By Cody Englander, Contributor

[Opium Records; 2023]

Rating: 2/10

Key tracks: “Jennifer’s Body”, “Paranoid”, “Fighting My Demons”

Ken Carson comes as a protege of Playboi Carti, inspired by his production and unique vocal performances. However, the difference between Playboi Carti’s music and Carson’s music is repetitiveness. Many of the songs on “A Great Chaos” are indiscernible from one another. 

This is Carson’s fourth studio album in the past four years, and the quickness to capitalize on the changing trap scene is apparent in all of his music. While “A Great Chaos” improves on some of his earlier works, it is still a jumbled mess of songs that sours as the album overstays its welcome.

Read more: Album Review: Paramore – Re: This Is Why

Listening to the album on shuffle gives the same experience as listening front-to-back. The concoction of noise can be satisfying, but it’s almost unfortunate how well Carson is able to flow over some of these beats, because everything else comes at the cost of this. The smoothness comes at the cost of any lyrical depth. 

The most impressive piece is, ironically, something that Playboi Carti experimented with on “Whole Lotta Red”. Changing up styles with strange beats can make for a much more interesting listen. It’s what makes this style of trap so commonly compared to Carti in the first place. It’s easy to consume, it doesn’t require too much from the listener, and sometimes you’ll find something interesting. But too much can be nauseating. 

The featured artists also don’t give the variation that a trap album like this should use. Features give a much needed variation to trap artists that gives the listener a break in style, but with Destroy Lonely being featured three times, any sort of variation is vanquished. Artists like Young Thug, Future, and Playboi Carti feature artists that either complement the style or add an interesting twist to the sound. However, on “Singapore”, the two are nearly indistinguishable. 

While the beats can feel refreshing, and occasionally there’s a song that has an interesting choice through the production, a full 40+ minute record falls apart as it drags along through the back half. Risks are taken, but with a safety net of reliance on artists that paved the way in recent years, inspired heavily by artists like Yeat and much of the Opium label. Nothing feels outwardly daring, and Ken Carson struggles to differentiate himself from his contemporaries.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0HS8aknH0JQdMIiBVhyOCW