It’s been two years since Brent Faiyaz released his praised debut album “Fuck The World.” During this time, Faiyaz has been busy releasing singles such as “Dead Man Walking” and “Gravity,” receiving even more acclaim. To say that expectations were high would be an understatement. 

Unfortunately, Faiyaz fails to meet the bar set by his debut, on his sophomore LP “Wasteland.” 

To put it simply, “Wasteland” is a messy album. 

This claim is best represented by the 6th track, “All Mine.” The song is littered with clunky snares, cheap droning melodies and an overly repetitive chorus—leaving listeners with an overall feeling of laziness. 

Themes of carelessness are also present on the song “Ghetto Gatsby” featuring Alicia Keys. The production disappoints with an annoying and repetitive melody. Alicia Keys comes across as dull and uninspired. Instead of singing as she normally would, she whispers her lyrics and ruins the flow of the song. Her verse is consistent with the rest of the album as many of the features and beats feel like they were put together cheaply with little effort. 

Because of this issue, the record feels like a grouping of singles and ideas rather than a cohesive album. 

The saving grace of the record is Faiyaz’s voice. In the album’s closing song, “Angel,” Faiyaz delivers one of his best vocal performances to date as his grooves effortlessly over the funky melody that is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” In “Wasteland,” Brent Faiyaz unfortunately fails to deliver his signature, a cold, toxic and loved style of RnB.