SiR: November Review

By Brandon Gutierrez
Rap Journalist

Artist: SiR
Album: November
Release Date: January 2018
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment

Love albums are either really corny or somehow just relevant enough for you to admire and ironically fall in love with them. SiR is the newest signee to one of the hottest west coast hip-hop labels, TDE. His new album November follows suit with the high standards we’ve come to expect from a label that houses artists like Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and SZA. SiR seems to be very familiar with the structure of a good love song, hence a full album that illustrates a futuristic spaceship journey of past intimate relationships.

Through SiR’s 10 track journey a robotic woman named “K” alerts him of his progress as he travels through memories of love lessons. The recent fame SiR has obtained causes for a rise in stubbornness when it comes to significant others who want to offer love. The young musician’s focus is strictly aimed at becoming a better artist and maintaining a guard against past or potential love abusers. Right out of the gate SiR sets the tone on the second track, “That’s Alright”, with the lyric “I would trade her love for a Grammy”. It isn’t all negative. SiR is able to learn from these lessons and even faults himself to a degree from being so bitter towards the thought of genuine affection.

The sound through the album is hard to lasso. The samples much like the theme of the album are out of this world; it’s wondrous. You get a taste in “D’Evils”, when you first hear the on beat baby voice chorus. SiR’s delicate yet coolheaded tone and suave voice sits comfortably in the 808’s and catchy chorus. SiR also experiments with a robotic auto tune in “I Know”. The boom-bap song revolves over a humorous chorus about badass kids that’s easy to pick up on. SiR describes in his whiney rhythmic auto tuned voice the life of a hustling mother he’s familiar with, who turns to a easy hood vice to earn her living. Throughout the song he airs out her money driven tendencies and warns others about her trapping motives.

The R&B/hip-hop LP is a short love story I’ll find pleasure in coming back to. The California based singer is set to be featured on TDE’s newly announced summer tour which will include Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, SZA and Lance Skiiwalker. TDE’s Championship Tour will be coming to Austin May 18.