Album Review: Dark Lane Demo Tapes

I should really call this a ‘Mixtape Review’ - Drake’s surprised us all with this release, considering his studio album is set to be dropped this summer. The title sums it up pretty well. This collection of ‘Demo Tapes’ definitely is not as cohesive as his studio albums - true to its name, many of the songs have a dark, brooding tone, but we do get the more upbeat interjections such as the artist’s recent hit single ‘Toosie Slide’. Drake did receive criticism, which I believe is warranted, for the single’s lack of content; it is a rather generic dance song basically manufactured for success on TikTok. Having said this, I think the mixtape as a whole is not to be slept on. It may not have the same sort of flow that we’ve seen on previous releases, and while I won’t be listening to it on repeat back to back (as I did More Life), I definitely have my favourites saved. Here’s a quick rundown:

Deep Pockets, the first song on the tape reminded me immediately of the first disc of Scorpion, the soundtrack to my junior summer. Granted, the backing is somewhat repetitive, but this draws more attention to such lyrical gold as “Got me ready to flip the F out like Fendi” (I don’t know about you, but my midterm season mood for sure). And speaking of, the steady and unvarying beat makes it the perfect study song.

When To Say When and Chicago Freestyle begin to change up the tone of the tape with the former being somewhat upbeat and the latter more melancholic. I loved the flow on both tracks, which were released together a couple months ago. The sample used in When To Say When really makes it pop, as do Giveon’s vocals in Chicago Freestyle.

I wish I could say the same for Chris Brown’s feature in Not You Too, as we get the first few duds on what has so far been a fulfilling tape. Nothing much to say about this song, pretty generic, pretty forgettable. Toosie Slide, as discussed, is not a favourite of mine either, though I will admit it is pretty catchy. And Future on Desires leaves much to be desired - his vocals don’t add much to Drake’s so, again, this one is not a standout for me.

Things pick up with Time Flies. Super catchy, Drake’s rap-singing on this track reminds my somewhat of ‘Feel No Ways’ on Views. Landed follows with a fast and aggressive beat, a good one for the running playlist. So far I haven’t been giving much love to the collaborations on this mixtape, but D4L, featuring Future and Young Thug was a game changer for me. Such a dynamic track, the beat, vocals, tempo… it all comes together amazingly.

This mixtape is truly like pick and mix… Pain 1993 and From Florida With Love failed to impress, perhaps because we’re past the 30 minute mark on the tape and the sounds are inevitably beginning to get repetitive. Yet wedged in between these tracks is my favourite one on here, Losses. In the longest composition on Dark Lane, Drake goes deep, reminiscing over a broken friendship. The lyrics and backing make for a calm and purposeful rap that has me contemplating who did Drake dirty.

We get another abrupt change of tune in the artist’s penultimate track Demons, which marks a move towards drill-style music as Drake closes out Dark Lane in style with War. Is that a British accent? To be honest, the first time I heard the final track, released around Christmas, I had to confirm I was listening to Drake and not British drill. Some great lines on this freestyle too - give the man his British citizenship already.

Image via

While Dark Lane as a whole may not be as polished as Drake’s past projects, the artist does address this on his Instagram. Composed of ‘leaks’, ‘joints from SoundCloud’ and ‘new vibes’, it is clear we shouldn’t judge it to the same standard as we would an album of his, and we certainly shouldn’t be comparing it previous releases. In an interview with Lil Wayne, Drake commented that rather than just releasing a single, he “felt like people would appreciate maybe a body of something to listen to”. I think he hit the nail right on the hammer here - quarantine has really got me In My Feelings and craving new music. This release if anything has acted as a teaser for Drake’s upcoming album, which I am highly anticipating.

Featured image via