Deep in the Water by Don Toliver | Single Review
Melodic rapper continues his roll-out with a second single
LISTEN to “Deep In The Water” SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC
It’s been over a month since Don Toliver made his comeback with the track “Bandit,” and now he’s dropping another single from his upcoming album, which has been causing a buzz on the internet because of its speculated titles. The initial title that gained significant recognition on the internet is Life Of a Don 2. The second title, Hardstone, represents the biker raiders gang in the music video for “Bandit”.
Looking at the scenario where the album serves as a follow-up to Don’s 2021 release Life Of A Don, the bar stands high. The first chapter of Life of a Don was undoubtedly one of my favorite releases in 2021, as it combined Don’s old aesthetic with an expansion of previous sounds. Despite my quite rare return to Don’s previous albums, whether it was Lovesick or Life of a Don, I still feel that both of them had their time in my rotation.
Coming back to the aforementioned biker aesthetic of the Hardstone, it seems like Don’s giving us more with a music video for “Deep in the Water”, although it is not the case for the sound of it.
If the “Bandit” sounded bold and energetic, particularly standing out from Don’s usual catalog, “Deep in the Water” looks like Toliver is getting back to his niche of melodic hip-hop & r&b.
This record production reminiscent me of melodic cuts from Life Of A Don like “Drugs N Hella Melodies” and “Swanging’ on Westheimer”. Don’s vocals, combined with soothing synths, capture the calm aesthetic that the song’s title pursues.
The track is a great and enjoyable psychedelic experience, although it falls short. Do not get me wrong, this track is surely better than most of the Lovesick. However, I think it lacks some depth, despite the wholesome reference to Don’s fiance. The lyrics of the song grabbed my attention because Don dedicated this track to his pregnant girlfriend, which adds depth and elevates the song. On the other hand, around halfway through the song, Don runs out of things to say, causing the beat to reach a dead end.
Adding the guitar outro was a great way to introduce some diversity, although I feel it could have been more effectively used to evoke stronger emotions, instead of an underwhelming feeling.
Although I quickly got involved in the track and saw its great potential at the beginning, the more I delved into it, the more I realized its superficial nature.
To conclude, I don’t feel this one. Does it sound ok? Yeah, pretty much, but is it interesting or makes you want more? Nope, not at all. It has everything Don Toliver can do good, but it doesn’t go beyond that.
FINAL RATING: 6.1/10 (OK)
Scores guideline:
0–2 (dramatically bad)
2.1–4.5 (bad)
4.6–6 (mediocre/mid)
6.1–6.9 (Ok)
7–7.5 (good)
7.6–8.6 (great)
8.7–9.9 (amazing)
10 (perfect)
