Big foot little foot get out of the way, Gambino’s back and makes his stay. The once poorly mixed, eye brow raising vocals, and empty instrumentals have been swapped out for a more complete vision for Gambino’s 2020 album 3.15.20. But are the newly mixed vocals, songs, and instrumentals able to transform 3.15.20 to the ending of Gambino’s musical adventure. I think it does and I’ll explain why.
Atavista:
For starters, this song is a new song, something that was not in 3.15.20 and I think it’s a really good addition to the album. Its opening is thought provoking, eerie, and puts you in a mood of wanting more Gambino. Its eerie chord progressions evoke something out of luigi’s mansion and I fucking love it. The static, keyboards blend with its smoother creamier counterparts, creating an irresistible blend for our ears to consume. Instrumentals are honestly just really solid. Its sudden shift to the main beat was also an excellent touch, something that just screams Gambino. The main instrumentals remind me of super mario sunshine, something much more tropical, a complete shift from its opening instrumentals. The song itself seems to fit into Gambino’s earlier works of Kauai, a very tropical, sexual, and cool album. Gambino’s voice itself, mm mm mm. The vocals seem much more fresh than 3.15.20 and I’m all for it. The lyrics are simple yet groovy due to the almost perfect vocal deliveries from Gambino. The glockenspiel was also a very nice touch, a nice lead into the second verse and continuing that nice smooth tropical tone. Overall the song is a nice opening to an album I never thought I would see. Solid 8.
Algorythm
Its ok. It seems almost identical to its predecessor but its blurry instrumentals, weirdly mixed vocals, and questionable song structure just makes this song an ok. The name itself is clever I guess but the song is just a little hard to listen to. Gambino’s voice is mixed to sound very menacing, trying to emphasize the idea of whatever hes trying to say to be honest. The lyrics itself are also quite strange, it seems like Gambino is trying to convey some cyberpunk idea but also dancing?? I have no. The song, despite being so complex just seems really bland, its concrete and stiff instrumentals give barely any room to think and comprehend what you’re listening and the rare times where Gambino sings, it just gets drowned out by weirdly mixed echoes and beats that sound like 808’s phonk. Algorythm is a stiff and robotic 5.
Time
There are quite a few changes to this song, for better or for worse. First of all, the mixing is drastically different, bringing out the vocals better and the instrumentals sound less static. Its opening beat has also been diluted heavily, its original, boasted loud 8bit sounds and was accompanied with a more complex and stagnant beat. The new one on the other hand feels lighter but still highlights a robotic feel to it. Still going on with the robotic feel, the once echoey and strained vocals Gambino possessed on the track has been swapped out with a smoother and more tolerable voice, matching perfectly with its feature, Ariana Grande. Gambino also has more vocals in the intro and Ariana accompanies this with adlibs and vocal runs. When the original song was released back in 2020, it was practically unlistenable for me so it was nice to see that I can actually enjoy and listen to this song fully. However, the last 2 minutes dive into a very weird territory, the instrumentals feel more off and the original song kicks in, Gambino’s vocals become more murky as the instrumentals are brought out to the front. This choice though, is something I’m quite happy with as the piano runs that then transforms to a short solo end the song on a very positive note. Time is a solid 7.
Psilocybae
Im a bit iffy with this song. It’s a solid song that doesn’t try to be something too loud and crazy and does what it wants to do best. Gambino’s vocal runs and vocals in general are highlighted very well in this song, pushing along the very simple but stoic instrumentals. Its lackluster beat however does sometimes make the song feel very long but its nothing bad or concerning. Its features are literally the only thing that keeps this ball of a song rolling. This song just feels really long and it really shows with its 6:30 runtime. The rap from 21k is solid and something I have no problems with. But just when you wanna fall asleep, Kadjha Bonet comes in and honestly saves this song. The instrumentals start to swirl, the beats kick in, and the stacked vocals are really nice. There are at times where the vocals get a bit overboard as well as the instrumentals with Gambino putting in really random noises reminiscent of a storm trooper laserbolt and really high pitched noises. This is a song that exists, adds depth to the album and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Psychobaby is a strong 6.
