!

Trippie Redd's rapid rise from anonymous Midwestern Soundcloud rapper to emo rap superstar was driven largely by his gift for infectious sung melodies and how effectively he delivered them with a voice not quite like any of his peers. Looking as much to angsty rock acts as Southern rap pioneers, Trippie's sound was dark, depressive, and emotionally unfiltered. By the time of his 2018 debut studio album, Life's a Trip, his style had evolved with his growing fame, reaching out in different musical directions while retaining the uniquely raw melodic sensibilities that had come to define him. Second album ! continues Trippie's restless attempts to branch out both musically and emotionally. The most compelling moments are also the most unexpected, like the theatrical MIDI horns and string sections that glide through "Under Enemy Arms" or the minimal R&B arrangement and plaintive acoustic guitars in the instrumental of "Keep Your Head Up" that support shifting rap flows and pleading sung choruses. Songs made up entirely of rapping show up here and there, like on the hazy trap of "MAC 10," but ! largely finds Trippie Redd crawling through the shadows of his soul and singing out from the darkness. ~ Fred Thomas