Omar Apollo is one of the most talented musicians of his generation. He can write, produce, play the guitar and sing in different languages. He's also wildly eclectic. Apollo has attempted virtually every style of popular music there is, similar to his idols Prince and Neil Young. His new album, God Said No, is proof that putting Apollo in a specific box is next to impossible. He pushes himself to try out new sounds, and despite not all of them working, the artist's virtuosity still makes them compelling.
Let's start with what doesn't work, because it's a shorter topic. "Less of You" still reeks of pastiche as Omar Apollo does his best Depeche Mode impression. It lacks the sonic punch the artist usually brings to his hooks, and suffers as a result. "Pedro," towards the end of the album, is a spoken word piece that will not be getting a ton of spins after the first listen. It also feels like a lesser take on "Facebook Story" from Frank Ocean's Blonde. The good news is that everything else is excellent. "Done with You" is a gorgeous ballad with a bossa nova rhythm and old-school horns. "Life's Unfair" is a funky medication on romance gone wrong. "Dispose of Me" is another Omar Apollo torch song in the mold of "Evergreen," proving that he does them better than most. God Said No is a subtler album than Ivory, but it's well worth your time.
God Said No tracklist:
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