Album - Alan Ward “Dolo”
Alan Ward has become a bit of a household name for the Ayesharp blog as of late, releasing solid material, including an overall enjoyable project in “DGAF.” The Milwaukee emcee follows up that project with his latest release, “Dolo.” a proper successor to “DGAF.” where Ward occupies his formulaic rap lane of all-too-familiar topics, a multitude of flows, and solid production.
Ward opens the album with “Basic.” A one-verse song detailing the mundane doings of waking up early, the highs of meeting women, and enjoyments of watching enemies sulk at his success. This, however, is the bulk of the album, as Ward speaks purposefully on the topics he knows best, himself, women, rapping, and success.
The production on this album is a surprising upgrade from “DGAF’ as samples occupy a majority of the album. Production standouts like “Studio Time” where Ward raps over a silky guitar sample and boom-bap drums that operate simple enough for Ward to shine. This is the case for most of the project’s production, as Ward finds his groove early and often, rarely offering a flow that feels out of place for the beat.
The album catches its second wind with lead single “fashionable.” Which I’ve described before as a “one verse lyrical blitz.” And after multiple listens, this still rings true, with Ward offering a healthy dose of clever-lines to match his rapid style that attacks the laid-back production. With only ten songs, this offer's the perfect length to recognize the skill-set of Ward, who’s flow can range from track-attacking to smoke-session worthy.
The album concludes with “My List.” A laid-back story-told rap where Ward sing-raps over the song’s hook, wrapping up another solid project from the emcee. With only two features throughout the album, this project primarily showcases Ward flexing his musical muscle with the intent to show why he’s a standout artist. With two album releases in 2020, this should be the perfect building block to Ward’s every-shining future.
