Doug Burns – Left Unread (Album Review)

Left Unread is the new eight-track record by the rapper Doug Burns. The album is a personal, genre-blending effort that showcases Doug Burns’s lyrical versatility and introspective themes, though its sound production occasionally feels overcrowded.

The record opens with ‘Amends’, which instantly sets an atmosphere of raw, live energy through the inclusion of the classic spoken ad-libs: ‘check, check – aight!’. The beat is notably minimal, almost non-existent, forcing the listener to focus entirely on the lyrics. Doug Burns shifts between feelings of hope, defiance, and resignation, painting a picture of a person navigating life’s difficulties while working on self-improvement.

Lyrically, the song is a masterclass in double rhyming, evident in the relentless couplets:

‘Everyday is a blessing / Fuck it, I’m learning my lesson / I’m tired of therapy sessions / I’m dying but I never confess it / I’m trying to give them a message / I’m lying, I never address it’.

This tension between acknowledgement (‘blessing,’ ‘learning my lesson’) and despair (‘disdain for therapy sessions,’ ‘dying but I never confess it’) provides a searingly honest opening.

‘Walk Away’ follows with a noticeable sonic shift, featuring a loud, impactful bass kick. The track leans heavily into singing rather than traditional rap. It opens with a spoken snippet of a woman telling the other person that it’s okay to walk away.

If there’s drifting or shift blaming in this love song, the blame is on both lovers. This was a relationship with ups and downs – the other lover engaged in discreet lives and their mind was never sure whether they wanted the other lover to leave.

This song combines rap and singing over a simple drum pattern. It begins with a female vocal expressing disbelief at someone who has allegedly abandoned their mother. This opening directly addresses the title’s theme. However, the connection to this specific theme quickly dissipates for the majority of the track, only returning briefly at the very end. The main substance of the song is carried by the general verses and not the titular concept.

‘.WAV’ brings back a soft, shimmering piano passage that anchors the beat. The vocal delivery feels inspired, reflecting the song’s theme of making moves and waves. While there’s a strong sense of optimism, the persona remains grounded, acknowledging that they are not yet fully there. The piano truly shines here, providing a beautiful counterpoint to the theme of hopeful ambition despite life’s difficulties.

‘Sundown’ features a strong collaboration with Leo Serafin. The track is built on a melodic guitar line and a bass kick that stabs at your heart. The chorus, with its evocative line ‘You can meet at sundown!’, likely uses the phrase as a powerful, historically charged reference to confrontation or critical moments.

The rap here is on point, and for a moment, Doug Burns moves outward from introspection, referencing global issues like struggles in the Middle East and pop culture icons from Django to Walker Texas Ranger.

The pairing of the two rappers is solid, no one wanting to be outdone.

The track ‘Movie Scene’ features an immediately memorable hook: ‘I’ve been living life just like a movie scene’, delivered in a lazy, easy, and soothing manner.

While the chorus is mellow and features movie references, the rap verses soon quicken the pace. The beat is defined by a single, heavy-bass kick that lands at measured intervals, while a piercing and monotonous string provides a persistent, tense background texture.

‘down’ begins with continuous kick drums and strings, establishing immediate energy. Doug Burns opens by rapping about his adolescence at seventeen, detailing a former lover’s extreme involvement in drinking and smoking. The narrative then shifts to the deeply sad memory of losing a cousin at 21. It’s a somber, emotional track, with Burns effectively navigating down memory lane.

The album concludes with ‘Saved’, another track built upon a piano-infused beat. Over a somewhat speech-like vocal delivery, Doug Burns asks a searing question: ‘Why can’t I get you off my mind?’. Despite trying to maintain a brave front (he says he’s fine), the admission that he doesn’t think he’ll make it this time provides a dark, unresolved closing note.

SCORE/ Good. One has to admire ‘Left Unread’ for its fearless blending of singing and rap. However, listeners primarily seeking a straightforward rap album may feel uncertain about the pop sensibilities infused throughout.

While there are standout tracks (particularly the introspective and musically diverse moments), the album is generally held back by a few sound production choices where the instrumental layers slightly overshadow the subtle beauty of Burns’s vocals.

Lyrically, the album is strongest when specific and powerful – the sad events surrounding the women in ‘down’ are commendable. Conversely, tracks like ‘Sundown’ would benefit from further elaborating on the fascinating geopolitical references, and ‘Don’t Leave Your Mom in the Hood’ feels like a missed opportunity to fully explore its provocative title.

Despite its flaws, ‘Left Unread’ is a promising record that showcases Doug Burns’s potential as a complex, thoughtful artist.

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