Who’s Your Daddy? Sitting with Father’s “Patricide”
There was a time when you could open your laptop, hit up youtube, and search up “Father - Look At Wrist” to find a moment in life. You then preserve that history by sliding it into your iTunes. Me? I had an iPod Nano for a grip, so yeah. There was something special about having a device in your pocket that was there for one thing and one thing only: teleport you to a different world via headphones.
Sure, streaming services at this time were already doing their thing (shout out Queen Bey), but there was always a special feeling attached to owning that file and organizing that iTunes Library like a god of your own pocket dimension. After (happily) going through Father’s discography in preparation for this, and getting to spin this a few times early, I can kind of say with some ground to stand on that “Patricide” is iPod Nano music. Intentionally or not, this project feels like Father wants us to own the experiences that each song provides.
Before any more words go by take this disclaimer: as always, I’m just a man. These words are just some thoughts. And at the time of writing this the world is still breathing. So be cool, take a breath, and feel a thing or two with me.
What “Patricide” accomplishes in a little over 20 minutes is overall rather enjoyable. From the jump “My chain is cursed” is quite a hook. This is the music equivalent of that deep-voiced narrator in a movie trailer saying ‘In a world, when amazing protagonist engages with challenging plot lines’ and whatnot. I’ve been around the house the past few days thinking nothing but “where my ice, where my ice, where my ice,” and I’m not mad. Or is it “wear my ice”? I’ll check up on it later when the lyrics drop.
“Necklace got a mind of it’s own, I’m just a vessel for it”
And it only remains consistently ear-catching from there. It doesn’t hurt when there’s many bass lines on this that may as well be different iterations of a diabolical weapon, “The Stank Face 3000”. This is a sensation that came over me a few times throughout this project. You get House/Electronic/Industrial influences that sound like they could be background music in various video games with very few tweaks to them. Like, come on, “Capeesh, capisce, capiche, capisci?” could absolutely hit the soundtrack of a Tekken 3 present-day remake. The build up to eventual drop on “It was by design" could inspire it’s own hidden level of a Time Crisis game. 10 songs of great choices, top to bottom.
At the same time, there was rarely a point I was amazed by the lyrics or taken aback in any way by the lyricism, but that’s not why I listen to Father. I appreciate the references & outlandish sounding metaphors that work together and/or just sound jiggy. But with “Patricide”, you also get a song like “Curiosity is the gateway to ruin” speaking on the sociopolitical landscape of being young, Black, and gifted in ‘Murica. With “Patricide”, you also get “Cannot run when over encumbered” which sounds like the distant cousin of Lupe Fiasco’s “Little Weapon”. Except instead of child soldiers overseas we hear thoughts of growing up in less than ideal circumstances in the A (whether Atlanta or another city kin to that in America). That’s talent right there. There are a few moments like this throughout the middle portion of this newest offering.
“Since a baby, wanted to be block boys/ said mom, buy me a brick, not no toy/”
That being said, Father still sets the scene in a way that keeps the stakes low. There doesn’t need to be a whole think piece behind each song. He’s not attempting to throw anything over your head. He’s handing it all right to you and saying “do you feel me?” If you like Father’s music, you’ll enjoy this project. If you’re new here, you’ll find a piece of the music to connect with and ultimately, you’ll enjoy this project. If you’re disgruntled with the way life is going right now and don’t quite know how to channel that dissonant inner monologue, you’ll probably connect with some stuff on this project. If you take life too seriously then I don’t know if you’ll enjoy this project, but “salute me or shoot me, wack me or jack me, idgaf bout nothin.”
That same perspective that allows you to let your guard down is the same reason you’ll be pleasantly surprised throughout “Patricide”. But I’m also the same person who wants to engage with the music I listen to these days while putting my own biases or preferences in a different room. So if an artist wants to say “I’m a Soprano, badda bing” then I’mma hear them out. ‘Cus maybe I am too. Or can at least feel like one in certain circumstances. Throw this in your playlists, or don’t. I’m taking a few songs, to say the least.
Somehow, someway, each flight I took when I was traveling thanks to an airport job, “Back In The ‘A’ Freestyle / On Me” was a must-play whenever I landed. Bonus points if it was a flight to Atlanta. Something on this album may join that or take its place.
I’d be remiss to say all these things without taking a moment for the cover. Definitely a great representation of “I feel like I’m Tom Cruise”, except it’s Father showing he’s got the tools all over this project. The tools to grab our ears and catch a vibe.
Happy Awful Day, for sure! I’m vibing with “Patricide” at the end of the day. You be the judge for yourself though. As we all are critics in some way. Tell me I’m crazy. Or agree with me, I enjoy that too. Either way, I’ll be here breathing, like the world, and like time.