lil ink – back then

“back then” is a blissed out, stream of consciousness revealing lil ink to be a true poet. Lyrics have a fractured beauty to them. With emotions running wild the way the narrative bursts in so many fractals capture the fraught nature of a worthwhile yet unstable relationship. The detailed analysis, the exploration of the surroundings seems perfectly balanced. Mentioning train stations, the yearning that comes from pining for the past, it all comes together to create a portrait of a live lived most fully. He delivers his flows with such urgency further adding to the overall impact of the sound.
The sound itself is particularly beguiling. A hybrid of rap, grunge rock, and electronica, lil ink sounds like Kurt Cobain at a rave. Evolution occurs slowly for the song explores atmospherics with such tremendous care with that beat holding everything steady. Beyond the grunge influences, the electro vibes at times touches upon Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion phase. Indeed, the references abound and cover a tremendous range. It is a testament to the mastery of his craft that this feels fully unified. Volume is an absolute must for there is a clear physicality to the deliberate way all of it simply grows in scope. Filtering sounds in and out of the mix the dreamy spirit has a hallucinatory scope to it.
Lush bass introduce the piece. Far off distorted choirs enter into the fray. The hit of the snare helps to keep things grounded at first. His vocals take front and center stage. Grooves start to churn in a way that feels completely immersive. Upon the entrance of that fantastic guitar work, the piece explodes in such a gorgeous way. Urgently delivered the guitar appears to soar right into the sky, releasing all the tension that had been built up. Exploration of geography, of passion, helps to give the mid-section of the track a particular poignancy. Letting everything loose works wonders for the piece while it becomes a force of nature. Nothing is held back. Once more growing ever larger and more deeply felt, the song rises up in a way that becomes quite majestic, akin to fully remembering a long-forgotten moment. The clarity feels striking for he allows all of it to become absolute all-consuming, before letting the moment slip away, cycling back into the sonic ether.
Easy to get lost in, lil ink creates an entire universe to explore on the kaleidoscopic “back then”.