America is a circus right now. Open your laptop and you’ll read about the next offensive thing Trump said, the latest mass shooting, or the newest sexual assault allegations. This has inspired some excellent woke music in the past year, but sometimes it’s best to decompress. Childish Major’s Woo$ah is perfect for such an occasion, as the EP’s in-the-moment sentiments and breezy sonics make for a soothing experience.
Childish Major isn’t exactly dropping jaws with his bars, but Woo$ah succeeds on the strength of his melodic prowess. The most ear-grabbing lyrics are often the kid’s hum-worthy hooks, such as on the SZA and Isaiah Rashad-assisted “Happy Birthday.” The simple chant “It’s your birthday, it’s your birthday…” over repetitive, hard-knock drums will burrow in the listener’s brain and stay there when they’re at work, at the gym, or at their niece’s Bat Mitzvah. This is the case with most of the hooks, though an exception is “Aim High,” which repeats the title to a tired effect. However, Childish Major’s ability to craft memorable music with such bare-bones elements is a testament to his talent and makes Woo$ah an indelible affair.
Of course, it helps that the tunes are so infectious. The title track benefits from Lyle LeDuff’s whimsical guitar licks, which vibe smoothly with chilled-out drums and a spacy bassline. Just one track later, a futuristic ethos turns “I Like You” into a winner. The production is almost exclusively strong, save “Supply Luh,” on which J. Cole’s staticky beat is too robotic for Childish Major’s melodic flow. Most often, though, the beats are ear candy to the point that it almost wouldn’t matter what Childish Major says.
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That’s not to say he doesn’t have any compelling bars. He spends much of his time aspiration for better, partying, and whispering sweet nothings into the ears of love interests. The lyrical content works well with the feel of the project, though occasionally Childish Major will indulge in surprising depth. “But I ain’t goin’ back to broke/Dyin’ ‘cause my pride won’t let me borrow nothin’ from folk” he confesses on the ghostly “No Nightmares.” Quips like these not only enrich the EP but show potential for a more fleshed-out portrait whenever Childish Major drops a full-length offering.
This EP won’t blow listeners away, and the tracks blend so well together that there isn’t a clear standout. Regardless, Woo$ah remains a collection of groovy tunes that make for a worthy entry point of the Atlanta native’s catalog.
