Review: Yelawolf – Love Story

More often these days, the hip-hop industry is reverting to the roots of the genre by creating a marriage of rock and roll, blues, and folk with modern vocal acrobatics. The combination of rhythms in a silky twang and machine gun chorus create a new wave of hip-hop that can reach ears all across the spectrum. Fans of Johnny Cash and Jay Z alike can appreciate Yelawolf’s latest endeavor. With spitball syllables, gritty lyrics, and heavy urban downtempos, it comes as no surprise that Yelawolf’s Love Story has listeners swooning. Appropriately titled and with an aggressive wolf snarl on the album’s cover, the record showcases the unwavering gumption of a southern man with a thick skin. Clad in black and white with candid photos of the tattooed artist, the album art indicates a raw and honest aesthetic, which accommodates the record’s subject matter fairly well. A love story is often full of grey area, and the concept appropriately captures that.

The introductory skit builds tension into the first track, titled “Outer Space”. The cosmic instrumentals and fiery vocals are reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine. The lyrical content holds true to Yelawolf’s industry individuality and presents a message that every outcast can appreciate: “I’m not out of place, I’m from outer space.” The second track contains a bit more of a sullen vibe with the clean acoustic guitar and ethereal vocal runs. A little more grounded, “Change” provides an all-too-real perspective of the many chapters of life. “Devil In My Veins” invokes a classic “House Of The Rising Sun” with its gut-wrenching string accompaniment, sobering chorus, and revealing narrative. The track pairs well with “Empty Bottles”, which has a more uptempo yet relevant and visual anecdote of the abrasive rock and roll culture. His verse carries the hustle and bustle that he strives to portray in the lyrics.

Love Story is a rather melancholy album with a Tennessee whiskey buzz. Produced by Eminem, the record contains certain staples of the silver screen artist – who also appears on “Best Friend” – and maintains a consistency that may be separate from the first track but goes down like a warm shot. It just sounds like a leather boot covered in dust in the heavy and boiling low country sun, and is an important self-realization for the artist. Angry yet modest, Yelawolf has set the bar for the complete rap album package: stunning and conceptual artwork, vivid and confessional content, versatile and real instrumentals, and a satisfying cultural tinge.

 
Written by Stephanie Castor

Steph Castor is a marketer, writer, and performance poet from Kansas City. She attended Columbia College Chicago for Poetry as well as the University of Kansas for Creative Writing. She founded the #LFK Poetry Slam and has written for various publications. She enjoys indie music, hip-hop, vegan food, whiskey, and east coast beaches.

 
Author’s rating for Love Story

Pop Magazine’s official rating for Love Story

Rating key
MASTERPIECE a must-have
SUPERB for heavy rotation
EXCELLENT a great achievement
VERY GOOD a respectable result
GOOD worth checking out
FAIR an average outcome
WEAK not convincing stuff
BAD an underwhelming effort
VERY BAD quite a waste
FAIL a total failure