Don Toliver Drops The OCTANE In The Styrofoam
OCTANE, the fifth studio album from the melodic hitmaker of our generation, Don Toliver, has arrived in its glory, being one of Don Toliver’s most experimental albums to date.
“E85” introduces you to the albums twilight zone esque sound in a late night vibe track, heavily taking inspiration from his previous album HARDSTONE PSYCHO (could be him arriving to a new place from that world?). “Body” has Travis Scott on the production with BNYX sampling “Rock your Body” by Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, with a Houston twist. On the collaborative track “Rondezvous” featuring Yeat, the two artists bounce off each other's sounds like they were on the same NBA team, creating something completely new, yet minimalist. “Secondhand” is probably Don Toliver’s best song on OCTANE and possibly in his whole catalog yet, due to its experimental production, hooks, and feature by Rema, making it standout from the other tracks on the record. Also being one of Don Toliver’s most experimental tracks from his discography as it uses afrobeats, and both artists slide on that production.
“Tiramisu” and “ATM” were released prior to the album’s release. But gained much love from fans as it prepared them for what is to come. Especially on the self produced dance track “ATM”. “Long Way To Calabassas” features the most soulful vocal performance from Don on the album, and showcases his range to go from a dance track to an extremely melodic trap song that will stand out from his other works. Which nicely transitions into the sacrilegious “Rosary”, which showcases how both Don Toliver and Travis Scott have mastered the trap melodies by taking the foot off the gas that leads them to their rageful music, and just vibe over a Wheezy produced beat singing about love. Heavily reminiscent of their song “INSIDE” from HARDSTONE PSYCHO. “All The Signs” brings us even more into this hypnotic love cycle Don Toliver has created over the years in a slow dance type song. Featuring Teezo Touchdown, in which he delivers an anthem worthy verse.
“Call Back” was a fan favorite for the past year that did not see an official release until now. The only way to hear this song was at Don Toliver’s concerts or when you catch him in the club. And now that it is released, it proves itself worthy to be another iconic anthem from Don Toliver that is meant to be played in stadiums this summer. “Tuition” slows things back down in an erotic like song that is centered around a singular chorus, but yet with its minimalist sound, it is in my top 3 songs from this album due to how remindful it is of The Life Of A Don era, which propelled him in his fame due to his unique sound. “K9” features SahBabii, which it seems like the Cactus Jack crew have unofficially signed him due to his appearance on “Beep Beep” with Travis Scott on the Jackboys 2 album that released last summer. And is now listed as a guest performer for the Octane tour that is happening this summer.
“Excavator” revs up the energy on the album with a fun performance by Don Toliver. Which beautifully transitions into the unstoppable sounding track that is “Gemstone”, where Don Toliver is in your face in an unapologetic manner. “OPPOSITE” continues the high energy with an unforgettable performance that literally sounds like a moshpit every time you play it. A fan favorite that was also given the “Call Back” treatment of only being able to be heard in live environments.
“TMU” features some of the most questionable lyrics ever from Don Toliver. Although it is a great-sounding track, due to today’s political climate, it sounds a bit wrong. He could have done better with creating context for the song, rather then leave it up for debate. Which is what makes it the only skip on the album. On “Pleasure’s Mine”, Don stays free from the drama and fully expresses that. And on the closure of the album “Sweet Home”, Don Toliver samples Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” in an anthem-like manner and sings about the changes in location and finding love in his new home in California, while also calling back to his hometown, Houston, Texas.
This was a great album from Don; throughout it, he showcased how he has expanded his craft and mastered his sound. Days before the album’s release, Don Toliver responded to a comment about him taking a break from releasing music after this project with a simple like. Showing that the artist will indeed be taking a break, but has left his audience with 5 very solid albums to enjoy. Don Toliver also recently announced his “Phase 1” of the OCTANE Tour, taking place this summer in North America with special guests SahBabii, SoFaygo, and CHASE B. Check out the album below and shoot us a DM on our Instagram @ KRCX Regis Radio, and let us know what you think: