Curry lays down his most philosophical bars, speaking on his mental health and the systematic injustices in America. “Mental” is the final slow-paced cut on the album, featuring poet Saul Williams and underground singer Bridget Perez. This does not mean it is a weak song, but when compared to others on the album, it simply does not compare.
Of all the solo cuts on the album, this one is the weakest. It is a shame because the beat is one of the best on the album. On this track, he does not really have anything meaningful to say that he hasn’t already said before. “The Last” is another moody, airy cut, but Curry focuses more on melody than on bars. The song ends with Buzzy Lee singing profanities in a beautiful falsetto. It is easily the weakest song on the first leg of the record. He also compares himself to John Wayne, walking around the hood with “a nine on my hip.” The song is more laid back than any of the previous cuts, with Curry half-singing the lyrics. The focus of the song is guns and the pain they can create, referencing Ahmaud Arbery’s lynching. The beat is different than most of the others, featuring more quirky vocal snippets and a spiraling noise in the background. “John Wayne” begins with an abrupt gunshot and features vocals from Buzzy Lee, the alter ego of famous director Steven Spielberg’s daughter, Sasha. Instead of general flexing, this bravado is more mature he’s accepted who he is and is ready to show the world he is confident for the first time in a while. Compared to the rest of the record, it feels like a moment of rare confidence. “Worst Comes To Worst” sounds like Curry’s work on “ UNLOCKED” with clever bars and a chunky bass line. The video ends with Curry killing John Wayne in a duel. Fitting to the name, there are only a few seconds where Curry isn’t shown walking. Here, Curry hammers in the theme of walking and moving forward, delivering multiple triplet flows about therapy and walking away from friendships: “I pay 180 to talk to one lady, she been regulatin’ on how I feel.” The setting for the video is a sci-fi western. A minute-and-a-half into the song, the drums switch from boom-bap to gentle, breezy trap. The song begins with a prominent soul sample. “Walkin” is the standout and the first single released for the album. This leads the transition into the next song, “Walkin.” Curry in his music video for “Walkin’.” It serves as a perfect backdrop for Curry to clean all of the skeletons out of his closet, apologizing to the people who he’s wronged in the past, “dealt with thoughts of suicide, women I’ve objectified, couldn’t see it through my eyes so for that, I apologize.” The song ends with the motivational phrase “I keep walkin’” repeated several times. It begins with a female choir harmonizing with a smooth synth piano. The album kicks off with “Melt Session #1” featuring labelmate and jazz pianist Robert Glasper. “ Melt My Eyez ” does not overstay its welcome, with 14 songs barely breaching 45 minutes, the longest one being almost five minutes. Curry is transparent and honest to an almost awkward extent. Despite the lack of narrative, the underlying theme is self-improvement. Instead of there being an overarching narrative like on “ TA13OO ,” each song is like its own planet with distinct textures and colors, and Curry is a lone pilot hopping between them.
He never raises his voice except for a few choice moments, and in those moments it feels like emotional catharsis rather than unbridled rage. Hailing from Miami, Curry takes a more cinematic, laid-back approach to his raps. “ Melt My Eyez See Your Future ” is a departure from all of those styles. The EP is even shorter than “ ZUU ,” but is more intellectual like Wu-Tang rather than Three 6 Mafia and displays Denzel’s clever wordplay. In 2020, Curry released “ UNLOCKED ,” a joint EP with producer Kenny Beats. First in 2019 was “ ZUU ,” a short but sweet album where Curry creates the perfect soundtrack for a summer mosh with full-throated vocals and thumping beats.
Since releasing his 2018 magnum opus “ TA13OO ,” Curry has kept fans satisfied by releasing two smaller projects. Hip-hop legend-in-the-making, Denzel Curry, is back. Denzel Curry’s new album “Melt My Eyes See Your Future.” Photo Credit: Pitchfork.
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