Kanye West at His Most Obsessive: The Life of Pablo Album Review

Kanye West in 2016 is akin to Spielberg in 1986 or Bob Dylan in 1967: a top-notch artist at the peak of his powers, his talents at his fingertips.

The Life of Pablo is a culmination of his life’s work thus far. Gone is the overblown bravado of his youth. These songs reflect a certain swagger, but it’s reflective of a confident artist, not one who must rely on bragging. The auto-tuned sound of 808s has come full form, enhancing the sonic experience as opposed to being propped up as artifice. Along with Yeezus, It is one of Kanye’s tightest albums, coming in at just under an hour, and lacking the orchestral excess of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, widely regarded as his finest album to date.

Kanye proclaims this is an album of gospel music — and indeed, it is reflective of one god — Yeezus Christ. Who else would have the bravado to have an entire freestyle about themselves? There are moments when the album touches the divine — Kanye’s relationship with his father early in the album, and the idea of being consumed by celebrity, as on the end track of Wolves. The remainder of the album is a blaring, self-obsessed meditation on celebrity, consumption, and artistic brilliance, often at the same time.

This may be Kanye’s best work yet — a self-conscious reflection of where Kanye is in 2016. Confident, excessive, and still questioning himself.

Four Stars Out of Four