2xLP TRANSLUCENT RED VINYL

As is so often the case with these bloated efforts designed for the streaming era, there's an impeccable album buried in here somewhere. However, as it stands, the impact of Kid Cudi's ninth full-length, Insano, is dulled by the glut of 21 songs that run over an hour long. This might be a gift for longtime fans who just want to hear another batch of reliably hypnotic Cudi atmospherics to zone out to, but the frustration of hearing cuts like the pounding, riotous "Get off Me" with Travis Scott and the classic head-nod bounce of "Mr. Coola" bundled alongside the less memorable material is palpable. Overall, the production on Insano is fantastic, the bulk of the studio wizardry handled by Mike Zombie, Jean-Baptiste, Dot da Genius, Bnyx, and Cudi himself. Menacing moments such as "Keep Bouncin'," "Most Ain't Dennis," the booming "Cud Life," and the ominous "At the Party" with Scott and Pharrell Williams amplify the tension, just as pop-leaning fare like the inspirational "Wow" with A$AP Rocky, the bubble-pop "Porsche Topless," the Ace of Base-sampling "Electrowavebaby," and the gorgeous, hum-heavy "Blue Sky" highlight the softer, mainstream-minded side of Cudi. That refreshing introspection that's become one of his calling cards is deeply felt on tearjerkers like "X & Cud" with the late XXXtentacion and the aptly titled "Tortured." Indeed, there are so many highlights on Insano that it seems almost counterintuitive to have diluted them with stuff that should have been tacked onto a bonus deluxe release. With a little editing, Insano could have been one of Kid Cudi's strongest releases to date. Instead, listeners are given an uneven playlist of great highs and should-have-been B-sides that, in the very least, deliver the expected vocal melodics, haunting vibes, tongue-twisting bars, and "tortured" emotions that Cudi has mastered over the years.

A1        Often, I Have These Dreamz
A2        Keep Bouncin’
A3        Get Of Me
A4        Most Ain't Dennis
A5        Wow
B6        Electrowavebaby
B7        A Tale Of A Knight
B8        Cud Life
B9        Too Damn High
B10        Getcha Gone
C11        At The Party
C12        Mr. Coola
C13        Freshie
C14        Tortured
C15        X & Cud
D16        Seven
D17        Funky Wizard Smoke
D18        Ranger Boyz
D19        Porsche Topless
D20        Blue Sky
D21        Hit The Streetz In My Nikes