Album review: There are numerous great things about Saba’s ‘Few Good Things’

Joey Perkins
Tue, 08 Feb 2022 02:44:34 +0000
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Saba performs during the first day of the 2019 Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park Aug. 1, 2019 in Chicago. Credit: Courtesy of Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Nearly four years after his sophomore album, “CARE FOR ME,” Saba finally released his newest album, “Few Good Things,” Friday.?

The Chicago-based artist turned heads with his 2018 project; coming off of such an impressive effort, it was difficult to imagine Saba being able to stay consistent in quality with “Few Good Things.” Although the two albums are not very comparable sonically or thematically, it’s safe to say Saba exceeded expectations yet again.

Saba has never shied away from vulnerability in his music, and he continues to deliver telling tracks and emotional stories throughout this project. Although the title of the album is fitting for the theme of most of the songs, Saba does get into the positives as well. To put it bluntly, this album is an emotional rollercoaster with few negatives to showcase.

The album starts off with a moving performance on “Free Samples (feat. Cheflee).” After Cheflee’s melodic intro comes Saba’s impressive verse, which touches partly on his upbringing in Chicago and the controversy that comes with starting to make money. This flows smoothly into “One Way or Every N***a With a Budget,” which is a soulful, uplifting track that serves as a self-celebration for Saba’s much-deserved success in the music industry.

Although “Survivor’s Guilt (feat. G Herbo)” has a bass-heavy instrumental that makes it sound upbeat and lively, the tell-all track shares Saba’s experience making it out of Chicago, despite witnessing and living through hardships. Like most of his tracks, Saba’s lyrical ability compliments the instrumentals, with few hiccups.

“An Interlude Called ‘Circus’ (feat. Eryn Allen Kane)” details the events that Saba took for granted before his musical success, including his love life. Featuring smooth, pitched-up vocals and a seemingly effortless verse for Saba, this is one of the highlights of the project.

Following “Fearmonger (feat. Daoud),” which is rather disappointing sonically compared to the rest of the project, comes “Come My Way (feat. Krayzie Bone).” Even though both Saba’s and Krayzie Bone’s lyrics are attention-grabbing and full of depth, the song falls short sonically. Although there is no debate that Krayzie Bone is a legend in hip-hop, his performance on this track is lackluster.

At this point in the project, there is some worry about whether Saba will be able to get back on track. However, “Still (feat. 6LACK and Smino)” is an impressive performance from the trio. 6LACK delivers on the chorus and both Saba’s and Smino’s verses fit in naturally with the groovy instrumental.

Although “Still (feat. 6LACK and Smino)” featured a strong instrumental, no beat on the album comes near that of “a Simpler Time (feat. Mereba).” The calm, lofi backing of the song nearly steals the show, but Saba and Mereba beautifully complement the instrumental.

After a solid lyrical performance from Saba and Joseph Chilliams on “Soldier (feat. Pivot Gang)” comes “If I Had A Dollar (feat. Benjamin Earl Turner).” The chorus on this track is one of the strongest on the project, and the song’s theme of embracing failure to succeed is powerful.

Saba takes the album to a more emotional level following the heavy-hitting single “Stop That.” “Make Believe (feat. Foushe é)” is a dark, intense and profound song that doesn’t feel appropriate to decipher, as it should be heard and felt instead of explained. Saba’s performance on this song is otherworldly, and the outro by Foushe é sends the song out with passion.

“2012 (feat. Day Wave)” is a phenomenal storytelling track that touches on Saba’s innocence and contentment with life before his successful career launched. The final, and title, track, “Few Good Things (feat. Black Thought and Eryn Allen Kane),” is yet another mind-blowing song by Saba. Thematically, this is one of the strongest tracks on the album and serves as a perfect summary of the project. Black Thought shows yet again why he is arguably the best emcee of all time with his effortless verse before Saba closes out the project with a moving, poetic outro.

Saba’s “Few Good Things” is a powerful, somber project that feels more like a confessional than an album. It’s not often an artist can take an entire album beyond the purely sonic, but that is exactly what Saba does. The rarity of an album this complete will be sure to make “Few Good Things” timeless.

Rating: 4.5/5