8/10

Never one to do things by halves, Tyler, The Creator has returned to deliver his explosive (pun intended) new album 'Cherry Bomb'. Much like what Kendrick Lamar did last month with the release of his latest full-length 'To Pimp A Butterfly, the Odd Future curator gave us less than a week's notice between announcement and release, and just like Lamar's release, it is gunning for the best hip-hop album of the year.

While Tyler usually prefers creating dark and ultra-violent hip-hop, 'Cherry Bomb' is a mix of soothing yet experimental soundscapes and out-of-control power, best highlighted by the album's opener 'Deathcamp'. Coming out like a brutal juggernaut of unbridled energy, the record flips between this light and dark feeling within the productions, generating an eclectic and ever interesting release. And while the Kanye West featured track 'Smuckers' will no doubt get the most attention, there is far more to this record than just the singles we've heard so far.

It's certainly got that experimental and abstract sound that Tyler has been pushing since the beginning of his career, but this time round, it seems like he wants to get more out of his style, and 'Cherry Bomb' is most definitely the sound of a rapper at the beginning of his own personal revolution.