ALBUM REVIEW: california condor - earl

this album is ear candy to the hip hop lover. composed and produced by earl, a 16 year old freshman at berklee college of music currently getting his degree in jazz composition, it features 6 different mcs from all over the U.S, each with distinct sounds. in addition to being a very enjoyable and easy listen given earl’s masterful fusion of funk, jazz, soul, and r&b beats in combination with his features’ skillful flows, this album is also very well written and has strong conceptual elements. themes of air travel, skies, and flying run throughout. 

despite its relatively short length, lasting only 19 minutes with a mere 7 songs, the different featured artists make each song so distinct and rich with talent that it remains an immersive and involved listen. 

the first track major league starts with a lowkey, ambient beat accompanied by the low, monotone flow of the track’s feature, blakkat melrose. with a short duration of 1:46, major league prepares the listener for the euphoric sound of the next track, all we c is blue. i recognized this beat immediately, as it samples maybe, if i leave you by richmond international, which is also sampled in boom bap legend westside gunn’s classic, love u. featuring rap and heavenly vocals from ejrpg, all we c is blue has an uplifting sound and lyrical meaning. I can’t help but feel encouraged by ejrpg’s ethereal chorus “yeah we gon ride the wave till all we see is blue”.

The 3rd track on the album, boeing 737, has a madlib-mf doom reminiscent jazz beat, that kicks in after a heavenly choir intro. with incredibly well written lyrics spit by rashawn stallworth, this track tells the story of a man taking a flight on an airplane, paranoid that something will go wrong. he tries to ignore his anxiety by focusing on the on-flight amenities and seducing a flight attendant, but during his hookup with her, he wakes up and realizes it's all been a dream. this song kept me on my seat with every bar.

the next track, records, built off of a fast paced repetitive jazz rhythm, features vxid, rapping on beat with an erratic, funky, kendrick lamar on tpab type flow. only lasting 1:56, i feel that it serves as an interlude, especially after hearing the following track, superba st. ejrpg’s heavenly uplifting vocals and rap talent reappear on this track, with another euphoric soul-based beat from earl. it ends in a skit where someone appears to get into a fight with a sped up voice speaking gibberish, which i think is a clever addition to the album.

the 6th track feels like its most significant element, sharing the same name as the album, it features rashawn stallworth and his paranoid persona over a beautiful but slightly foreboding soul beat. he seems to be desperately looking for “the california condor”, presumably some sort of godly figure who can offer him peace. the last track of the album valley, featuring amiri and noah sneed, has a lowkey, slightly uneasy feel, and ends the album on a more serious note that, in my opinion, strengthens its lasting impression on the listener. 

overall, california condor is 100% worth the listen. its a beautiful showcase of various mc and vocal talent, and masterfully produced and arranged. although all of the contributors to this project are relatively small, blakkat melrose being the largest with just over 30,000 monthly spotify listeners, this album shines due to its uniqueness and the talent of everyone involved in its creation. 

listen to the album here

follow earl's insta here