“MILLION DOLLAR BABY”, Tommy Richman’s breakout hip-hop hit, was one of the top songs this summer after Tommy Richman’s crunchy, 8-bit version of the track went viral on Tiktok. After a strong follow-up with “DEVIL IS A LIE”, he solidified his spot as more than a one-hit wonder, while pushing even further into his vintage, funk inspired sound and continuing to highlight his falsetto vocals. Now, COYOTE tries to recreate the magic – but even though it misses that viral moon of his singles, some of Richman’s tracks still land among the stars.
On first listen, the album seems like a combination of the tech-focused production from albums like The Weeknd’s DAWN FM and the lo-fi, vintage soul aesthetics of BADBADNOTGOOD and Three Sacred Souls – though Richman struggles to keep up with these legends lyrically, his unique sound and consistent groove help keep the album afloat. And there’s a certain respect to give an artist who, after releasing two of the summer’s top tracks, chooses to keep his new album pure to his vision by leaving them off of it.
The first track, “ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM” (one of Big Al’s personal favorites) comes on the heel of Richman’s newfound success, telling a classic R&B story atop crooning vocals and muted drums – the problem of choosing between a new life and old friends. Richman laments about missing his past when “the liquor is cheap, but the friends are richer” and expresses his worst fear as he adjusts to success, stating “I’m too scared of being thrown away.” It’s an interesting take amidst the normally egotistical lyricism of hip-hop, painting Richman as a broke artist first, and a viral success second. Before transitioning out of this song, he adds one last comment – “Why an elephant, why not a snake in the room?” as he questions the good nature of his new life.
“WHITNEY”, named after the legendary artist, pushes the album into the future with hypnotic synths, hi-hats, and a fresh new flow from Richman. Though the lyrics are a bit closer to nonsense than poetry – “Where you goin’? I’m on my feet / You’re always in my dreams but it’s a one-way street” sounds satisfying, but doesn’t really say anything – the song is infused with too much electricity to question it before you’re already onto the next track, a testament to Richman’s ability to hook his audience.
“TEMPTATIONS” sees the artist wavering a bit vocally, but the heavy vintage effects applied to the singer’s voice help make the voice cracks seem intentional (and maybe they are). The same can be said for the meandering story, with sound effects and overlaid vocals cropping up so often it’s hard to track the indecisiveness of the singer, as he both expresses disappointment and longing for a past lover. The most cohesive part of the track comes at the end with the appearance of COYOTE’s recurring radio host, who tells the audience to remember “better days are upon us”. This helps prep the audience that more energy is coming before transitioning into the nostalgic sadness of “WHISPER IN MY EAR” – a heartfelt track on the singer’s feelings of getting pushed around by producers, and friends, as he tries to find a foothold. The simple drum track is Richman’s version of an acoustic song, but his signature voice starts to become grating without any instrumentals to balance things out, making it one of the weaker tracks of the album.
The next track, “GIVE IT ALL”, captures the smooth, slow vibes Richman was aiming for much better; it’s another relatively simple song, but there’s a much clearer message in the lyrics and sound. The track captures the feeling of waiting on an indecisive partner, as Richman tells his love that he’s ready to give the relationship his all and move out west together, but the leisurely pace of lyrics like “I’ve got some time I wanna waste with you” add some sincerity and romance to the wait. But in “TENNESSEE”, Richman tells his loverboy persona to move over, as he tries to make a name for himself as a rapper. The track features two of Richman’s friends, Trevor Spitta and Zachary Moon, and the three have undeniable chemistry as a trio. The track reads a tad closer to a youtube parody than a true rap track (which isn’t helped by Tommy’s high-pitched singing, or the strange choice to include soaring flutes in the instrumental), but the impressive mixing by Jonah Roy gives the song the legitimacy it needs to stand its ground in the charts. Despite it’s flaws, I hope Richman finds himself recording more singles similar to this song, but unfortunately it’s the only track like it on the album, as he returns back to his secret sauce on “I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONE”. It’s here you can start to sense Richman’s creativity waning, as he waxes on about his lost lover again. While you can’t blame an artist for spending a whole album reminiscing, I can blame him for repeating “I thought you were the one” more than a dozen times.
He follows with “LETTERMAN”, which, despite a lack of lyrical inspiration, is by far Richman’s strongest attempt at his lo-fi funk sound – complete with romantic nostalgia as he crafts a song that seems designed to be played in the backseat of a parked car (one of the best times for good R&B) He continues his emulation of golden-era soul (complete with vinyl sfx) through to “GREEN THERAPY”, a track that borders on a monologue. Here, Richman employs a more noticeable bass and drum track atop field recordings of running water to make his most atmospheric piece on the album. It’s also one of the most authentic tracks on the album, and I’ll avoid spoiling the contents here to encourage everyone to listen to it themselves.
The final tracks of the album, “VANITY” and “seems like time moves forever”, are far off from the throwback sound of the rest of the album, and they see Richman striving for a sound much closer to the likes of DJO than his soul influences. The former’s has more instrumental than probably the rest of COYOTE’s tracks combined, as Richman vows to leave his lover behind and “do it for [him]self”. In “seems like time moves forever”, you get sucked punched with a new perspective, as Richman and mynameisntjmack write the song as if looking back on the period written about in the albumin the far future. It’s the most devastating, evocative song off the album, describing Richman’s regret of his past actions after knowing their lover never came back to them, as the rest of time flows past them while they stay stuck on their old memories. Ouch.
COYOTE isn’t perfect, but as an enjoyer of the R&B genre, synthetic production, and reminiscing, I felt I got a lot from the album. There’s only a couple tracks I’ll be placing into heavy rotation, but the fluid transitions and overall unified sound of the album made it a great first-listen. I’m putting this one as a 7/10, and recommending all “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” enjoyers give it a try.
Photo by Tommy Richman via Instagram
