Jaden - ERYS

Pitchfork 47

The young polymath’s latest album mostly a slog, the sound of an artist with a blurry vision and too many resources at his disposal.

The Guardian 40

(MSFTSMusic/Roc Nation)

Given the success of his parents (Will and Jada Pinkett Smith), it’s perhaps not surprising that Jaden Smith radiates ambition. There’s the philanthropy and entrepreneurship, along with the acting – and the 21-year-old’s desire to be different is evident in his music too.

Like Syre, his 2017 debut, Erys (see what he did there?) is a concept record, this time with Erys the lead character in a purgatorial LA. It’s full of epic, sprawling variety and, often, pretension, flitting between hard trap, bluesy post-rock and Auto-Tuned, vaguely conscious rap with psych-tinged beats and tubular bells. At best, it’s dreamily creative; at worst, overwrought.