REVIEW: Amine - 13 Months Of Sunshine

Reminiscing with the LV shades on...

I am someone who gravitates towards versatility in the music I listen to, not just in the genres but in the artists themselves and how they evolve over time. I like to be surprised, and with the new album from Portland native rapper Aminè, I was most definitely surprised. Since breaking out in the rap scene in 2016 with his debut album goodforyou, which included his hit ‘Caroline’, his musical output has always been extremely diverse in the various sounds and verses he explores. From dreamy trap songs produced by F1lthy to sultry duets with Summer Walker, he stands out beyond the masses. 

This can’t be more evident than on his 3rd studio album: 13 Months Of Sunshine. Its title is a direct reference to a slogan used in Western advertising for visiting Ethiopia in the 60s and 70s, showing there’s more to the country than meets the eye. A solid nod to his heritage while also linking to how intricate this album is beyond its fantastic dance-fuelled singles. It’s quite surprising that this album is labelled a hip-hop/rap album on streaming services when he is genuinely bouncing in a lot of directions here, all while maintaining a sharp sense of cohesion over its 16 tracks. From dancehall with hints of retrospection with ‘I Think It’s You’, disarming alt pop on ‘Images’ to hyper-pop that invokes feelings of old Dreamcast game soundtracks with ‘Changer’. 

The features and producers reflect this diversity as well. Executively produced by Dahi, alongside production from Lido, Loukeman, Buddy Ross, Jim-E Stack, allows for an off-kilter mix of genres and sounds. Indie darling Waxahatchee hits harmonies on ‘Honest’, a sparsely produced dream pop track with a proper weight behind the vocals. Songs like ‘Cool About It’ that glide with cascading distorted drums and synths evoke a feeling of a hazy dance floor. Lido’s verse is a great closer to the track, too, complementing Aminè’s effortless pop hooks. ‘Doing The Best I Can’ is a moving track with hints of a ballad, while feeling like an evolution of the sounds explored on Limbo cut ‘Mama’. The title track begins with punchy afro-beats production while the lyrics feel like a spiritual successor to the ‘STFU’ tracks of the past, and then it drops into a warped and poignant second half with disjointed pianos, split up with a moving soundbite of Aminè’s father. “I was named after my grandfather, so I can’t put shame on the name I'm proud of.” 

In the writer's room this time round, each of the tracks had to pass the “Small Reading Room Test”: with lyrics that he would be proud to read to a small group of people, with no track behind it. While some of the lyrics on show here miss the mark in this regard, this is easily his most personal album lyrically, still finding interesting ways to deliver his stories. ‘Temptations’, while being a very natural progression from the sounds that made him popular, also plays on the idea of romantic unfaithfulness and the consequences of one's actions. Tender, closer ‘Images’ talks about the idea of keeping the spirits of loved ones alive through photos and the memories tied to it. “You’re gone, but it feel good to know I got it ‘cause inside the frame, I know things won’t change”. 

With such a varied track listing, there are bound to be a couple of songs that don’t stand out as much. Tracks like ‘Raspberry Kisses’ lack the punchy production as heard on songs before and after it, and with ‘Familiar’, even though it does flow nicely, I feel it doesn’t have a long enough track time to truly explore the glitchy house production it opens with. But again, these criticisms are minor gripes because this album is truly the ointment for that summer itch that I feel last year's Kaytraminè didn’t scratch. If you are looking for one of this year's summer bangers, look no further than track 15: ‘Arc De Triomphe’. It’s a masterclass of a dance track, with a fantastic use of the UK Classic ‘Has it come to this?’ By The Streets. It maintains the identity of the original while giving it a new house house-inspired lens. Aminè is at his most confident here, swinging through the verses with such swagger and still delivering witty wordplay. “So I mus’ put ‘em in the grave like Kacey.” 

To sum it up, this is a fantastically versatile and cohesive third offering from Aminè with a clear evolution in his writing, flow and his sounds. It doubles as a celebration of where his career has soared to, as well as putting love and respect on the family and culture that he was born into. I have no idea where Aminè’s output will go after this, but what I do know is that he’s gonna do it with chest.