Album Review: Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - 'Surf'

Let’s start off by putting this simply: Surf is a modern day musical masterpiece. Dopeness Factor: 5/5.

The buildup toward this project’s release was an exciting one and when it finally dropped, it was an experience all of its own. Surprise announcement; 16 masterfully crafted tracks, with no mentions of features in sight; and absolutely FREE on iTunes! A release like no other for the mega digital content store, and an opportunity to reach millions of people and have them finally learn of the awesomeness that Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment (consisting of Chance The Rapper, Peter Cottontale, Nate Fox, and Stix) are bringing to the music world. While us lifetime fans of his were well expecting something great from Nico and the boys, the result was something even better than we could have imagined.

The album kicks off with “Miracle,” a taste of the Jazz/Soul fusion that will follow from then on, and marking the first appearance of the band’s lead singer Chance The Rapper. It’s a decent track that showcases Chano’s great lyrical ability and SoX’s excellent musicianship. The album really kicks into gear with track no. 2 “Slip Slide,” which gets an awesome trumpet riff that’s followed by percussion and synths that come together for a vaguely Latin vibe. Busta Rhymes’s and B.o.B.’s verses are a big addition, but it’s The O’My’s Maceo and his unmistakable voice on the chorus that really makes this one of the best tracks of the whole album.

*At this moment I would like to shout out the incomparable Eryn Allen Kane, whose voice is peppered throughout most of the album and who deserves some praise for pretty much being part of the band.

“Warm Enough” is a somber Jazz track that gets Noname Gypsy and Chance rapping together again, but it’s the songstress that outshines the Acid Rap man and fellow featured artist on the song, J. Cole. The music on “Nothing Came To Me” brings to mind the intro to Led Zeppelin’s “In The Light,” and it excellently serves up the campy “Wanna Be Cool.” Lyrically this is one of my favorite tracks because of its message that essentially goes against a lot of what Hip Hop glorifies, with the added benefit of having humbling verses from Big Sean and Kyle. Plus the music feels like a Michael-Quincy track, which is always a good thing. “Windows” is wonderfully introspective with Chance crying out “Don’t you look up to me now, don’t trust a word I say” to an Afro-Latin sound filled with flourishes of Spanish guitar and horns in the backdrop. Musically, it’s a real gift. “Caretaker” is pretty sweet in that it’s a mini, slow R&B track about a dude (D.R.A.M.) who’s talking about fucking fans but still wanting to “take care of you.” That’s heart, bruh.

Get Surf for FREE now on iTunes.

“Just Wait” shows the band doing their thing with bright trumpeting and a danceable beat before Chano steps in while a slower beat plays, ushering in a Bone Thugs-like outtro. “Familiar” again shows SoX taking in Latin elements on the music side with Chance, Quavo, and King Louie rapping against cut+copy+paste chicks thinking they’re unique. “SmthnthtIwnt” is pretty interesting in that it’s sort of a solo-ish track with Saba taking the vocal reins, playing like an interlude on steroids.

“Go” featuring Jesse Boykins III, is without a doubt one of the best tracks on Surf with its club-ready vibes. The hook is simple but Lili K makes it f*cking catchy as ever with those layered soulful vocals while Mike Golden and Joey Purp deliver some potent verses you’ll want to instantly memorize. “Questions” is like a mesh of Electronica and R&B, with Macie Stewart’s commanding vocals taking us on a mini journey into space. The instrumental “Something Came To Me” is experimental and chill. “Rememory” is a cool Soulful track that turns spine-tingling with the appearance of Erykah Badu at the tail end.

“Sunday Candy” is the best track I’ve heard in a very long time. It makes me happy to just hear it even well after months since its initial release, and it serves as a reminder that the gift of hearing is something worth cherishing and enriching with songs like this. It’s Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Lennon good. The album finishes off with the pleasantly Harry Nilsson-like “Pass The Vibes,” a charming and wonderful end to a beautiful work of art of an album.

Mark my words, this album is a classic. This is the sort of music you won’t ever move on from, or grow out of. For years on out Surf will be one of those albums you will be thankful for and be glad that you were actually around to hear and experience it when it was first released.

DOPENESS FACTOR