David Lareau – David Lareau ALBUM REVIEW

Watch out, Ashland. The next successful musical talent to come out of the region is here, and David Lareau has leveled up with his self-titled sophomore album, “David Lareau.” 

I previously reviewed Lareau’s debut album, “44’s and Sad Songs,” and I enjoyed what I heard, keeping songs from that album in my rotation for many months after its release. While a decent effort, I did find myself yearning for a more consistent and cohesive sound from Lareau, and I was blown out of the water by this new self-titled album.

“The Intro” starts off with a jazzy piano and an airy voice in the background singing, before a horn comes in and wiggles through the mix. Lareau opens with a reflective line: “How many songs before I get no inspo?” Introspective lyrics like “Seems like everybody wants to be famous, Ion even want it so what I’m doing is dangerous” set the stage for a contemplative album about losses and life’s struggles. 

An apparent tribute to his late friend, we can conclude that Lareau is talking to his friend through his music, referencing both of their children growing up. He then plays an audio clip of a candid spoken word segment pondering the passage of time and the dedication to the craft. The beat fades away, and a high pitched group of voices emerge from an absence of sound. The two characters have just taken acid and one reassures another while they light a blunt, letting out a collective laugh before the beat comes in and we get a Cakegang throwback with the late VI$ION rapping about his experiences with teenage drug experimentation. It is clear from the beginning that nostalgia is going to play a huge role in this album.

“Comin’ Thru” is another jazzy dark piano beat with an upbeat drum rhythm and a cursive saxophone striking through in the mix before Lareau comes in hard with a very Kendrick Lamar-inspired verse about his rapping processes and the ways in which he has grown. Lareau reflects on how he doesn’t want to be famous, and it is clear that this project is being driven by his passion, which is evident in this experimental track. Lareau’s rapping is a strong point on this song, which has insane production, and that is a testament to Lareau’s growth as a bona fide rapper.

The production of this album takes a hard turn towards a modern trap-influenced sound with the track “Going to Hell?” Lareau raps about various topics, including his overcoming of his grief and his growth as an artist. He mentions shady stories, and questions the condition of his own soul. “I don’t care to be the villain, I feel like I”m Dr. Doom” is a reference I really enjoyed for a reason other than the one Lareau intended; I originally thought it was a reference to old school rapper Kool Keith. Either way, the lines in this song all hit very hard and Lareau leaves us with a lot to unpack.

On “Narcotics” we get a jazz-trap beat and Lareau reflects about how he’s “tripping on no narcotics” and how drugs took his friends. “Writing my pain in my music is drugs” and “I don’t wanna go viral, I don’t wanna be famous, do you even know what shame is?” are some bars that should deeply resonate with anyone in the pursuit of artistic recognition. A self-proclaimed Appalachian anthem, this track runs deep in the culture despite its foreign sound.

“Raw Thoughts (Daydream)” features another dark jazzy intro, before a very percussive and bass driven beat drops and Lareau raps about topics such as his arrogant ways and how he’s shaping up to be the best. This song is such a very dense lyrical display with so much to unpack that you surely won’t process all of the lyrics in the first listen, but that’s okay, because the tracks in this album have so much replayability that it’s likely you won’t only listen to it once. The beat ends and another piano-driven instrumental beat comes in on the same track with field recordings sitting softly in the mix.

On “What a Sinner Say” we get a fast boom bap beat while Lareau tells us that he’ll take it slow so we catch all the flows. He proceeds to spit about how there’s something coming for him but he doesn’t really know, and the song quickly ascends into a higher realm of lyrical density complete with apt metaphors and plays on words. Lareau reflects on his hypocritical nature and his yearning for the past. “I don’t like surprises so the present ain’t a gift,” is a hard line, before Lareau likens his life to a basketball game, referencing isos and layups, and claiming that he’s made in God’s image and is the missing puzzle piece. “I don’t over-indulge but that’s exactly what a sinner say.” raps Lareau, admitting that he suffers from the same universal vices as the rest of us and how he forgives the universe for making him that way. One can only hope to find inspiration in this forgiveness that Lareau displays on the track.

The album’s closer, “Gratitude (Outro),” Lareau raps about how his fanbase is small and how he doesn’t want fame, hoping that his music doesn’t go viral but teetering on the brink of blowing up anyway. He reflects on his desire to smoke, but knows that it is bad for him given his problematic relationship with drugs. In the second verse, Lareau prays that he can see his friends in another life without all the anger or the shame, but twice the money and fame that they wanted before. This song feels like the victory lap of the album, with Lareau’s voice pitch-shifting into deepness and letting the beat fade out softly to end the album.

David Lareau’s self-titled album is a testament to growth in spite of life’s obstacles, and a coronation of the new king of a growing group of Ashland rappers. Lareau’s second album shows incredible promise and potential being realized in real time. The lyrical density, diversity of flows, and professional production provide a fantastic listening experience through high quality headphones. I highly recommend this album to anyone who has lost anyone to drug addiction, but I also don’t think that’s a necessary requisite for enjoying this album, as many universal themes also shine through in the songs.

David Lareau has cemented his place in the Kyova music scene with his self-titled sophomore album, and in dropping this album, I can only imagine he’s saying “Catch up.”