Awaken, My Love!
Childish Gambino
(Glassnote Records)
Three stars
It's OK not to "get" Childish Gambino's third studio album Awaken, My Love! With its lush soundscapes and sparse lyrics, one can only gather that the funk-drenched latest from the multitalented Donald Glover is a collection to be felt first and understood later – if understanding is possible at all. Outstanding first single Me and Your Mama, and equally arresting follow-up track Redbone, are the easiest to digest of the 11-song set.
Twinkling chimes and a haunting chorus give way to fiery electric guitar and crashing drums on the former, while Gambino coos and cries out in his falsetto across the swaggering production of the latter.
His voice is ghoulish on the uplifting Parliament-Funkadelic-inspired Have Some Love, and desperate on the chaotic Riot, which includes in its credits members of the legendary funk collective. With the exception of the sun-kissed and annoyingly catchy California, Gambino pushes the limits of his sound here and while it is not all smooth sailing, it's a trippy ride worth taking.
* Melanie Simms / AP
