By Betty Kaldas
From Heaven to Hell, Don Toliver has revolutionized the rap genre with his vintage feel and refreshing rhythms. With four studio albums and 49 singles, his discography remains consistent and shows a distinct pattern in his music style and beats. On Jan. 30, Toliver released his fifth album named “OCTANE” featuring a variety of artists including Yeat, Rema, Travis Scott, Teezo Touchdown and SahBabii; allowing for diverse features yet keeping the same signature touch that accompanies Don Toliver albums.
Named after the hydrocarbon found in car engines and fuel ratings, the album had a futuristic feel, both with its name and music videos. Filmed at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles, the music videos give off a scientific energy that can only be explained by the observatory’s environment.
While listening to the album, I was extremely impressed by the way Toliver was able to keep each song individual and unique, while matching the theme of the album. While most rap artists struggle to consistently release albums with new beats and contemporary lyrics, Toliver always manages to keep his songs and melodies different from those around him. His recent albums have had no misses thus far, and the same can be said about “OCTANE”.
E85 – Coproduced by Travis Scott
Arguably one of the best songs on the album, “E85” quickly rose on the charts after the album’s release. Standing out from the other songs, “E85” features insane electric guitar riffs in its intro, and is one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s not my top song on the album, but most definitely in the top three. Its lyrics and beat paired with the guitar are a crazy combination which are unusual for rap albums.
RENDEZVOUS – Featuring Yeat
Among the multiple extremely talented artists who were featured on the album, my favorite feature has to be Yeat on “Rendezvous”. His musical style is similar to Toliver’s, allowing for a smooth collaboration on the song. Although some believe that having two rappers on a song can get dull, especially if they resemble each other musically, I thought that the feature was a good choice for the song and was an excellent fit for the futuristic album.
Two songs that seemed out of place to me were “Pleasure’s Mine” and “Long Way to Calabasas” Despite the latter being performed on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, the song didn’t fit the overall theme of the album. The other 16 tracks have the same vibe, the fast paced rhythm along with the upbeat synths can be found on every song except these two. They have a slower pace and remind me of songs found on his third studio album, “Heaven to Hell”. I liked the songs, but they definitely could have been saved as singles or songs for a later project.
Despite some believing that the album was bloated due to it having 18 tracks, I believe that most of the songs on “OCTANE” were well made and thought out. Although some could have been cut, such as “Pleasure’s Mine”, “All The Signs” and “Long Way to Calabasas”, the rest of the album fits a cohesive theme and were all extremely enjoyable songs. Don Toliver continues to release sensational albums, taking time and dedication to keep his fans excited and waiting for the “NEW DROP”.
