It feels undeniable at this point: Vince Staples is one of the most important creatives of his generation. He’s yet to miss with a body of work, his sublime 2022 record Ramona Park Broke My Heart arguably a career high. He’s also now an acclaimed TV show-runner: writing, producing and starring in his semi-biographical Netflix gem, The Vince Staples Show. Now, the artist who long achieved legacy returns with Dark Times, his eight studio record released via Blacksmith Records / Def Jam Recordings, an unassuming and deeply provoking LP that Staples is veritably in control of, dictating its timbre at his own measured pace.
Dark Times takes stock of success and of self in an inward and thoughtful manner. It is cohesive and to the point, clocking in at a spritely 35 minutes, yet there’s a lot to unravel musically and thematically in the sharp run-time. Known for his ardency for retrospection, Staples is perhaps less self-deprecative than at earlier stages in his career; whether that be a sign of maturity and improved esteem, or simply a different angle for lyrical potency, is questionable.
Palette wise, the album refuses to get drawn too far into experimentation, instead concocting a tone that exploring its intricacies – from the atmospheric intro to the poignant outro. The beats tend to be off-kilter, woozy and myopic, a gorgeously moody, greying sky that the rapper meanders beneath, searching for feelings through pockets of colour. It is at times wistful – the tremelo’d guitar and underperformed bravado of mid album cuts like “Children’s Song” and “Shame On The Devil” – and at times groove-laden – summery jam “Little Homies, for instance.
Each record from Staples feels like a disparate side of his character, a logging-in-to a new sonic system. Dark Times isn’t showy or extrovert in majority, rather a dreamy, melancholic check-in, Staples lightly flaunting his wit and wisdom. Certainly not rewriting his artistry, the record is a stellar addition to his exceptional catalogue, a personal and diaristic examination of an endearing imperfect protagonist.
Listen to Dark Times…