Saba — Few Good Things — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Whether it be just because I’ve been way more busy outside of my writing life, or that February of 2021 was so generous, this February shows a more scarcely spread range of intriguing albums. But thankfully, for someone like myself, I was able to discover the existence of this album through The Needle Drop. Indeed, I was looking for more albums that I could review, and Saba’s Few Good Things is certainly one of those.
This is the third studio album from Chicago-born rap artist Tahj Malik Chandler, better known as Saba. From what I gathered, his rap style combines many elements of other artists that I’m a very big fan of; those including Kendrick Lamar, OutKast, Frank Ocean, and many more.
I decided to give this album a skin-through right after discovering it, and from what I had picked up on from the first brief listen, this album already glistened with a highly summer-like and hazy vibe. Few Good Things came across as the kind of listen that would perfectly accompany the first day of the year in which I would be able to fling on nothing but a t-shirt, and a pair of shorts, and take a pleasant walk through the sun-drenched countryside.
But as I continued to listen to this album, I was able to pick up on how nostalgic it sounded as well. Thanks to the aforementioned rap style combining elements of other loved artists, Few Good Things sounds like an album that could’ve arrived in the late 2000’s, or early 2010’s, as opposed to 2022.
I thoroughly enjoy the kind of albums that just take a few steps back stylistically, in a musical era where the vast majority is pushing as hard as they can to be unique and innovating (or at least current). But ironically enough, this exact thing allows Few Good Things to stand out as a rap album in 2022, and has tonnes of character to boot. On top of that, Few Good Things shows a brilliantly versatile range of rap tracks; ranging from gritty to amazingly atmospheric.
But going back to that aforementioned summer-vibe that this album champions, Few Good things is a project that I do wish was released just a little bit later in the year; namely when the UK begins to warm up just a tad more. That way, this album would’ve more prominently stood as the atmospheric piece that it is.
The narrative behind this album isn’t half bad either; it mainly highlights the continuation of his popularity growing, and the fear that comes with it. Saba himself mentioned that he was “beginning to realise how big of a hold fear’s actually had on him”, during the creation of this record. And with very few artists in 2022 doing what Saba is doing, with so much style and versatility, that the vast majority of listeners should be listening in to what the artist is actually saying.
I have no doubt that Few Good Things will stand as one of the most memorable rap albums of 2022, and has already set the bar very high for projects to come.
Favourite Tracks: One Way or Every N***a With a Budget | Make Believe | Few Good Things
Least Favourite Track: Stop That
Pivot Gang
