2xLP CLEAR GREEN VINYL

For many listeners, Chance the Rapper's star fell from the sky with the release of his 2019 studio debut The Big Day. After a nearly unprecedented run of zeitgeist-shifting mixtapes, The Big Day's overstuffed presentation, grandiose production, and themes of family and adult life fell flat, especially after the incredible displays of uniqueness that came before it. Though The Big Day wasn't universally panned, it was a contentious chapter in Chance's story, and six years passed before his second album Star Line arrived to shake off some of the looming shadows left by its predecessor. Like almost all of the rapper's work, Star Line is vibrant and energetic, with his signature blend of mellow, friendly hip-hop, gospel, neo-soul, and jazz gracing the instrumentals and his voice as high-spirited and charismatic as ever. While still theatrical and at times overly emotive, Chance seems more self-aware, acknowledging how much of a misstep The Big Day was, and looking starkly at life changes as specific as his recent divorce, and as universal as the passing of time. "No More Old Men" is nostalgic on multiple levels, both in its lyrical content looking back on childhood and young adulthood and the sweet, summery beat and Jamila Woods-sung hook which call back his mixtape days. "Tree" is an ode to weed that finds Chance joined by Lil Wayne and Smino slipping and sliding over a funky, carefree bass groove while tracks like "Drapetomania" and "Burn Ya Block" go a little bit harder. Star Line more or less follows the same blueprint that Chance has been stuck with since the 2010s, and zeroes in on the parameters of good-natured optimism and spirituality that have always helped make him such a standout talent. What sets Star Line apart from the rest of Chance's catalog, however, is a newfound down to earth. Heavy on regret and uncertainty, the life lessons that Chance ponders on these songs make him feel more like a narrator of his own messy story than the larger-than-life character of his earlier work.

A1        Star Side Intro
A2        Ride
A3        No More Old Men
A4        The Negro Problem
A5        Drapetomania
B6        Back To The Go
B7        The Highs & The Lows
B8        Space & Time 
B9        Link Me In The Future
C10        Gun In Yo Purse
C11        Tree
C12        Burn Ya Block 
C13        Letters 
D14        Speed Of Light
D15        Pretty 
D16        Just A Drop
D17        Speed Of Love