REVIEW: Chance, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment explore new sounds in “Surf”

By Sebastian Gonzales,
Bluedevilhub.com Editor–

Two years after his double platinum mixtape “Acid Rap” was released, Chance the Rapper finally dropped his next work of art, “Surf,” on May 28. The studio album, which is accompanied by Donnie Trumpet and other members of their group, known as The Social Experiment, has easily matched the quality of Chance’s previous masterpieces.

Similar to Kendrick Lamar’s, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” the album is more of one cohesive piece with each song fitting smoothly as one work, rather than a number of unrelated songs put together. Themes of individuality, love and kindness are repeated throughout, and the beautiful trumpet instrumentals found in a number of songs make it an absolute joy to listen to.

1. Miracle – The album starts off with eerie sounding intro, followed by a beautiful verse from Chance himself. As the song begins, you get a similar feeling to rising up before the climax of a roller-coaster, with excitement for whats about to come. The first track will immediately hook every listener and make them want to keep listening, setting a standard that is upheld for the majority of the album.
2. Slip Slide (feat. Busta Rhymes, B.o.B., and Janelle Monáe) – Track number two falls off slightly compared to its predecessor, having some parts that simply were not of good sound. The chorus found at the beginning and middle of the song was much too bouncy and pop sounding. The verse sung by Busta Rhymes was not the best either, but that was made up for by the quality that follows from B.o.B. This is one you may find yourself skipping more often than not when listening to “Surf”.
3. Warm Enough (feat. J. Cole) – This romantic piece speaks about the cold and warm patches that come while being in love, and gets the album back on the right track. The J. Cole verse is very good, as you would expect from him.
4. Nothing Came to Me – The first time i listened to this song i was waiting for the vocalist to make an appearance, making it difficult to appreciate the power behind the music being played without vocals. After realizing the song was purely an instrumental, i allowed myself to absorb the sounds and was blown away.
5. Wanna Be Cool feat. (Big Sean and Jeremih) –  My personal favorite in this wonderful album, both because of the sound and the message. The emphasis on individuality and being yourself rather than being “cool” is brought up by Chance in the intro, and reiterated by Big Sean and Kyle in the two rap verses. I have no doubt this track will quickly become hugely popular in the rap community.
6. Windows (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid and Raury) – “Windows” is said to be Chance’s favorite song of the 16 found in “Surf”, and it’s easy to see why. At first it seems Chance is contradicting the point he made in the previous song where he is giving the listener advice to be unique and be themselves, by now telling them to not trust a word he says. However, after closer inspection the listener will find he is actually poetically repeating the same message. Chance wants youth to be individual and find their own style rather than trying to emulate him.
7. Caretaker – This short song drops off dramatically from the previous two. With a slow pace and off sounds combined with a lack of real meaningful themes, it’s easy to question why exactly The Social Experiment included this song in their album.
8. Just Wait – Track number eight, which is one of the few that is sung solely by Chance, teaches that patience will bring you prosperity, and that the listener can benefit if they, as the title says, just wait. Absolutely a great piece, and after all, anything that is made up purely of Chance, has to be quality.
9. Familiar (feat. Quavo and King Louie) – This song makes fun of the modern ideal woman, and takes jabs at prom queen-like-girls who are obsessed with material goods. Great lyrics from Quavo and King Louis accompany a piano based foreground making one of the best tracks on the album.
10. Smthnthtlwnt – Here Chance is looking back on the hardships of losing his uncle and his grandmother. In the lone verse, he reminds himself to pray and pursue religion just like his grandmother taught him. This is connected to a recurring theme in the album of rich mind over rich material goods. The confusing title translates to “Something That I Want”, and the song is another plus that audiences will enjoy.
11. Go (feat. Joey Purp) – In “Go”, Chance and Joey Purp are speaking out once again against women who are obsessed with man’s material goods. The artist is again repeating themes in different songs, connecting sings to each other and making the album cohesive and much more enjoyable to listen to.
12. Questions – The intro and hook in track number 12 is simply a thing of beauty. The Social Experiment repeats both words and sounds leading into a song on numerous occasions at the beginning of songs, but in no song did they do it better than they did here. A strong message about violence and police brutality adds to the depth of the song, making “Questions” extremely powerful.
13. Something Came to Me – The answer to the musical questions asked by the first instrumental of “Nothing Came to Me”, is equally as spectacular as the first. Donnie trumpet’s mastery with his namesake instrument sets the stage for the final three tracks.
14. Rememory (feat. Erykah Badu) – Erykah’s smooth verse towards the end contrasts Chance’s beginning verse about failed marriages and the struggle for child custody. The beautiful smooth voice of Erykah Badu is meant to sooth his sadness and put Chance at ease. The high quality vocals in the piece make it one of the best in the album.
15. Sunday Candy – Chance once again expresses the love he has for his deceased grandmother, crediting her for helping him escape the poverty he grew up in. The song has very strong lyrics, which lack curse words out of respect for his grandmother, but the beat behind the vocals cause the song to fall off ever so slightly.
16. Pass the Vibes – The final track of “Surf” sums up the central theme which resounds through the whole composition, which is spreading kindness. The short track incorporates yet another great instrumental and a fantastic intro, and caps off Chance’s masterful work of art with a song that will leave every listener in a positive mood.