Album Review: AUSTIN | Post Malone
Posty chefs up his version of girl dinner.
Post Malone (legally known as Austin Richard Post) has always flirted with the idea of a stripped-back, guitar-driven record. On his latest LP, he trades in some of the typical trap-pop hits that have fueled his career for a soft rock-country sound.
Post Malone’s 2022 album Twelve Carat Toothache felt like he was in limbo. Although there were some fun hits like the Doja Cat assisted I Like You or total earworm Wrapped Around Your Finger. Something was missing on his last album, which kind of mirrored the internal battles with depression and alcoholism Malone was going through at the time.
This latest LP, AUSTIN, feels like a true reflection of his current lifestyle. In the year and some change since his last album, Posty has gotten a hold on his alcoholism, had a baby, proposed to his girlfriend, and moved out of Los Angeles to greener pastures and moved to Utah. Even the name of the record suggests a more reflective and authentic version of Post Malone.
It’s hard to dislike any of the songs on this record, as Post always has arguably been the best melody writer in the industry since Stoney dropped in 2016. Using his almost a decade long experience of hitmaking, AUSTIN is a soundscape of cheeky lyrics and choruses that stick in your head after a few listens.
This album reminds us of girl dinner. It’s a random assortment of little treats that add up to a full meal, but if you look at them on the plate, you might get confused about what the vision is. Take them as individual pieces, and they’re great! This album feels less like a cohesive body of work but more of a playlist of random songs. The track list could use some re-arranging, and might leave the listener bloated.
TLDR: If you like Post Malone for his hip-hop/trap songs, you won’t like this album. If you like Post Malone for his pop output, you’ll like AUSTIN. If you’re somewhere in the middle, you might be a little bored. This is a lengthy record for 17+ (an 18th bonus song just dropped as of August 2nd) tracks. All in all, this album feels like part-passion project for Posty and part strategic move to shift his sound away from hip-hop fully in order to show off his songwriting talents and knack for the pop formula.
Check out our favorite tracks, listen to the album, and see our scores below:
Can’t Miss: Chemical, Enough Is Enough, Sign Me Up, Texas Tea, Something Real, Novacandy, Too Cool To Die, Green Thumb
You Can Skip: Don’t Understand
BY THE NUMBERS
Bennett’s Score: 7.0
Carson’s Score: 7.4
Album Score: 15
Average Track Score: 7.2
Notes from Bennett:
Posty holds a significant portion of my all-time listening habits (2.55% ~4.5 days total), So I’m always down for new music from Mr. Malone. Going into AUSTIN, my favorite Post Malone songs had intense heavy production, lots of synths, strained, powerful vocals, etc. This album is none of those things.
Although the things I love about post malone are taking a backseat on this record, I am charmed by what drives the album. There are more acoustic guitars and fantastic drums, and Post is flexing his ability to craft a melody everywhere here. Melodically, the stand out to me is Too Cool To Die, I think the writing is ok, it’s fun and works, but I love how Post sings it.
Enough Is Enough was stuck in my head all day while writing this Post. It’s straightforward and well-rounded but just good.
The singles, Chemical, Overdrive & Mourning all have grown on me. I was not a fan of Mourning on release, and suddenly, in the context of AUSTIN, it hits.
Notes from Carson:
Although filled with some of the most gut-punching lyrics on the album “I don't understand why you like me so much, Wish I was someone else, You say you got a million reasons, but I can’t think of one”. I cannot stand the vocal performance on Don’t Understand. It’s a no from me on the Posty-Yodeling.
Something Real is so epic. The background vocals on the chorus make this a stellar track.
Novacandy is the perfect blend of the signature Stoney & Beerbongs & Bentleys-eras “talk-yo-shit” delivery on a guitar-driven record.
Chemical was a weird-first single, but now after spending time with the full length, I think it makes sense as the best song to put forward.
Overall, I think the Max Martin-produced tracks Enough Is Enough and Sign Me Up stick out to me the most.
Hold My Breath and Green Thumb feels the closest to Feeling Whitney / Stay.
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Nice!