To be Hunted:
Arguably my favourite song in this entire album, I give this song a strong 9. This song was originally my favourite in 3.15.20 but there were so many small errors to the song that it bugged me on how these small problems could be avoided. Gambino seems to have listened to my prayers and changed nearly all of the small problems. First of all, the intro has been changed, there seems to be more instrumentals added to the main melody and its honestly so much better. 3.15.20 was littered with a lot of empty instrumentals and rushed parts so its nice to see the artistic vision Gambino wanted to make. The tune itself is groovy as fuck, the beats are choppy and heavy, and Gambino’s vocals fucking rock. Im just infatuated at the beats to be honest. Its heavy, blocky, chunky, and it pushes the song so well in terms of dynamics, timing, and just filling space. The lyrics are a little basic but it highlights exactly what Gambino wants to tell so I aint complaining. The stacked vocals and ad libs on top of the already empowering instrumentals just make this song so so fucking good. In the final parts of the song you hear the off-putting instrumentals return and at this point it just works so well, it seems to be a recurring theme Gambino adds, this constant ominous sound that lingers throughout the album is such a creative touch and it really pays off. This song’s repeatability is also so easy, the once empty hissing and ticking that plagued the ending is finally gone and just ends this song on such a solid note. To reiterate my score, very strong 9.
Little Foot Big Foot is just genuinely a fun song. Its bubbly, whimsical energy really highlights Gambino’s performer side as this song embraces a very childish and comedic tone. The guitar is a vibe and the clapping beats just make this song really fun. The adlibs in this song are also very nice. Little Foot Big Foot continues to be repetitive but its so catchy you can’t even complain, and even when you hear the same thing over and over again, Gambino presents it in new ways that stays fresh and simple. The beat switches and vocal runs really keeps you locked in to the song and despite Gambino’s short and lackluster verses, the instrumentals and chorus makes sure to keep you entertained. The beat switch into the rap verse from Young Nudy was a little unexpected but the doubt only stays in your mind for a bit. I have never heard of Young Nudy before but he did a pretty good job. Little Foot Big Foot maintains a solid 8.
I almost forgot to write my opinions for sweet thang. Uhm, it’s a song that fucking exists to be honest. The 7 minute runtime is a massive head scratcher because I don’t see anyone actually wanting to listen to that weak shit for 7 minutes but ehh I did so other people will. Its wacky and artistic but its so boring. The fact that I even forgot about this song proves how lackluster it is. Poopy-di scoop I give it a weak 5. (I’ll probably update this opinion in the future)
Right now Human Sacrifice, and The Violence are both solid songs, theyre nice, vibrant and just add more to Atavista, both songs are solid 7.
Finally, the big finale, Final Church. Final Church and To Be Hunted are my two favourite songs so this next paragraph is gonna contain a lot of glazing. Jumping straight into the song, Gambino opens up with chilling instrumentals and a scream sing that resonates throughout the rest of the track. The rapping-singing is amazing and captivated me throughout the entire song. Gambino is a ball of energy on this track, jumping from rapping to singing, and ending with a harrowing scream, the song ends the album on a very high, high. The beats are perfect, going band for band with Gambino’s vocals and the instrumentals that progressively get louder and louder. The song progressively gets more and more loud, more messy, more complex, and its just such a nice breath of fresh air. The haunting choir chants in the background all combine to add more and more layers to the song.
Overall, Atavista is a vast improvement to its flawed predecessor. The mixing is much better and all vocals that remind me of “California” (Awaken my love) have been removed. The balance of sound is much better and the new instrumentals add a new layer of oomph. Atavista is a very strong opening track to a very strong album. I look forward to Gambino’s final album and I welcome the start of Gambino’s grand exit from the music world with a raving review. Atavista, a strong 8.
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