Austin, Post Malone’s fifth studio album, was shown to the public on July 28th. Released through Republic and Mercury Records, Post took a different route to his prior projects released. Austin is a synth-pop project, which clearly took inspiration from rock as well. It is Post’s first project with no guest appearances. Furthermore, Malone played all the acoustic guitar here and headed the production team for this album. Four singles preceded the project: “Chemical,” “Mourning,” “Overdrive,” and “Enough is Enough.” Released the same day as Travis Scott’s highly anticipated, Utopia, it had steep competition upon its release.
Background
Post’s fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache, was released a year prior to Austin. It featured Post taking a more pop sound, opposed to the hip-hop of Stoney or Beerbongs & Bentleys. It wasn’t until nearly 10 months later until Malone would tease Austin. On May 15, 2023, the first teaser for the project was released, seen as a different sound than his average listener was used to. This led his fans to believe he would be continuing where he left off with Twelve Carat Toothache.
A month prior to the first teaser, the lead single, “Chemical,” was released. It was an instant hit and was even featured on Post’s The Diamond Collection, which was released to commemorate him being the artist with the most diamond-certified singles. Post dubbed the album as his most challenging project to date, yet the most rewarding. It was released in July, and it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, only behind Utopia.
Production
The focal point of the album is the production. And, to me, the standout there is Post’s acoustic skills. Displayed early on, he masterfully showcases his ability to play the guitar with such high skill. His acoustics were wonderfully created to enhance the listening experience on almost every track. Songs like “Don’t Understand” or “Hold My Breath” display some of the best acoustics on the album. And as stated before, Post did play and record all the acoustic guitar you hear.
Acoustics were not the only part of the highlights on this album production-wise either. Post frequently added drums in. Specifically on songs like “Hold My Breath,” where drums were wonderfully woven into the beat, enhancing it by miles. “Texas Tea” holds a much different sound as well, making it stand out in the latter half of the project. Post headed production, but it also featured input from a handful of producers, who excellently crafted Austin.
Lyricism and Vocals
Per usual, Post’s vocal performance is quite amazing on Austin. With the switch from his normal style came the need to have a more diverse vocal range. Particularly the notes he hit on “Green Thumb” or “Laugh It Off” left the listener impressed. While the old Post Malone was still present in certain moments, he continued to display his wonderful range. And obviously, he has showcased this ability before, but to do it consistently on a 17 deep track list was certainly a feat.
In addition, he managed to keep a lot of the songs strapped for words, while keeping the listener engaged. On many songs, he had only 4-line verses and choruses, which allowed his mastery on the beat to be prominent. He still managed, however, to leave quite the impression with his songwriting. Metaphors and double meanings were shown throughout, leaving the true music lover diving into each line. He truly displayed a masterful performance between his vocals and songwriting.
Differences
The one major takeaway from the album is the style. While again, Post did have glimpses of his past projects, Austin was a refreshing addition in his discography. While he has since released F-1 Trillion, a country project, Post continues to diverge from his usual styles. His passion shows on every song, and although it has received mixed reviews, the project was a nice listen. He mastered the vocal pattern and range needed, and his wonderful acoustic capabilities are now on full display. The project seems to have been meant for the radio, and it does succeed in that regard.
Conclusion
There is not much more to say. This project displays Post’s true skills as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. While many of his fans were left disappointed that he diverged from his usual, Austin is a relaxing project that was a refresh in his discography. It showcases some phenomenal tracks, headlined by Post’s tremendous production styles, his diverse vocal range, and deep meanings within each line.
Song Rankings:
- “Green Thumb”
- “Hold My Breath”
- “Laugh It Off”
- “Sign Me Up”
- “Don’t Understand”
- “Too Cool to Die”
- “Something Real”
- “Chemical”
- “Texas Tea”
- “Buyer Beware”
- “Overdrive”
- “Mourning”
- “Enough is Enough”
- “Landmine”
- “Socialite”
- “Novacandy”
- “Speedometer”