Album Review: Don Toliver can’t quite secure the three-peat with new album “Love Sick”

Joey Perkins
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 01:08:51 +0000
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Don Toliver performs on the Frank Stage on the second day of the three-day Day N Vegas hip-hop festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas on Nov. 13, 2021. Credit: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via TNS

Don Toliver, the Houston-native rapper and Travis Scott’s “Cactus Jack Records” signee, released his new album, “Love Sick,” Friday.

Toliver initially garnered attention following his breakout performance on “CAN’T SAY” off of Scott’s 2018 album, “ASTROWORLD.” Since his appearance on Scott’s album, Toliver has only grown and developed as an artist, curating two strong albums, “Heaven or Hell” and “Life of a DON.”?

With a handful of tracks like “No Idea,” “Cardigan” and “After Party” surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify alone, Toliver has been nothing short of successful. He looks to continue his streak on “Love Sick,” but it’s not quite at the same level as his last two, lacking versatility and originality.

The album kicks off with “LoveSickness,” which, in a way, summarizes the album well. The opening song has its ups, its downs, exciting moments and ones that are questionable.

Next comes “Let Her Go (feat. James Blake),” a fun, lighthearted track from Toliver with prominent drum patterns as well as a heavenly outro from U.K. singer Blake.

The album quickly dips back down with a generic, bland performance from each member on the somewhat obscene “Leave The Club (feat. Lil Durk & GloRilla)” and an equally weak performance from Toliver and singer Kali Uchis, Toliver’s partner, on “4 Me.”

Unfortunately, “Go Down (feat. TisaKorean)” doesn’t show any signs of life until the final minute of the track, in which Toliver provides a melodic performance over a groovy instrumental and sped-up vocals.

“Time Heals All” revolves around its chorus, as Toliver sounds confident in his vocal range. He capitalizes on his verses as well, using them as perfect buildups to the standout chorus, with a nonchalant flow over a lighter trap instrumental.

The next track, “Leather Coat,” is one of the major highlights of the project. The guitar loop-centered instrumental in the beginning compliments Toliver’s mellow performance before the instrumental transitions with catchy drums in another gloomy yet demanding performance from Toliver.

“Honeymoon” shows Toliver attempting a newer sound: a slightly autotuned, half-talk, half-rap performance that fails to find a place to fit into the track.

“Private Landing (feat. Justin Bieber & Future)” is an incredibly produced track from infamous producer Cardo, who has worked on some of the biggest hip-hop songs in recent years, such as Drake’s “God’s Plan” and Travis Scott’s “驳辞辞蝉别产耻尘辫蝉.”

Even with a hard-hitting instrumental from a Grammy-winning producer, “Private Landing” features an incredibly disappointing performance from Toliver and a hideous one from Bieber containing mediocre vocals and painful lyrics. Future’s verse is the high point on the track at slightly above average.

Following two acceptable, somewhat pleasant tracks in “Slow Motion (feat. Wizkid)” and “Do It Right” is the album’s highlight, “If I Had (feat. Charlie Wilson).”

Toliver’s verse and the instrumental behind it are smooth and ear catching, and his vibrato shines through phenomenally on the track before R&B icon Wilson sends the track out with outstanding vocals.

While it’s nearly impossible to fill the shoes the original wears on “Heaven or Hell,” “Company Pt. 3” is an enjoyable track featuring great melodies from Toliver and an overall performance that showcases the ethereal atmosphere that he’s known to create.

“Bus Stop (feat. Brent Faiyaz)” and “Cinderella (feat. Toro y Moi)” are both forgettable songs that would’ve been better off on a deluxe or a B-side, giving Toliver one last chance to impress with the final track.

Toliver did just that on “Encouragement.” His vocals glide extremely well over the low-key instrumental, making it a solid finish to a shaky album.?

“Love Sick” is a sonic rollercoaster that travels downward more than it does upward, although the lows don’t go as low as the highs go high. Toliver failed to create a significantly memorable project his third time around with “Love Sick,” putting a slight halt on the short streak that he was on.

Rating 2.5/5