Album Review: Saba - Few Good Things
Release Date: February 4, 2022
Runtime: 47 min 39 sec
Rating: 90/100
High Tracks: Survivor's Guilt (feat. G Herbo), Fearmonger (feat. Daoud), Still (feat. 6lack & Smino), Stop That, Make Believe (feat. Fousheé), 2012 (feat. Day Wave)
Low Tracks: Free Samples (feat. Cheflee)
Contrary to the title, Few Good Things captures a whole collection of amazing elements, all wrapped up in one of the best hip-hop albums of 2022. A loose narrative filled with life lessons, mental resets, and nostalgic checkpoints meanders through Chicago's streets, where rapper and PivotGang co-founder, Saba, spent much of his life. Few Good Things displays Saba's highest caliber of lyrical storytelling while also reaching new levels of flow, vocals, and production. Just as the album name suggests, Saba does more with less by utilizing simple yet effective beats and gut-punching bars. This project comes nearly four years after the highly praised album, Care For Me, and it's clear that Saba has spent the majority of that time reflecting and honing his craft.
Music:
Few Good Things comes in as Saba's most sonically stimulating album to date. While the production and beats have never been weak on previous projects, Saba, daedaePIVOT, and Daoud team up to create incredibly refreshing beats with some fun samples. The light floating sounds of soft guitars and chirping birds on the intro track, "Free Samples," eases the listener into the album, continuing to feel relaxed all through "One Way or Every N***a With a Budget." This makes the sudden contrast of low thumping bass and staccato snares on "Survivor's Guilt," all the more effective. The style change-ups make for a fresh experience on every song, but it's never too drastic to feel jarring. For instance, compare the fun, tropical sound of "Fearmonger," to the smooth & swanky groove of "Still," followed by the choppy swagger of "Stop That." This continual flow of stylistic beats also helps put a focus on Saba's true strengths, which are his lyrics and flows. The lyrical content will be saved for thematic analysis in the next section, but meaning aside, his use of tone, pitch distortion, and rhythm makes for a captivating listen.
This album also features the highest number of collaborations in Saba's discography. 12 out of 14 songs include a guest spot with another artist in some form or another. Obvious contributors include fellow PivotGang members such as Benjamin Earl Turner, Joseph Chilliams (Saba's older brother), FrshWaters, MFnMelo, and the aforementioned producers daedaePIVOT and Daoud. Outside of his crew, Saba worked with the genre giants Krayzie Bone of Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony and Black Thought of The Roots, as well as new age stars 6LACK, Smino, and Mereba. Working with the dynamic range of artists only serves to enhance Saba's vision as each artist gets their moment without ever completely stealing the show. Overall, Few Good Things is Saba's most dazzling work to date.
Themes:
Doing what you love, with people that care, in a place you belong: these are Saba's few good things, unveiled as lessons learned throughout his life. Despite being a heavily covered topic over the album, monetary wealth is notably left off this list. Saba explores the idea of wealth and its overall importance to him over the 14-track autobiography. The beginning of the album speaks of the present day, with Saba living off his wealth and success in boastful lines like:
My address California, when I can't find my controller
I'm like 'F*ck it,' buy another, it ain't nothing, I got money
We all splurgin' on this dumb shit, 'cause we careless and we youngins
Saba's relationship with money was not always this careless. The songs "Survivor's Guilt," "Fearmonger," and "Come My Way," dive deeper into both current and former beliefs that money solves all problems. "Survivor's Guilt," touches on feelings of both pride and remorse. Pride in finding success that allows him and his family to be lifted out of poverty, but remorse for leaving his hometown and still feeling like he isn't doing enough. In "Fearmonger," the fear of poverty and losing his status is delivered in the lines:
And scared money never made money - what I was taught
But once you made money, you be more afraid than us all
...
I made a cool mm-mm off of sayin' a bar
I was scared to spend a dime, like, what if I die tomorrow?
And finally, the chorus of "Come My Way," comes through with the simple thought, "Yeah, daydreaming thinkin' how to get some money//And then we good..." There are many more references to wealth and its double-edged sword of safety and insecurity, but as mentioned earlier, this is not the core of the album. The identity of Few Good Things is the revelation of simple pleasures.
Between all of the money, insecurity, and dangers of a young kid in Chicago, Saba establishes several slices of serenity. The songs "Simpler Times," "Make Believe," and "2012," shine through as incredible moments of peace and gratitude. Of those, "Make Believe," immediately followed by "2012," stands out as some of Saba's most beautiful and vulnerable songwriting. "Make Believe," opens with several voicemail messages from his mother, simply expressing love and a desire to talk to her son. This is followed by Saba metaphorically stepping back to realize how much his life has changed. On a single track, he expresses gratitude, shame, pride, confidence, and perspective for himself in a way that only the most talented can. This transitions into "2012," which is the year Saba first started releasing music. This track paints beautiful imagery of a young Tahj Malik Chandler (Saba's real name), living as a carefree child with friends, crushes, and making the most of each day. That idea is gift-wrapped with a bow as Day Wave aptly sings, "I had everything I needed // 'Cause I had everyone I needed."
In short, Few Good Things is a stunning work of musical self-expression. Saba continues to deliver meaningful art and shows no sign of stopping.