Review
Summertime '06, holistically, is ambitious, complicated, and impressive. However, when dissected, the album seems weak. The production varied ranged from decent to amazing while managing to create a seamless bed of sound. The beats felt redundant at times yet evolving at others. Content-wise, the album offers a great story that is difficult to grasp because of (dare I say it?) its boring aesthetic. The project's slow, yawn-provoking passages are due to distant deliveries from Staples. On a positive note, lyricism is heavy and experimentation is at an all-time high. Some of his attempts connected, i.e. his singing on "Summertime," while others did not. Fragmented, Summertime '06 doesn't have any hits except “Senorita,” and most of the songs don't seem to mean anything. However, as a whole the project represents a distant, yet fond memory and everything makes sense. Summertime '06 lacks in entertainment value, but it exceeds artistically and is not a single listen endeavor.
3 Spins - Pretty Good
Vince Staples
Summertime '06
Track by Track Review
Disc One
Disc Two
1. Ramona Park Legend pt. 1: The production is eerie; it sounds like an evil beach.
2. Lift Me Up: This album is spooky. Lyric-wise, this isn’t a really impressive intro to the album. It’s not something that I’d probably come back to. The chorus is decent, but the song as a whole left me feeling indifferent. The production was straight too, but I’m definitely looking for more from the rest of the album.
3. Norf Norf: The opening line was corny to me, but it made my girlfriend laugh. The beat sounds like a continuation of the last. Flow is more enthusiastic and more enjoyable than the last song. Even though the hook is catchier, it still seems sort of empty. There’s 3 verses, and each is better than the previous.
4. Birds & Bees: All the beats are so similar: Scary and Dreamy. This song is a sleeper. Nothing super impressive from Staples, but there are a few straight bars.
5. Loca: Pace and beat-wise, this song is more entertaining than the last. My girlfriend likes the hook, although it doesn’t move me. The song name-hook pun is enjoyable however. And the Spanish speaking girl at the end is very cool.
6. Lemme Know: This is a nice change of pace. It’s really catchy and one of the more enjoyable tracks, and the production is low-key dope. Vince & Jhene make a cool little combo. And I completely believe the last line by Jhene Aiko.
7. Dopeman: This is what I’ve been waiting for, and ironically it’s extremely short. *sad face* However, the track was easily enjoyable due to Kilo’s vocals and Vince’s wordplay. The string of seamless production continues.
8. Jump Off The Roof: This song is actually really intimate. The production is reminiscent of Gospel and probably purposefully so. There’s touchy subjects here, and it is easily my favorite off disc 1 so far. There’s finally a catchy hook that means a lot. Good job Vince.
9. Senorita- Love it. The energy on here is what most of Disc One needed. Maybe more artist involvement may of helped, because outside energy definitely catapulted the track. And props to the Russian singer’s vocals- she made the end pretty damn creepy.
10. Summer- The intro to this song sounds promising, with production that gives off a somber vibe. Vince sings to conclude the first half of the project. While it may appear as a gimmick or “half-ass” decision, this song is multidimensional, and it is an interesting way to conclude disc one.
11. Ramona Park Legend pt. 2: The instrumental from part 1 returns, but this time w/ braggadocio. It feels like a plot twist. Although I’m not a fan of this song, it definitely seems to mean something.
12. 3230: Disc Two immediately brings in energy that was desperately missing from the first half of Disc One. This is the Vince Staples that I really like. Good flow, delivery, production, and lyrics.
13. Surf: Continuing that wave of energy, Surf offers lyricism and a great beat. So far Disc 2 is already way better. It’s also featuring Kilo Kish (yet again with dope vocals) and is yet again too short.
14. Might Be Wrong: I really love the hook, but it definitely deserves another listen. Every time I hear it, I just space out and regain consciousness at the conclusion of the song. I might be wrong (see what I did there?) but I din’t hear Vince’s vocals at all; I’m probably tripping though. It slows down disc 2, but I’m not complaining.
15. Get Paid: This song brings the energy back, and it’s pretty good. The beat is reminiscent of another song (basically the rest of the album), but I can’t put my finger on it. I don’t know. The song is boring even though it offers some occasional nice lyrics.
16. Street Punks: I like this one a lot because it sounds like some lame 90’s slight hit. It seems old, but the beat and delivery on this track feel new. My girlfriend even pointed out that it sounds like it could be a Lil Scrappy song. It’s a cool little song; the chorus is just kind of lame.
17. Hang N’ Bang: Definitely catchy, but it’s probably the shortest song on the album. I would have like to hear it truly developed, but ultimately I feel indifferent about the song altogether.
18. C.N.B.: I like the beat, and I’m really trying to figure out what CNB stands for- AH! Coldest Nigga Breathing. That’s refreshing. I really like this song actually, and it was the first song to really be sold to me since “Might Be Wrong.”
19. Like It Is: The beat is really cool, and it is one of the most interesting songs I’ve ever heard from Vince Staples. I proudly stand by my conviction that Disc 2 is superior to Disc 1. Vince is getting touchy again, and it is probably one of the most earnest songs on his album. Just now realizing how conceptual Summertime ’06 actually is.
20. ’06: Ok, Ok, Ok. That’s it? What just happened?