Atavista is a re-issue of rapper Childish Gambino’s (real name Donald Glover) fourth studio album, 3.15.20. Glover is a multi-talented individual who is an actor, comedian, singer, writer, director and producer, as well as a rapper. At 23 years old, he worked for Tina Fey as a writer for her show, 30 Rock. With acting he’s well known for being in the show, Community, and the show he created, Atlanta, among other roles. Music wise, he started in 2011, and has made some great music, with hit songs such as “Redbone,” “Bonfire,” “3005,” and “This Is America.” I didn’t hear the original album, 3.15.20, so I listened to this record with a fresh set of ears.
We open up the album with the track “Atavista,” which has a diverse set of synthesizers and electronic instrumentation. The introduction sounds absolutely wild, before transitioning into a groovy electric piano instrumental. I like the dreamy sound of the track, and Glover’s vocals are pleasant on the ears. The production is also amazing, which is also done by Glover. I like the Neo soul sound of this track, a strong opener to the album. A favorite. “Algorythm,” has a industrial instrumental with chugging drums and buried synths. Glover’s vocals in the verses have this robotic filter which gives it this cool synthetic sound. I like the title of the track as it’s a play on words, and the track itself is very rhythmic. I like the reference to Adam and Eve, with the line, “Pressure is to evolve, take a bite of the apple.” Following that, is the track, “Time,” which features Ariana Grande. Once again, I like the production on this track with that electronic drum beat that sounds like something off of Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. Both Glover and Ariana’s vocals sound angelic on this track with that soaring synth bass. I like how they’re singing about trying to find direction and meaning in a complicated world. It’s relatable and the lyrics are incredibly well-written. I like the gospel choir featured on the track as well. “Maybe all the stars in the night are really dreams. Maybe this whole world ain’t exactly what it seems.”
Following that we get another futuristic soul track, “Psilocybae (Millennial Love),” featuring 21 Savage, Ink, and Kadhja Bonet. I like Glover’s mix of rapping and singing on the track, and 21 Savage’s verse is something that I wouldn’t have thought to fit on a synth-infused R&B track, but somehow it does, and his contribution adds a lot to the track. I also like the bridge from psychedelic soul singer Kadhja Bonet. The track does go on kinda long, but it’s enjoyable and all of the artists on it do a phenomenal job. After that, we have “To Be Hunted,” which has funky uptempo production, and in it, Glover sings about self-love and how fame is connected to it. As he says in the chorus, “To be beautiful is to be hunted.” The message of the track is communicated well without coming off as preachy, or self-absorbed, rather it is very self-aware. I don’t know why Apple Music classifies this album as a rap album, because musically it would be better classified as psychedelic funk or neo-soul. Another favorite.
“Sweet Thang,” featuring Summer Walker, is probably one of my least favorite tracks off the album as I don’t like some of the more nasally vocals from Glover, as he sounds like Mr. Lunt from Veggie Tales at some points. The track is also way too long at seven minutes and six seconds and that bass instrumental gets incredibly boring after a while. There’s some good moments like Glover’s first two verses, with the angelic choir in the background. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but there’s not enough variety on this track to keep me engaged. Summer Walker’s contribution is nice, as her vocals are beautiful, but overall I’m just not a massive fan of this track. “Little Foot Big Foot,” featuring Young Nudy is a catchy track which has a warm and sunny instrumental that cheers me up, I’m definitely going to have this track on repeat. It’s a track that needs to be played at parties as it’s very groovy and has a infectious drum rhythm as well. Both of the artists contribute a lot to this track, and I like the beat switch that occurs right before Young Nudy’s verse. Another favorite. The Bigfoot/drug dealer analogy is an interesting one. After a brief interlude, “Why Go To The Party,” we get the track, “Human Sacrifice,” which has grimey production, with tribal-like drums and minimalist synths. The track has themes of loneliness and faith in a higher power. It’s not a super complicated track as the verses are short, and the production is more of a focal point as it goes through different phases throughout the track. Another favorite, even though it goes on a bit long. “The Violence,” is another long track but I really like the percussion and electric piano in the instrumental, and Glover’s vocals are very vibrant. I like the positive message of the track, encouraging the audience to not worry about tomorrow and that they’ll get through whatever is troubling them. Finally, we close the album off with, “Final Church,” which features a mixture of Glover rapping and singing. I love the hard hitting guitar rap beat, aggressive raps in the verses, and the soothing vocals of Glover in the chorus. It ends off the album on a high note.
Atavista is a strong album, which features excellent performances not only from Glover, but from the featured artists as well. Some of the tracks go on too long, but Glover and the guests make the album engaging enough for the listener, so they don’t get bored. There’s one or two weaker tracks, but I really loved the 70s funk throwback sounds mixed with the futuristic soul/alt-R&B sounds. The instrumentation and production by Glover, DJ Dahi, and others really make the tracks pop out and I want to listen to even more of Childish Gambino’s music, as I’ve only heard singles. He’s an incredibly talented man, and I look forward to what he does in the future.
Overall Score: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: “Algorhythm,” “Psilocybae (Millenial Love),” “To Be Hunted,” “Little Foot Big Foot,” “Human Sacrifice”
Least Favorite Tracks: “Sweet Thang”
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTugYhdMDEY
Genres: Alternative Hip Hop/Neo Soul