Music came on, I started groovin’, simple as that. I was getting Phoenix vibes (which is never a bad thing, in my simple mind) till the in-tune male singer “busted” out the lyric, “you came all over me”… Oooookay. Then it just kinda got, I dunno, bland. Bits and pieces of the Bee Gees and Chromeo sprinkled my ears with non-offensiveness here and there and, go figure, after listening to this sweet little baby on repeat for an hour, I found myself boppin’ outta the shower.

Coloring Book dropped today. And it's not Acid Rap.

Since Chance The Rapper exploded onto the Midwestern rap scene, he has been no stranger to experimentation. Acid Rap was weird, grimy, fast, and danceable. Surf, an album he made as part of the collective Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment was slow, uplifting, jazzy, and above all, happy.

 Subtle toms bubble up underneath a wobbly, discordant guitar line into a claustrophobic verse where two singers, in a monotone delivery, list off an index of hot button topics, including the disparity of wealth and gender divisions. It’s all very compelling and just when you think you’ve gotten the idea, the band opens up and delivers a wonderful bit of half time escape.