Few Good Things / Saba / February 4, 2022
- Joshua Yoo
- Mar 3, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 22, 2022
While much of his past music has been defined by his hardships, Saba brings a new clarity to his artistry that isn’t defined by the ups or downs. Coming to appreciate his humble beginnings and how far he has come from that point, he serves a buffet of different sounds and styles that encapsulate his focused and illustrative stories pristinely.
One of the greatest strengths of this record is Saba’s ability to draw the emotion out of his raw, first-person lyricism with instrumental palates that are not only intimate and serene, but illuminating to the point where you can feel the warmth of the sonic environment. “2012” and “Free Samples” are just a few of the confessional tracks that reminisce on the events, memories, and lessons Saba has experienced on his life journey, but the warmth of the production elevates the connection between the listener and the story’s environment to another level.
The variety of flows and instrumental moods that Saba navigates from track-to-track is mostly rewarding, demonstrating an admirable growth and embrace of newer styles. Not every outfit fits his sound quite perfectly, but the more animated and energized flows on “Survivor’s Guilt” or the cheerier groove and bounce on “One Way or Every N***a With a Budget” give an idea of the kind of multiplicity of direction that the evolution of Saba’s sound may take.
Saba wants to make sure that his complete story is being heard, and ‘Few Good Things’ makes it pretty easy for listeners to do so. It’s one of the most genuine reflections on acceptance and happiness that can be understood from someone in his current perspective, and it seems that his music will continue to bask in its ability to connect people to true experiences, which few other artists can currently do to this extent.
Highlight(s): 2012, Come My Way, Few Good Things, One Way or Every N***a With a Budget, Survivor’s Guilt, Free Samples
Lowlight(s): If I Had A Dollar, a Simpler Time
SCORE: 7/10
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