Overview:

It’s a very rare occasion when I sit down and listen to an album several times through the way I did with Kid Cudi’s most recent CD. I usually find that I like one song from an album, and don’t really care much for the other tracks. However, after spending many hours listening to “Man On The Moon” I find myself deeply impressed by the album’s well made beats, intriguing lyrics, and creative concept.

Review:

I’ll be the first to admit that even though I do enjoy hip-hop, I am not incredibly well versed in it. Generally, I am only knowledgeable regarding the songs that are receiving air-time on the radio, and maybe an odd song here and there. When I first heard Kid Cudi’s new album, though, I knew I had to hear more.

After listening to the entire album twice through in one night, and many more times over a long weekend, I came away from it incredibly impressed. I listened to the songs on a variety of different devices; headphones, ear buds, car speakers, surround sound, laptop speakers. The first thing I have to say is that the album is a masterpiece in its own right.

“Man On The Moon” is a concept album, set into different acts that all tell the story of the protagonist (Cudi himself). The album opens with the downbeat track “In My Dreams” which sets a good mood for the songs to come. The second song, “Soundtrack 2 My Life” is a more upbeat song, with a catchy and simple chorus and verses reflecting Kid Cudi’s childhood experiences. After listening to the first few songs it becomes apparent that the songs are all very introspective of Cudi’s own life.

Scattered here and there are a few gems that stand out among the other fantastic songs and find themselves on my repeat playlist often. A few of my favorites include, “Simple As…”, “Pursuit Of Happiness”, and “Up Up & Away”. These are some of the more upbeat songs, which I generally prefer, but even the slower songs on the album showcase the tremendous thought process that is put into each song.

The production of the album is utterly solid, the beats are well constructed and Cudi accents them with perfect cues and accents that just seem to fit perfectly with the music. Narration in between songs is provided by Common and helps to progress the story further along. A few well known artists are featured on the CD, including but not limited to Kanye West, Mgmt, and Ratatat. The inclusion of these artists helps to add variety to the already well made list of songs.

If any complaints could be made about the CD it would certainly be that the songs are very experimental. If you aren’t willing to listen to and analyze the lyrics and relate them back to the artist, you may find yourself bored on the slower songs. This only happened to me once or twice during the entire album, which runs at approximately 59 minutes (including narration).

Final Words:

I can only do so much to praise this album, and it’s creativity is only truly realized when you listen to it for yourself. Kid Cudi has shown the world that he is just as deep and rational as any artist out there. The creative feeling the album has is something that is only seen once in a great while. Even if you are not a huge fan of rap or hip-hop I guarantee you’ll find a few songs you like on this CD. I recommend “Man On The Moon” strongly to anyone with an ear for creativity, and an appreciation for self-expression.

Buy Kid Cudi “Man on the Moon: The End of Day”

Score: 9.5/10 (Excellent)