Dom McLennon has spent over a decade honing his skills, sharpening his lyrical blade and tuning his ear to the best beats that suit his style. An original member of the breakthrough band BROCKHAMPTON, McLennon uses his experience in the genre-pushing group to help produce a sound that is distinctly his own. On The Changing of the Trees, he produces a compelling solo effort surely worthy of praise.

Standout Tracks: First Offering, Amongst Swords, Russian Cream

His drowsy flow drags along, while the background instrumentals range from sluggish to spirited in feel. The diversity of the rhythms is a standout feature of this project. Although the tempos and tones cover a wide range of feelings, they all share the same distinct identity. Each song may sound different, but they all carry the same DNA, and those genes form the backbone of this project, as McLennon provides the flesh and muscle, filling out the dense structure with a variety of rhyme schemes and flows perfectly suited for each situation.

The beauty in the musicality comes in large part from the song structures used on the album. Instead of your typical 2, 4, or 8 bar loop, played out on repeat ad nauseam, these songs are freer. Taking up a wider space and deeper progressions gives this dynamism to the album, making it feel as though you're being taken somewhere on a journey instead of locked in the same place listening to the same loop. The downside is that at times there's a lack of that rhythmic feel that is so quintessential to hip hop, in reality, sometimes you don't want to take a trip. Sometimes you just want to lock into your groove and bust a move.

This production style also somewhat lessens the impact of the raps, in a way sometimes the production is too good. As McLennon's voice blurs its way into the soundscape, you can lose track of what he's saying far too easily, taking away from the introspective topics he touches on in his rhymes. The most memorable tracks are the ones that carry a more standard vibe. First Offering, for example, is textbook hip-hop. Taking a high strung sample and chopping it up into this upbeat movement that raises your blood pressure sky high. Yes this is certainly memorable, but is it the best? Does it contend with a song like Gym Hours, with its slowed down, somber, ballad-like energy, the jazz ensemble crooning in the background making sure you hear every emotion on their mind? Who's to say?

Therein lies the beauty of this album, to fit tracks on opposite ends of the spectrum while maintaining a consistent sound and voice is a mark of an artist with an innate attention to detail. And while he may not have the slickest flow or the hardest beats in the world, McLennon displays something that's far more rare in music today, an identity.

Final Verdict: in the rotation - The Changing of the Trees is good, very good. In a world where so many copycats and biters exist Dom McLennon ignores all of that to deliver a project that is truly unique.