Woodie Gochild - '#GOchild' Album Review

H1GHR MUSIC'S Woodie Gochild released his first mini-album last week, featuring label and crew mates such as Sik-K and Jay Park, as well as outside artists such as the highly rated PENOMECO, Dok2 and Hwasa.

Produced by SLO (a crew mate from YTC4LYF), the former Show Me The Money contestant has clearly spent both time and effort preparing this album long before being signed to a label. To break down the album, I've decided to review it track by track, hoping to provide a taste for the album and to either encourage or discourage you, the reader, from listening to it. I hope you enjoy.

"Positive Bounce" ft PENOMECO

Tropical beats, cleverly placed auto-tune and a fast pace make this an infectious song. A catchy hook from PENOMECO adds to the track, and creates something worth moving to. It's a great start to a debut offering, and something that belongs on any Summer playlist. Track Rating - 9/10

"Lets Get It" ft Jay Park, Dok2

A song already released featuring Hip-Hop stars Jay Park and Dok2, it certainly isn't the worst way to announce your arrival into the Hip-Hop scene. It's easy to get lost in the simple rhythm of the song, and the accessibility is driven forward by the clear experience from the features. It's a pretty good song, and one definitely worth taking note of. Track Rating - 8/10

"Roll Cake" ft ZENE THE ZILLA

A hard-hitting beat and the smooth electronic vocals of Woodie shine in this particular track, and the infectious hook will have you spamming the repeat button. Another clever feature, the song never once loses its tangible energy, and you'll be dancing without even realising it, that's how good it is. Track Rating - 9.5/10

"Fly Me To My Town" ft Rakon

A more relaxing tropical rhythm allows you to momentarily catch your breath with "Fly Me To My Town." It's relaxing and pleasant, and a song that'll take you to your happy place. It sounds like a cliche to say it's another effective feature so I'll save you having to read that going forward, but Rakon really does add an interesting dimension to the track that takes it to that next level. I recommend this to the fans of a more subtle dance track, as this vibrant track is one that could certainly fly under the radar for many. Track Rating - 9.5/10

"When The Night Comes" ft DOX-A

Instrumental wise it sticks to the general tropical flavour the rest of the album has had, but this track seems to let the vocals shine slightly more, letting the rhythm subtly add to the charm rather than become the focal point. It's a good song, but in the general sense, it's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, but rather just enjoy from time to time. Track Rating - 7/10

"Cotton Candy" ft Hwasa

The title-track of this debut offering, "Cotton Candy" delivers on every front. Infectious, bubbly and a fun Summer track. It's a production masterclass from SLO who creates a unique energy for this track, and I honestly think it is one of the best songs released this year. The instrumental chorus could get anyone dancing, and Hwasa shines perfectly in her verse. It's everything you could want from a track of this kind and more, and I'd run out of superlatives if I tried to describe it further, so just listen for yourself. Track Rating - 10/10

"Moon Walk"

The only track without a credited feature, Gochild allows himself to remain in the driver's seat for this track, and with a short, snappy effort, creates something worth sticking around to listen to. It fits perfectly with the general vibe of the album, and is the perfect follow-up from the energising track prior to it. Track Rating - 8/10

"Muse" ft Jay Park, Sik-K

I had circled this particular track when I first saw the track-list for the album, as Sik-K is one of my favourite artists right now, and Jay Park is one of the more consistent Hip-Hop stars about right now, and I was right to circle it. Relaxing, chilled and still uplifting, "Muse" is a great album-closer, giving you a true taste of the potential Woodie Gochild has with the backing of his crew mates whilst making you crave more and more. Often a new artist can feel overshadowed by the features, but instead Gochild waited perfectly for his moment, and took it, coming across like a true star in both this track and the album, allowing people to contribute to the magic rather than take away from it. Track Rating - 10/10

Overall, this consistently great, well-produced debut is about as good as it gets nowadays. I recommend you load up your Spotify and jump on the Woodie Gochild bandwagon before it takes off without you, I guarantee you won't regret it.

Album Rating - 9/10