless, half-baked jams may show a young artist trying to find himself and mature, but he sure isn’t there yet.
To be fair, these hip-hop-influenced stoner rock grooves are marginally better than Lil Wayne’s ill-advised foray into hard rock, but that’s not saying much. Cudi just isn’t enough of a singer or guitarist to pull this off, and his overly earnest confessional lyrics make you feel like you’re sneaking a peek at an awkward teenager’s diary. Though less rock-inspired tracks like The Dream Time Machine reveal he’s still got something worth paying attention to, overall he seems to be running away from what we actually like about Kid Cudi.
Top track: The Dream Time Machine
