Kid Cudi ‘Indicud’: Review Revue
Kid Cudi‘s third solo album Indicud doesn’t seem to be winning him any new fans among circles of critics. In fact, most of the online clatter seems to be focused on the facts that, despite the alt-rapper-turned-rocker’s early promise, his latest foray finds him veering off in a head-scratching direction, and his self-production here isn’t quite up to scratch.
Music is, of course, subjective, and at least fans of Cudder seem to be digging the beats found on Indicud. (The album was the top seller on iTunes all last week.) But for those curious about what online scribes were so up in arms about, you can catch our roundup of reviews below.
:: Consequence Of Sound sadly laments, “Cudi’s once-promising rap skills are now without depth or panache,” and later adds, “When he’s not singing about his personal demons, Indicud springs to life. Where it falls apart for Cudi is an utter lack of planning.”
:: Rolling Stone is equally unenthusiastic: “Someday this Cleveland MC/producer/former weed enthusiast will find the lyrical and vocal charisma to match the scrumptiously dark, quasi-industrial tenor of his moody beats. But Cudi’s pitchy-dawg voice remains his own worst enemy.”
:: The A.V. Club notes, “For the first time, Cudi is more interested in throwing an actual party than a pity party, and with his bass-engulfed beats and chewy, sing-along hooks, he’s well-suited to the task. In spite of its brighter outlook, though, Indicud is still a Kid Cudi record, and like its predecessors, it’s a long, unhurried listen, paced like drifting fog.
:: The Rapgenius blog seems a bit more upbeat about it: “A very diverse, very well-crafted album. Although there is certainly room for improvement, there are no glaring flaws present on the album.”
:: XXL Mag cautiously states the following: “When Kid Cudi first announced his third solo LP, Indicud, he likened it to his own version of Dr. Dre’s classic 2001… Indicud is an at-times very good album, but it’s certainly no 2001. This isn’t because of a lack of ingenuity or creativity on Cudi’s part, but rather because the decision to act as the project’s sole producer didn’t do him any favors.”
:: Hip Hop DX echoes that sentiment: “Kid Cudi’s penchant for total control, and sometimes lack thereof, becomes the biggest hindrance on Indicud. Throw whatever adjective you want at the offbeat inflections heard on ‘Unfuckwittable,’ it doesn’t change the fact that it’s strenuous to sit through.”
:: Sputnik Music thinks Indicud is just flat-out terrible: “Indicud has left me in a perplexing situation. I feel compelled to shut it down for being, sonically and thematically, the most shallow album of the year despite consisting of eighteen tracks, one of which is nine minutes in length… But it’s so painfully insubstantial and of such poor quality that very little can be said about it without devolving into a rant.”
Cudi’s latest…are you a fan? Let us know your own thoughts on the album below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter.
