NxWorries
Why Lawd?
STONES THROW
ABOVE THE CURRENT
Is it possible for an album to be an undeniable success based solely on vibes? I’m asking for a friend. Well, two friends—namely Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge, who are releasing their first album together as NxWorries since 2016’s debut Yes Lawd!. It’s easy to fall into the trap that its follow-up Why Lawd? exists as some sort of counterpoint to its predecessor, but it’s an easy trap to fall into because it’s so inviting. .Paak and Knx work as true embodiments of yin and yang: Anderson is sparkle and flash, wanting to turn things up to 11 while Silk Sonic–ifying everything he touches. His camp needs to hire someone to make sure he never wears a wig again.
Knxwledge, on the other hand, makes beats that sound like they were cooked up in his grandma’s basement. They’re dusty and dank and turn my face permanently thizzed. On their debut, the middle ground was struck perfectly. Knxwledge emphasized the less corny sides of Anderson’s personality, and .Paak showed the producer that the basement can get some sunshine if you just crack a window. On Why Lawd? not much changes, but there’s not really a need for anything drastic. The freshness is in the eight years between projects.
Despite a Dave Chappelle cameo in the year of our lord 2024 to open the album, Why Lawd? cruises without a speedbump. Perhaps some might take issue with how glossily the entire thing moves from track to track, but as everything continues to explode and fissure and crumble ever further into an abyss from which we can’t return, a little bit of smooth summertime fun can be a nice tonic. Lyrically, .Paak doesn’t put an emphasis on what he’s saying. He’s one of the best in the game at letting tone dictate the feel of the song, such that when he compares a woman’s private parts to plum wine on “FallThru,” it’s not really cringe-worthy because his voice sounds so damn pleasant. Again, some might take issue with this, but we’ve never mistaken Anderson .Paak for MF DOOM.
The vibe may be the aesthetic, though in .Paak’s defense, he does show some significant depth on “Battlefield,” which finds him diving into childhood and waxing philosophically on loneliness. Even during these moments, the feel hits harder than the words, which goes back to my first question. Yes, an album can be an undeniable success based solely on vibes, and fuck anyone that says otherwise. Why Lawd? goes down easier than—sorry—plum wine.
