For the review, I'll be discussing the non-deluxe version of the album, even though I do particularly like the 2 Chainz feature on the deluxe. The normal, fourteen track album features Quavo, Justin Bieber, and Kehlani, so it's mostly just Post Malone doing the work himself. Post Malone isn't a particularly loved rapper, but his breakout hit "White Iverson" earlier this year is what opened the path for someone of his caliber to make an entire album. His style is pretty hard to describe, His voice is pretty weak, and his enunciation follows suit, but his flow isn't quite bad. He uses a lot more vocal effects than the majority of rappers, and also sings more than they do.
The first track, "Broken Whiskey Glass", quickly sets Post Malone apart from other rappers. The production is really nice and different, giving me some Midwestern vibes. Malone mostly "sings" on this song, even though it's more like slow, reverb heavy talking. The beat drops a bit about halfway through the song, finally bringing in that heavy bass, and near the end of the song, Malone finally drops an actual verse, His flow is quite good, but a lot of his lyrics are extremely weak, with lines like "feel like Meek Milly but I ain't from Philly". I mean, who wants to be Meek Mill?
"Big Lie" is a more typical hip-hop song. Produced by DJ Mustard among others, it features a rather airy, happy sounding production that seems to be getting more and more popular on the charts. The pre-chorus is good, but the hook of "say you flexing, that's a big lie" just sounds awkward. Furthermore, the vocal effects on this song are a bit overboard, as Malone's usual slurring is hardly understandable at all.
The next song opens with a VERY "Hotline Bling"-esque instrumental; this song is "Deja Vu", featuring Justin Bieber. Malone had previously toured with Bieber, so I guess this was part of his deal, though Justin probably should've saved his time. Bieber's parts are pretty nice, actually, but Malone drops one of the worst verses on the album. This song is completely carried by Bieber; I mean, he gets the hook and the verse, and Malone just sounds like a creepy old, oversexual man.
"No Option" follows, and from the start it seems like one of the best songs so far. Malone has a lot less vocal effects and slurring on this track. His flow is really good and his voice is carefree on the verses. The hook is actually really great, and I think that this one could be a big hip hop hit. The bridge is pretty unexpected, as it's him singing and he actually sounds nice? I really hope that he pushes this as a single, because this is just the most enjoyable song so far.
"Cold" is pretty unremarkable, as he talks about his cliche "ice"; however, he might catch some people off guard by talking about how he'd die for the game that got him all this fortune. This song is a bit too long, but it segways nicely into the lead single and the thing that enabled Malone to make all of this:
"White Iverson." The big breakout hit, and the reason exactly why it was so popular is still unknown. It's a slow, almost psychedelic tune, with that iconic "saucin', saucin', I'm saucin' on you" and so on. Malone's flow isn't remarkable on this track, and the punchlines aren't great: "I'm with some white girls and they lovin' the coca/ Like they OT" is such a lame line, and the delivery is so awkward. One of the most notable things is how he talks address being white, when the "slurred rap" (is that a word?) genre is mostly ruled by black rappers, like Young Thug and Future. Heck, the name of this song is about him being white (Iverson is a black basketball player). Overall, for a song about basketball, "White Iverson" is great, with tons of references to the game itself; as a song in general, it doesn't hold up as well.
"I Fall Apart" is really strange. The influences are almost folk at some parts, and it's so vulnerable compared to everything else. Malone's voice actually seems powerful on this track instead of just the slurred, autotuned mess that it usually is. In fact, there's basically no rap on this track. I actually really love the bridge, with lines like "whipping in the foreign and the tears keep rollin." This is the first song where I've actually took Malone seriously, instead of just the guy acting like a cliched rap star.
Malone goes back to his normal grind with "Patient", and there's really nothing at all to say about this track. It's like the most typical song for him to release; if it was possible to take the average of all of his past songs, this song would be the solution.
"Go Flex" is another attempt at an actual vulnerable song, or at least that's what I think it is. The instrumental is mostly acoustic, and the verses sound kind of somber, but the hook (which sounds like something from Mumford and Sons, by the way), is far more positive. This song is just such a mess, and the hook and verses don't mix at all. I really don't know what he was thinking with this song.
"Feel" is home to the another feature, with Kehlani, and it's about time. Kehlani's silky voice is a refreshing break from Malone's slurring and autotune, but there's such a huge contrast from a run-of-the-mill R&B diva like Kehlani and whatever Malone is... He's strange, but he's different at least. What I'm trying to say is that they don't work together well at all. He's rough where she's smooth, he's messy where she's clean, and while this may work for some songs, it doesn't in this one.
"Too Young" enters with an amazing instrumental, but that's all it has going for it. Again, it's just cliche lyrics, really nothing new or interesting; except, for the pre-hook, which has him actually belting on it, and he doesn't even sound drunk at all on it, before going back to the slurred verses.
"Congratulations", featuring Quavo, doesn't have the instrumental of the same caliber of the last song, even though it's by Metro Boomin. The hook is really nice, and this is one of the most party-ready tracks on the album. Quavo goes really hard, and his voice is a nice compliment to Malone's. If we're being honest, he kind of carries the song, even though I'm not a fan of him. "Up There" has some really nice, jazzy production. It's a nice and chill song, and Malone's voice is very tolerable on it. I don't mind this track at all; I don't love it, but I don't dislike it.
Finally, "Yours Truly, Austin Post" is a really nice look back at what he's done, and kind of makes me respect Malone, even though this song isn't great. He refers back to his old songs and old life, over a smooth beat by Roofeeo. The hook is very singable, as he proudly proclaims "I just came down from the high of my life." Overall, it's a pretty good closer.
Overall, Stoney is an average album that nobody really wanted. It does have some good songs, but so much of it is just unattractive filler. However, it's likely that it could have quite a few hits, if it's marketed right. I did like it more than I expected, so there's that.
Final Verdict: 56/100
Favorite Tracks: I Fall Apart, Broken Whiskey Glass, No Option
Least Favorite Tracks: Go Flex, Feel, White Iverson
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