How refreshing to listen to three consecutive songs from an artist and be completely entertained for every second of those eight minutes. Pop? is exhilarating. It demonstrates Tierra Whack's absolute proficiency as not only an artist who can pack a punch into every line, but one who doesn't need to add songs just to add songs—maybe the opposite of our dear Record Club's Christmas albums, as evidenced by last week's reviews. I'm sure there's, like, a reason behind EPs vs LPs that I'm missing, or just don't know about, but for now I'm choosing to believe it was all a choice.
Each and every song on Pop?—each and every second really—is authentic and fresh, which sounds like I'm describing a farm-to-table restaurant. Thing is, Tierra Whack's farm-to-table is the real deal. None of that "Center City type restaurant" BS that everyone loves to tout up here in the semi-suburbia paradise the K***s call home. Places marketed as authentic but are really just corporate cookie cutter nonsense with some rustic paint and a "farm fresh eggs" sign. Places where anything remotely authentic was likely removed in order to create the hand-tailored color beige of dining experiences. You know the ones I mean.
No, Tierra Whack is not only really great at what she does, but she is so weird and silly at times that it just makes me appreciate her not only as an artist but a person. There is definitely only one Tierra Whack. "Body of Water" is an absolute killer song that does not relent. "Lazy" made me laugh so hard and, I think, rivals TLC's classic "No Scrubs" in its takedown of, well, a scrub. When the third and final song ("Dolly") started, I honestly thought we had shuffled to, like, Sufjan or someone. Obviously Tierra Whack is showcasing her range here, with a beautiful introspective song.
Great EP. Thumbs up. Ketchup. Mustard.
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