Cilo - LOS Album Review
Rating: 9/10
Standout Tracks: Pray I Make It Home, Don’t B Bitter/101, Palm Trees, Draggin Me Down, Gotdamn
With plenty of hip-hop juggernauts releasing highly anticipated projects in 2022, it was easy to miss some truly fantastic music if you didn’t keep an ear to the underground scene. One album that went largely overlooked by hip-hop fans is LOS, by up and coming artist Cilo, released on November 11, 2022. This is the Bay Area rapper’s first full-length album to hit streaming services, following his 2020 EP, It Could All B So Simple.
Coming in at 10 songs and a total runtime of just over 32 minutes, Cilo keeps LOS to the point and wastes no time with unnecessary filler. From start to finish, he keeps his artistic versatility on display. Songs like the opening track, “Pray I Make It Home”, and “Cranberry'' make use of prominent guitar riffs to create a very positive, upbeat atmosphere. This happy vibe continues on other tracks like my personal favorite, “Draggin Me Down,” where Cilo’s raps float effortlessly over a beautiful bass line. “Gotdamn'' is another standout in this category, showing off some of the best flows on the whole album over bright and cheery background vocals. On the more upbeat songs, Cilo reflects on his journey to get to this point and all the joyous moments along the way. This is contrasted with darker and grittier tracks like “Don’t B Bitter/101,” “Palm Trees,” and “Smoke!” which highlight a more braggadocious perspective to his newfound fame and money. LOS starts to wrap up with “Shine,” where Cilo raps about how he was shaped by the most difficult moments in his life, and Poet22 impresses with stunning vocals on the chorus. The album ends with “Take Care of Yourself,” a beautiful song full of uplifting messages about taking care of your mental health that gives listeners a look inside Cilo’s mind.
LOS features standout production across the board. The many guitar and bass riffs combined with booming kick drums throughout the project give it a very consistent sound. While these elements take on a prominent role in the songs, Cilo perfectly incorporates them without letting his own voice get overshadowed, except on “Take Care of Yourself,” where the loud background vocals distract from his rapping. That said, the song is still an excellent final track. The high point of production on LOS is “Don’t B Bitter/101.” The second half of this song includes a beat switch followed by a bass-heavy, psychedelic-inspired beat, which is the most intense moment on the album.
Overall, LOS is a near-perfect debut album for Cilo, who seems well on his way to hip-hop stardom. I want to give him a huge thanks for taking the time to talk to me about the project. You can read our full conversation here.