Review: Steve Lacy - Apollo XXI
Apollo XXI is the debut album from Steve Lacy, one of the most compelling young talents in modern music. Renowned for his unique lo-fi musical style and DIY approach to music production, his 2017 ‘demo EP’ created an immediate impact across the industry. At the ripe age of 21, Lacy has already found himself nominated for a Grammy, named Time Magazine's Most Influential Teen and dubbed by Wired Magazine as a Tech Visionary. Having crafted a strong reputation through his writer-production credits for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Solange, and J. Cole, as well as his long standing position as a member of The Internet, it’s safe to say that Lacy has caught the attention of many hip-hop and neo-soul artists and fans alike. This reputation alone cemented Apollo XXI, as one of the most highly anticipated debuts on the underground music circuit.
Unfortunately, Lacy’s solo debut is perhaps one of the most anticlimactic releases of 2019 so far and, although there are glimpses of the artistic style that previously captivated the hearts of his fans, the majority of Apollo XXI sees the artist we once knew eclipsed by his own ambitions. The album clearly provides an insight into Lacy’s voracious musical appetite and his desire to remain relatable; however, it is replete with underdeveloped ideas, excessive production and a confidence that all too often tips ungracefully into a tangible and self-indulged arrogance.
It is clear that Apollo XXI is Lacy’s unencumbered vision; constructed with such utter determination and devotion to his own ideals, as such it appears as though Lacy is unable to reel himself back from attempting too many ideas at once or take an objective view of his creative vision. The result sounds like a bizarre cacophonous blend of diverse styles. Throughout its forty minute runtime, Apollo XXI leaps from 80s schtick to contemporary R&B and rap, attempting an astral-vibe that is grounded by tedious lyricism and meandering melodies. On one level, Lacy’s album is perhaps overambitious, however, the perpetual attempt at harnessing the charm and style of Prince leads the album to feel like a tiresome tribute to The Purple One. This admiration for Prince is taken too far in both the visual and sonic aesthetic, resulting in an album that - although ambitious in its craft - seems to be centred around grating falsetto imitations that repel more than intrigue.
Despite Lacy’s aforementioned reputation for lo-fi, DIY precision in the studio, Apollo XXI sounds decidedly overproduced. Tracks are made up of washed-out vocals, overcrowded mixes, clinical percussive elements and overly-spacious sections. The album sounds hyper laboured-over, ultimately leading the listener to reminisce upon the concise charm of Lacy’s past. These sentiments are most evident when enduring the self-indulgent and eye-roll inducing tracks such as the lyrically-insufferable and drawn out, ‘Like Me’ which, despite attempting to communicate important pansexual and LGBTQ+ sentiments into mainstream popular culture, lacks the intellectual substance to do so.
Lacy, as always, continues to shine upon the shorter tracks of the album: the opening track, ‘Only If’ being a particular highlight. From here onwards, however, rather than the ‘modestly’ self-labelled “very fun and witty,” kaleidoscopic Prince-esque experience intended, the album descends into a woeful attempt at care-free, playful innovation and charm that is often neither tongue in cheek nor melodically pleasing.
Apollo XXI, acts as an exposition; not of Lacy's future potential but rather the youthful arrogance of an innovator whose star has risen too fast and burned too bright. One can only hope that he learns from this album’s missteps and adopts a new degree of self awareness, taking criticisms on board and perhaps working more in collaboration in order to refine his craft.
