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.

Kid Cudi, DJ Drama– Often, I Have These Dreamz 2:29
Kid Cudi– Keep Bouncin’ 2:56
Kid Cudi, Travis Scott (2)– Get Off Me 3:35
Kid Cudi– Most Ain't Dennis 2:37
Kid Cudi, ASAP Rocky– Wow 4:34
Kid Cudi– Electrowavebaby 3:25
Kid Cudi– A Tale of a Knight 2:57
Kid Cudi– Cud Life 3:33
Kid Cudi, Lil Yachty– Too Damn High 2:18
Kid Cudi– Getcha Gone 1:55
Kid Cudi, Travis Scott (2), Pharrell Williams– At the Party 3:58
Kid Cudi– Mr. Coola 2:27
Kid Cudi– Freshie 3:19
Kid Cudi– Tortured 3:55
Kid Cudi– X & Cud 2:46
Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne– Seven 2:31
Kid Cudi– Funky Wizard Smoke 2:45
Kid Cudi, Young Thug (2)– Ranger Boyz 2:49
Kid Cudi– Porsche Topless 2:50
Kid Cudi– Blue Sky 3:41
Kid Cudi– Hit The Streetz In My Nikes 2:40