"Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak" Does it Stand the Test of Time?

 

    I've listened to a couple Kanye West albums before, I've even enjoyed them before. I can say with a certainty however, that 808s & Heartbreak never quite stuck the landing with me. Of course, looking back in retrospect I understand that it was influential within the rap/hip-hop space, but at the same time, I just did not enjoy many o the songs off of the album. I mean even when it came to Heartless, one of West's most popular tracks, I would never say I was its biggest fan, I always preferred other songs by him. Regardless, my friend Omaid did recommend the album, so I figured I'd give it another shot to see if I might find something to enjoy within it. I did not mention anything about Kanye's antics because at this point it's just kind of depressing to watching him spiral, though I have to admit he is pretty funny regardless of what he thinks about Jewish people. So without further ado, my track-by-track review.

808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West

Say You Will - 60/100 It's an interesting choice to start off an album with a slow burn, six minute track ala The Cure, though I suppose I don't hate it that much. Do I think it's definitely a bit long without much payoff or a good climax? Yes but I also understand that's kind of the point, especially considering what the song is supposedly about. I don't particularly hate the autotune or the beeping in the background either.

Welcome To Heartbreak - 55/100 Not sure how I feel about the vocals feeling pretty buried, especially Kanye's. I'd say the song is pretty bare in terms of instrumentation in the background so it's not like it's inaudible or incomprehensible but I just don't think there's much of a point to it. I could say the same about the Cudi feature it just kind of shows up and leaves way too quickly before I can even really have any sort of opinion on it. I mean I don't hate it but I suppose I'm just used to music with a bit more energy.

Heartless - 80/100 Perhaps I treated this track too harshly. It is kind of easily the the best track out of all the three I've listened to so far. I mean sonically they're pretty similar in terms of having a relatively empty soundscape, but this one it just catchier and it feels like it actually has some sort of energy to it. The other two tracks feel like they're struggling to come together to be real songs, like they're almost there, but not there yet. Definitely not my favourite Kanye song but honestly yeah it is easily the best track I've listened to so far. Do I think it deserves all the plays it has? Eh, not really I feel like he most definitely has better songs that deserve more love.

Amazing - 70/100 No idea who Jeezy is, but I can say with certainty that I enjoy this song better than Welcome to Heartbreak and Say You Will. Still not too crazy about the vocal effects Kanye is overlaying to his voice but at the very least this song feels stronger instrumentally. Ok I'm not that crazy about how Jeezy's voice sounds or his verse in general but regardless the song is alright.

Love Lockdown - 65/100 Is it weird this song kind of reminds me of Love Runs Out by One Republic, of course with much less energy. Kind of wish there was more than just the drumming kicking in during the chorus to give it a better soft/loud sort of structure that many songs employ, but solid track in spite of it.

Paranoid - 85/100 I think I kind of enjoy the synths that are playing in the background during Kanye's refrain in this song. This album has really felt so low-energy/lowkey in a way that really does not endear it towards me in the same way an album like Graduation or even Life of Pablo did. Halfway I can definitely say this is either one or two in terms of my favourite songs off of this album. Will I beat the "only likes fast song" allegations? Absolutely not, but I just think that instrumentally this is the most active any song on this album has really been, even if it still feels pretty empty at times. Either way I think it really pays off in a fantastic way I was becoming concerned this album wouldn't have much left to show me with its current style.

RoboCop - 70/100 I've never watched RoboCop so do not expect me to pretend me to understand any references made within this song. Sonically it definitely is more active than the rest of the album which is something I complain about, though I'm still deciding whether or not I think the combination of like this Nintendo orchestral music + whatever synths Kanye has really works. Do I think this album sounds kind of dated? I think I'd have to say yes, especially this song. I don't hate this song though I just think it's pretty clunky even if it kind of works at parts.

Street Lights - 75/100 Well at the very least I think this album is kind of quietly going on a more consistent run of songs I enjoy. I just think it sonically sounds better than RoboCop even if it doesn't have that same sort of energy from previous songs that I enjoyed.

Bad News - 55/100 I didn't mind the part where Kanye's rapping throughout this song, it's just that the outro is a little over half of the song, which sadly I just cannot support. Not to say that I hate the instrumental it's just that it's half of the song.

See You In My Nightmares - 45/100 I'm not the biggest fan of Lil Wayne's voice, so hearing some autotune layered over it does not do me any favours when it comes to my chance of enjoying this song. Yeah I cannot take Lil Wayne's delivery in his last verse seriously at all what is this song?

Coldest Winter - 60/100 Did not realize that I would be listening to a cover of a Tears For Fears song today but honestly I don't mind. Too bad I listened to the OG version of the song beforehand and I have to say I enjoy it more. Not to say that I hate this cover, it's fine, but the same complaints I have about the rest of this album are still present.

Pinocchio Story - 70/100 It may be long but honestly I don't hate this track. I'm not sure if I would have preferred a professionally recorded version or this version that ultimately ended up on the album, especially after reading about the story behind it.

Final Score: 60/100

    I immediately went back and put Paranoid on. Honestly, my scores for this album were higher than I thought, though that's not saying much because I was very much convinced that I'd give this album pretty bad ratings throughout. I suppose I enjoyed it more than I thought, but I would not call it a listening experience that particularly calls back to me, or is one I want to revisit. It's simply too long, and there are really only two songs I'd ever revisit so it's simply not worth my time. My largest complains have been hashed out song over song, I'm not a big fan of the vocal effects West puts on, and I just think it's very empty sonically, which I dislike even if it's on purpose. Considering the way people still talk about this album others certainly still see something in it, but I really don't. Even at its "high points" the album still can sound pretty dated in my opinion, and there just isn't enough to excite me.

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