André 3000 stunned fans a year and a half ago when he released his new age instrumental album New Blue Sun. The at times polarizing project found him breaking out beyond hip-hop boundaries into new territory for better or for worse. One audacious step is usually followed by another, and Dré 3K does just that with the release of his new EP 7 piano sketches.
7 piano sketches makes the inventive New Blue Sun seem exceptionally polished in comparison. That’s because, according to the artist himself, the set was never really intended for public consumption. “These piano pieces weren’t recorded with the intention of presenting them in any formal way to the public,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. “They were personal, at home recordings. I would sometimes text them to my family and friends.” They do, indeed, feel personal thanks to the majority of them being recorded on an iPhone.
The slightly ridiculous titling of songs is back again. However, this time the titles are read aloud before Dré begins playing each track. In some cases, it works. For one song in particular (you’ll know which one), the reading of the title lasts longer than the actual piano playing and doesn’t justify what comes after. Still, André isn't too shabby of a piano player and his influences — McCoy Tyner, Vince Guaraldi, Thelonious Monk and others — are evident. But there are moments where the listener is left to wonder what these sketches could have blossomed into.
While we applaud André 3000 demystifying the creative process, this would’ve been cooler as a series of videos on his socials or even a one-off pop-up event. As it stands, it feels more like a release to fill a contractual obligation rather than an actual artistic statement. We won’t go as far as to say that he needs to drop the rap album everyone expects, but we will say that we would love to hear a more fully-baked project from one of the greatest creatives of his generation.
André 3000 7 piano sketches [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
