- As I continue to edge closer to thirty than ever before, I sometimes sit and wonder if it's time to break free from such youth fuelled, larrikin heavy rap music that is Tyler, The Creator and his cohorts. Maybe it’s time I started drinking bottled wine and finally start my foray into the world of deep, jazz fusion. After the recent pleasant surprise from fellow Odd Future member that was Earl Sweatshirt's latest record, I was ready to give Tyler the benefit of the doubt on his most recent outburst of adult adolescence, Cherry Bomb, incredibly his fourth studio record to date.

Tyler’s previous release, Wolf, was a glorious mess of ideas and sounds. Rap music for an ADHD generation that seem to struggle with even the shortest bouts of concentration. It was a manic record that, despite its ball-grabbing nature, was always a slog to sit through, in its entirety. Cherry Bomb, alongside 99% of Tyler’s personal output was produced entirely by the man himself. His ever evolving production likely the main reason I haven’t opted to completely fall off the Tyler train, so to speak.

From the get go Cherry Bomb feels like it could be something worth my precious time. Opening cut Deathcamp sounds like an early millennial beat from the Neptunes put through Tyler's personal chaos filter and spat out the other end. Tyler continues to deviate from his standard stock, on his personal journey to find his wings and finally take off. The record briefly dabbles in heavy distortion and production havoc. The title track channels Death Grips' abrasive and bombastic sound like aggressive musical static. However, by the time the platter is barely half way through it switches tone again and spends most of the remaining runtime in some out-there smooth r’n’b world which comes across far more wonderful than it sounds.

Parts of the record have been mixed purposefully to sound off-putting to the casual listener. Tyler's vocals are occasionally pushed so low in the mix they’re downright lost. Several moments throughout Cherry Bomb have left some scrambling to the internet to ensure their copies were actually legitimate. Tyler, as always, walks a very fine line between pushing the boundaries and simply being a pain in the arse.

It's honestly fascinating, seeing Tyler grow as an artist. There's no denying he's evolving, and what he's morphing into is more strange and interesting than I would have ever given him credit for. It’s this inability to pin down Tyler, The Creator that has kept me in his corner for so long. Tyler’s still immature as hell but it’s his passion and drive to become better that ultimately shines through. Cherry Bomb is a downright odd mess, but it might just be his crowning achievement to date.

- Jay Edwards.