Posty’s new album is the shortest on with featuring Fleet Foxes, the Weeknd, Doja Cat, Roddy Ricch & others.
“The whole thing I want to do is just be honest,” Post Malone told Zane Lowe in a recent Apple Music interview. It’s difficult to recall an artist who went to such lengths to convince us that he’s at his worst point as Posty did with his fourth album, “Twelve Carat Toothache.” His fourth album, ‘Twelve Carat Toothache,’ is the most open and open look into his life yet, reflecting on some of his personal struggles without sacrificing beautiful sounds.
It’s a classic musical cliche that money generates dissatisfaction, and Malone has previously gone there – four years and two albums ago, he told us he was “Rich & Sad.” But, in comparison to where he’s at, that song almost feels like a ploy. “Toothache” finds him perhaps wealthy but certainly far, far deeper into an identity crisis. So what is a listener to think when record-jumps makers are in favor of tracks being on the rollers?
Posty’s follow-up to 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding is the shortest album he’s ever made, clocking in under 45 minutes and including high-profile guest performances from the likes of The Weeknd (on “One Right Now“), Doja Cat (“I Like You (A Happier Song)”), Roddy Ricch (“Cooped Up“), Gunna (“I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song)”), Fleet Foxes (“A Love/Hate Letter To Alcohol”), and the Kid Brian Lee, Louis Bell, and Malone are the primary producers on the record, as previously stated.
“I was born, what a shame,” Malone moans in the album’s first track, “Reputation,” so it’s not the final time he’ll use this remark. The album’s unexpected twist is a preview repeat of “Euthanasia,” which emphasizes the desire for a pain-free, if not simple, death. With these endpoints and even some of the hopelessness on & off between, you can begin to see why Malone’s label supposedly postponed releasing the album.
A lonely and mournful song over synth keyboard on “Reputation.” He talks eloquently about the inner sacrifices that come with celebrity. Post Malone clearly bares his soul in the song, attempting to show us what fanbase can push artists to the grave with their expectations. His vocal cracks, paired with his excruciatingly honest remarks and see-saw emotions, will undoubtedly make you cry.
That intensity is followed by the album’s lightest track, “Cooped Up,” a post-pandemic due to come collaborative with Roddy Ricch that works only to demonstrate that Malone will not leave audience-friendliness altogether. And almost as swiftly as the mood boost appeared, it vanished, as Malone plants “Lemon Tree,” a song about how truly sour has gotten. “Lemon Trees” is an enthralling listen. It has smart lyrics, multiple tones, an ageless atmosphere, and garden tranquility. The tone is set for the album, including the promise of death and lack of sleep, both of which appear frequently. Later may be the most poignant moment on the entire album.
It may seem like a ludicrous question to ask after proving the record’s sad credentials. Yet Posty is intelligent enough to guarantee that the record is really not as jumbled and depressing as it is. There really are a few more joyful songs, including “I Like You,” a really peppy, duet with Doja Cat, that do create anything which gives Malone at least momentary satisfaction: taking somebody else’s lady. Also “I Cannot Be,” which, while being a breakup bummer, develops a wonderfully catchy level of pleasure in that great pop tradition. His earlier collaboration with The Weeknd, “One Right Now,” is also kind of an ’80s bop, with an angry undertone that made deviancy sound like a good idea.
These “fun” tracks, on either hand, serve as more pauses than the album’s primary meat. Post Malone is so self-aware of the pullback impact in the midst of the record that he starts using subtitles to call attention to it. “I Like You (A Happier Song)” is the official name of track 5, which is swiftly followed by “I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song).” He’s lost the interlingual humor by the time he gets to “Insane,” “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol,” and “Euthanasia.”
warm ups 😂😤 pic.twitter.com/BLzNLnKW4g
— twelve carat toothache (@PostMalone) June 4, 2022
In the end, it’s the not-so-indestructible Posty character that makes the record interesting despite the despair. In addition to his and colleague Louis Bell’s underappreciated talent for rich, engaging melodies. You have to applaud, maybe paradoxically, his willingness to open “Twelve Carat Toothache” with the album’s longest and least enjoyable song. Some folks will become trapped there.
Breakdown of each song:
01. Reputation (4.5/5)
02. Cooped Up (4/5)
03. Lemon Tree (3.5/5)
04. Wrapped Around Your Finger (5/5)
05. I Like You (A Happier Song) (With Doja Cat) (4/5)
06. I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song)(4.5/5)
07. Insane (4/5)
08. Love/Hate Letter To Alcohol (with Fleet Foxes) (4.5/5)
09. Wasted Angels (4.5/5)
10. Euthanasia (4.5/5)
11. When I Am Alone (4.5/5)
12. Waiting For A Miracle (4/5)
13. One Right Now (5/5)
14. New Recording 12, Jan 3, 2020 (3.5/5)
2 new songs tonight 😈 pic.twitter.com/oS7StpE58w
— twelve carat toothache (@PostMalone) June 7, 2022
I hate saying what I’m going to say: I’m not sure which element of this album I enjoyed the most. While I love Post Malone’s vocals on it, I also love the melodies he gives us, the vast array of melodies he works over, his sensitive poetry, the sporadic but big star bit parts, and his general enthusiasm. In his consciousness, he seems far too self-aware for that. Malone’s twists of lyrical expression and propensity for honest admissions are giving him a lot more compelling musician than we can ever have expected just a couple of albums ago. Consider what he could accomplish if he gets on a bed.
While romping through the album, you’ll find falling in love with tracks that weren’t meant for you and saving tracks for which you have the ideal feeling and environment. With this album, Post Malone accomplishes precisely what I believe he was born to do: expose audiences to new musical forms via charm, sensitivity, transparency, and courage and meet their true feeling.
Twelve Carat Toothache is, in my opinion, a collection of songs that is more to him than to the audience.
