Local Review: Whysir – Imaginary Friends

Whysir
Imaginary Friends

646236 Records DK
Street: 01.17
Whysir = Twenty One Pilots + Mac Miller

With his third album, Whysir continues to bring his brand of experimental hip-hop to the masses by blending spoken word, spacey distorted beats and the flow unique to Whysir’s style. Imaginary Friends starts out chaotically with the track “Driftin ft Terence McKenna,” which features the beat of a simple hi-hat and a heavily distorted bass. You will hear throughout the album many experimental elements, like the bpm of each track fluctuating. This can work against him, as the spoken work delivery does not flow as neatly with some faster-paced tracks as it does on tracks that are slower, like “Without You” and “A Call to Arms.” For me, the best track on the album is “Ain’t Mad.” It features a slow, jazz-inspired beat and voice effects that create an atmosphere similar to Mac Miller’s Watching Movies with the Sound Off. The lyrics are political but are in no way pushing an agenda, it seems, which is impressive. Imaginary Friends still allows for some fun tracks, like “Best Rapper” and “Wild,” where both have less personal subject matter and, at least in “Wild,” a pretty goofy beat.

Overall, this album stands out in the current scene strictly based on its delivery, but I feel like Whysir’s flow has sounded more natural on past albums. On Imaginary Friends, it sounded forced at times. I do like the direction his choice of beats is going in. This album features some darker samples and instrumentals, which really go well with Whysir’s delivery when the bpm isn’t cranked too high. If you are a fan of heartfelt poetry-style rap, Imaginary Friends would be a decent addition to your collection. You can check out Imaginary Friends on iTunes or Spotify. –Connor Brady