Hi everyone, Sulfthony Surftano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Bladee album, Sulfur Surfer.

Here we have the newest full-length album from Swedish rap phenomenon Bladee, which I believe is his 10th full-length commercial solo album and arrives a decade after his debut solo record, Eversince, in 2016. And even as someone who has a pretty spotty history of enjoying Bladee's past work, I would say I think he has a lot to celebrate and look back on at this point in his career. His very dreamy, spiritual brand of hip-hop has certainly proven to have longevity, given the continued demand for his music.

His last record, Cold Visions, was arguably one of his biggest, and contained a lot of admirable spins on sounds and trends coming out of the rage scene these days. I mean, the record was also bloated like a lot of rage albums, but there were a lot of bangers on there for sure.

But really, it's the forward-thinking, spacey, otherworldly sounds linked to the Drain Gang collective that have really come to define Bladee's style, and have become noticeably influential among a new generation of artists who are on a similarly futuristic, blissful, synthetic wave. Bladee and various Drain Gang affiliates were certainly ahead of the curve when it came to a lot of the hyperpop and digicore aesthetics that would really flood the internet around the turn of this new decade. And even artists like 2hollis, who are making a lot of waves right now, have even cited Bladee as an influence.

So again, at this point in Bladee's career, I think there is a lot to commemorate. I think he is aware of that, and in a way, on Sulfur Surfer, it comes across as if he is feeling a bit more ambitious and validated, and as a result, willing to dig under the floorboards of his sound and start taking on some of his biggest musical inspirations, embodying them in his tracks in a way that he just hasn't on previous records.

So now, among the tracklist on this record, we very boldly hear elements of new age pop, dream pop, indie folk, and I would say even black metal. On a few key cuts that feature not only some wintry atmospheres but some very rough, screamed background vocals. In addition to that, the tracklist of this record also holds a little Nirvana interpolation, and also most surprisingly, a Current 93 feature. Yes, on the back end of "Fox & Birch."

Now, on the surface it may seem like Bladee is bringing together all of these disparate music styles that have very little to do with each other, but when you actually dive in, quite a few of them have a sort of mystical, ethereal quality about them, which is, yes, maybe more of an abstract-type connection, but Bladee typically is a pretty abstract guy. And high-minded as well. Look no further than the constant flood of spiritually charged lyrics across this record. Lots of didactic philosophy bars, too, as well as plenty of themes around good, evil, existentialism.

Now, obviously, as a music nerd type, I do enjoy a good attempt at tastefully touching down on a lot of different music styles and genres. But, being real, as much as I have enjoyed releases in the past where Bladee is at his most collaborative, or at his most adventurous and experimental when it comes to beat choices, I'm not really getting a whole lot out of Sulfur Surfer. In fact, I think a lot of these attempts at living through some of his biggest influences only serve to remind me that Bladee isn't anywhere near the level of pure transcendence, uh, that some of these artists and genres have.

And I think it says something that the songs on this record I'm drawn toward the most are the ones that, for Bladee, I think are the most typical. Not only do I think "Under My Umbrella" could have fit on any number of previous Bladee albums, but the tiny-voiced melodic chorus on this track is downright enchanting. Then the abrasive, buzzing, aggressive production on "Durins Bane" makes this one feel like a track that could have easily been a highlight on Cold Visions. Beyond that, though, the moments on this record where Bladee is going for a more aggressive sound with those scream vocals I was mentioning earlier are laughable at best. It's just not a strength for him vocally. I fear.

Meanwhile, attempts at busting out some genuinely expressive and melodic sung performances, I think, are held back by his trademark awkward, weak, froggy vocal range. Then the Current 93 crossover I mentioned earlier, as well as the spoken-word outro at the finish of "Black Fire," feel pretty tacked on.

But even when Bladee is kind of getting back to business, as it were, to me he comes across as just far too off the rails and unhinged vocally and lyrically, uh, to really make make these tracks enjoyable. Like, the initial songs on this record, for me, are getting so lost in the messaging that the verses come across more like desperate proclamations and prayers.

Meanwhile, at the start of "Blondie," Bladee is truly in his anime villain era, saying, "Listen up, there is no before, there is no after, there's only one king / Only one master, King Nothing / Listen up, sulfur surfer, saint usurper / I am the only one that has anything interesting to say these days / Stop making music right now, you all fucking disgust me / Trust me, you should go fucking die." I'm sorry, even if that is, like, a little tongue-in-cheek, uh, it makes me wince so badly I just want to skip the track entirely.

Sad, because I do think one of the more solid tracks on the record follows this. But outside of that, the ending of this record, in my view, is pretty mild and unremarkable by usual Bladee standards.

But yeah, overall I'm very underwhelmed and uninterested in this record. One of Bladee's least interesting in terms of execution and songwriting. I mean, if you enjoy the philosophical, high-minded preaching that he typically brings to the table times 11, I could see you getting a lot out of this. And again, some of the genre experiments here and there, but outside of that I don't think Sulfur Surfer is one of his strongest. Which is why I'm feeling about a light to decent 4 on this one.

Anthony Fantano, Bladee. Forever.