genres: melodic trap + pop punk
This is a weird album (or more particularly a weird portion of a deluxe album). Continuing the recent development of major artists merging modern rap and rock elements (and particularly Travis Barker’s involvement), Neon Shark makes another leap into the combination by refusing to compromise on either element. In contrast to Machine Gun Kelly’s uniquely nostalgia-tinged twist on pop-punk from last year or some of the growing collection of “emo rap” artists carried by traditionally rock oriented labels, Trippie Redd maintains his traditional, heavily effect-driven Soundcloud era trap vocals, layering them over guitar riffs that would sound perfectly at home backing major rock artists.
Unfortunately, the experiment largely falls flat. There’s no real interplay between the vocal and musical layers, making many tracks feel like disconnected remixes rather than cohesive collaborations. While songs like “WITHOUT YOU” and “FEMALE SHARK” contain very strong performances on both fronts, attempting to layer monotone rhythmic vocals over much slower rolling shoegaze riffs is much less interesting in practice than on paper. Even tracks with more compatible elements (like bringing trap metal standout Scarlxrd onto “Dead Desert”) feel slapped together and underdeveloped.
There are two standout tracks worth discussing, and surprisingly they are some of the more experimental tracks. The first highlight, “SWIMMING”, is fascinating track that blends repetitive and simple vocal patterns over math rock inspired drums and guitars. The music is given comparatively more space to breathe (Barker’s seasoned sense of musicality over just showing off in the drumming is a real strength here), evoking a relaxing atmosphere that’s utterly delightful. While “SWIMMING” is the most sparse track on the record, the other highlight, “GERONIMO” featuring Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, is the most dense. Though sharing similarities by adopting a trance-like and lethargic progression that allows listeners to fully immerse in the experience, “GERONIMO” adopts the crushing weight of Deftones sludgy alt-metal in the music. Trippie Redd and Chino Moreno trade vocal parts, the ambiance and grit of their respective vocals fitting together quite nicely. Though ultimately more of a misfire than a rousing success, the bold experimentation is a welcome risk, and the successes of the more experimental tracks offer hope for further growth within this intersection of genres.
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