Russ | Shake The Snow Globe | Album Review

Columbia Records

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Last year, in the middle of December, Russ released the single “NIGHTTIME (Interlude);” an overworked, heavily autotuned, three-minute, repetitive tune with no climax or payoff to listeners. A month later, following the single, Russ’ third studio album was released under the title Shake The Snow Globe.

Take into consideration, how “NIGHTTIME (Interlude)” has no taste, is filled with repetitive, overused beats, and tiresome vocals; now implement that into a 14-track, forty-three-minute-long studio album. Shake The Snow Globe lacks diversity; there seems to be no creativity in his lyrics, the beats sound too similar, and the tracks, which he collaborates with other artists are lackluster.

“GUESS WHAT,” the second track of the album, consists of strings and light percussion that sounds like a melody Kendrick Lamar would have used in his debut album, Swimming Pools. Not to mention, it features rapper Rick Ross, who is noticeably off-beat and doesn’t really connect with the instrumentals of the song. The chorus also tends to be repetitive and tedious, with Russ blatantly shouting, “Guess what!” so that listeners can press the skip button right away.

Going through the album, the question may be, “How much voice distortion does it take to make a song unbearable to listen to?” The track “PATIENCE” opens with audio that could be used in a sci-fi film and soft, squeamish vocals that transition into a chorus that dips and rises with distorted vocals. Then as Russ indulges in his first verse, he tries to rhyme “Papa Roach” with “Galapagos,” showcasing the lack of creative lyricism in this album.

Comparing it to 2018’s Zoo and 2017’s There’s Really A Wolf, this isn’t the same sad, heartbroken Russ that fans are probably used to. Shake The Snow Globe shows Russ taking a new direction in his work, which is a good thing. However, it was poorly executed and didn’t meet expectations.