Spirit World Field Guide
| Aesop Rock
Spirit World Field Guide
Spirit World Field Guide is the eighth studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released on November 13, 2020, through Rhymesayers Entertainment. It acts as a "guide" to a fictional world, named the Spirit World. The album was preceded by two songs: "The Gates" released on September 9, and "Pizza Alley" released on October 16, 2020. Both were released with music videos directed by Rob Shaw and featuring animation from Justin "Coro" Kaufman, who also designed the album's cover art. A third song and music video, "Coveralls", was released on November 13 alongside the album. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
On his new album, the verbose rapper’s fascination with creatures widens into a cosmology, resulting in the most joyous album he’s ever made.
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mxdwn Music
Spirit World Field Guide gives listeners a sense of relief. Aesop throughout encourages the exploration of one’s own alternate dimensions. This album is a way for those who are on their own journeys to look for a section they feel most applicable and explore it. Aesop Rock gives those listening a chance to see his experience and let them know any uncertainties or fear that may arise is okay; people are not alone. Spirit World Field Guide is just the starter everyone needs to begin finding the deeper and expansive meaning their life has.
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Underground HipHop Blog
I know this literally just came out, but I’ll honestly go as to far to say that this is one the best albums Aesop Rock has done yet. The outdoorsmen concept of the whole thing is very well executed & his production has only gotten better with time.
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Treblezine
He wants to simultaneously search for inner peace at the outer limits and condense mass quantities of weird energy into bite-sized nuggets. These efforts produce a collection of insights with complexity that amazes and confuses in equal measure.
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Sputnik Music
As with most of his work, it takes some time for the words to settle into some kind of bigger picture. One message is reading loud and clear, though. The weight of fear, of guilt, of self-loathing that coloured Aesop Rock's music for so long has been lifted, and his creativity is once again unbridled.
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All Music
The songs, as densely detailed as anything in Aesop's catalog, exuberantly describe fantastic scenarios, both real and imagined, and serve as chapters in a sort of survival manual.
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The Needle Drop
Spirit World Field Guide's purposeful meandering and not-so-sticky hooks are occasional turnoffs, but the album still delivers the conceptuality and adept rapping it's safe to expect from Aesop Rock.
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Stereogum
Spirit World Field Guide is not a compromised vision; it’s an album that sounds and works like nothing else. But it’s also an album that meets you halfway, that invites you in. At this point, I’d kill to be back in the Ottobar, watching Aesop Rock do what he does. I’d appreciate it more. He might, too.
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Spectrum Culture
A Rubik’s cube of obscure language, it’s a daunting task that can seems like more of a chore than it is worth.
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