Tracks to download: ‘Downtown,’ ‘Kevin,’ ‘Need to Know,’ ‘White Privilege II’

“This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” the new album released by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on February 26, makes one thing brutally, inescapably clear; the duo has no intention of selling out. Over three and a half years after the release of their first album, “The Heist,” the Seattle-based rapper and producer’s latest work lives up to its title. It is a disfigured, disorganized and often awkward shambles of an album which showcases the best and worst of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in equal measure. It is also, however, undeniably theirs; a distinctly and intensely personal work which ultimately makes for enjoyable listening.

The long-awaited album is the duo’s first release since “The Heist,” a record which propelled the independent duo to the top of the hip-hop world. The album, which included two number one hits in “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” challenged the genre of hip-hop in a variety of ways, as an independent white rapper spoke out in favor of thrift-shopping and gay rights. Although not without its critics, it would eventually win Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammys, beating out (perhaps undeservedly) even Kendrick Lamar’s masterpiece “good kid, m.A.A.d city.”

With the giving out of this award, a massive backlash was unleashed at Macklemore which ultimately prompted the rapper to text Lamar that he was sorry that he had “robbed” him of the award, and post a picture of the text on Instagram. An even greater backlash followed, and Macklemore more or less avoided the subject from there on out.

In “Light Tunnels,” the first song off of “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” however, he addresses the incident directly, recounting the night of the Grammys as he remembers it. Starting off strong, Macklemore acknowledges his new role in the world of pop culture, rapping over a complex Ryan Lewis beat, and noting his “insecurity dressed up as confidence.” Ultimately, however, the record fails to make a statement about this newfound fame, noting that despite the drawbacks of his new lifestyle, it “doesn’t mean retirement.”

The song typifies a number of songs on the album, all of which demonstrate Lewis’ ability to weave together earworm beats as well as Macklemore’s endearingly honest lyrical abilities, but in the end fail to make a lasting statement. “St. Ides,” for example, chronicles the rapper’s struggle with alcoholism, and evidences his ability to draw listeners in with a personal narrative, but fails to conclude in any lasting way. In the same way, both “The Train” and “Bolo Tie” leave almost no mark on the listener, and are almost immediately forgettable despite solid beatwork.

Where Ryan Lewis fails, however, the album falls apart. More often than not, this happens on the album’s uptempo, goofy songs which quite clearly try to imitate “Thrift Shop.” “Let’s Eat,” for example, is exactly what it sounds like, a song where Macklemore raps about enjoying fattening food and refusing to work out over a subpar beat. It is underwhelming, and as lazy a piece of work as its lethargic narrator is a person. “Dance Off,” in contrast, attempts to get its listeners off their feet and on to the dancefloor, attempting to recreate the magic of 2009’s “And We Danced.” What Ryan Lewis seems to have forgotten, however, is that dance songs require beats that one can dance to. In the utter absence of such a beat, Macklemore’s awkward dance raps, which were an endearing novelty in the house-party setting of “And We Danced,” come off as disjointed and out of place – like the guy doing the sprinkler in the middle of the dancefloor at a club. “Brad Pitt’s Cousin” is a forgettable brag rap by a rapper who has no business bragging, and typifies the failures of the album.

Where these records come off as simply awkward or lazy, however, no song from the album underperforms as badly as the ill-conceived “Buckshot.” Centered around an unbearable noise that can only be described as a vuvuzela played on repeat—even throughout the chorus—the beat is a skin-crawlingly repulsive travesty. Macklemore’s lyrics are more scattershot than buckshot, and add nothing to one of the worst beats in recent memory.

Where the duo is completely incompetent in its attempts to replicate “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore and Lewis prove more than capable of replicating the heartbreaking personal narratives like “Neon Cathedral” and “Wing$” which gave “The Heist” so much depth. “Kevin,” for example, spends one verse detailing the struggles of his prescription-drug addicted late friend Kevin, then broadens out in the second verse, saying “Me? I don’t blame Kev,” and attacking the pharmaceutical industry which he says makes such addiction possible. “Need to Know,” meanwhile, is the album’s best track, mixing a piano based beat with introspective verses from both Macklemore and guest Chance the Rapper to create a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Ultimately, however, the album is best summed up by its two most popular songs to date, “Downtown” and “White Privilege II.” The former, a strange mash up of various genres and styles, somehow works as a song; and though not without its faults, is loud, interesting and goofy enough to be worth a listen. While it is fun, however, it largely fails where “Thrift Shop” so resoundingly succeeds, and is unable to make any statement outside of “we really like mopeds.” It’s fun, but not truly memorable.

“White Privilege II,” on the other hand, has no problems making bold statements. It addresses a controversial issue in the same way that “Same Love” did on “The Heist.” It fearlessly asserts to a largely white audience the need to engage with and understand the black community, and for that deserves admiration. What made “Same Love” a hit, however, was not its powerful message, but rather its earworm appeal. “White Privilege II” is not intended as easy listening, and cannot pass using that criteria to judge it. Moreover, where “Same Love” is explicit in its demands for its audience, “White Privilege II” is at times vague, advocating engagement with the black community without clarifying specific ways in which to engage. The song, like the album, is well-intentioned, interesting and worth a listen, but ultimately not worthy of the same acclaim as “The Heist.”

The album’s title, therefore, is entirely appropriate. It is an unruly mess, but it is one that can immediately be identified as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ creation. It offers listeners a full smorgasbord of the duo, throwing together the good, the bad, the ugly and the frustratingly almost-brilliant.