New York rapper
Jay Critch's charismatic flows and melodic approach gave his early singles a signature style that transcended the cookie-cutter trap fare of his time. Inventive lyricism and diverse rhyme styles found
Critch either spitting jagged torrents or sing-rapping daydreamy Auto-Tuned melodies on one-off tracks that proved to be viral successes. With debut studio album
Hood Favorite,
Critch takes his various styles to new places, pushing the envelope on the pop aspects of his sound. Above average production helped solidify the sound of
Critch's singles, and an ever-shifting backdrop of imaginative beats keeps
Hood Favorite interesting,
Critch switching his delivery as he interacts with the different instrumentals. Huge pop-rap constructions like "Way It Is" and the
Offset-featuring "Quicker" highlight the melodic, almost wistful character of the album, while dark bangers like "Ego" offer
Jay an avenue for his harder lyrical firestorms. Almost every track takes a slightly different path, with big-beat club tracks like "Brown Hair" sounding like an early-2010s radio production and segueing into the comparatively spare and eerie "Replace," where
Critch lays out a druggy flow over a trap exoskeleton. The constant stylistic changes sometimes give
Hood Favorite more of a mixtape feel, but the album is ultimately tied together by
Critch's multifaceted lyrical performances. ~ Fred Thomas