Odd Future’s catapult to fame has included some seemingly out-of-place components… Purple Naked Ladies

The Internet

Odd Future Records

Grade: B

Rocks Like: A futuristic Erykah Badu

Odd Future’s catapult to fame has included some seemingly out-of-place components.

For one, there is the uncharacteristically calm and smooth Frank Ocean as well as the seldom-heard-of project, “Jet Age of Tomorrow.”

Then there’s The Internet, a group consisting of Odd Future sound engineer Syd tha Kid and Jet Age of Tomorrow producer Matt Martian. The two — who also live together — combine soulful R&B vocals provided by Syd tha Kid with spacey, ambient production from Martian.

Perhaps Odd Future’s oddest pairing, the Internet manages to find a perfect balance between the grand, multi-instrument production from Martian and the soft, low-key vocals of Syd.

The first single from the album, “Love song -1,” features Syd’s soft vocals lamenting the loss of a former lover. Martian’s Outkast-inspired production complements the subtleties of Syd’s voice perfectly on “Cocaine,” a song that describes just what the title suggests. While there are plenty of moments in which the duo find a perfect balance on this record, the production on songs like “Gurl” feels a bit overwhelming despite the lyrical sentiments being perhaps the most potent.

Odd Future ringleader Tyler, the Creator, rants, “Listen closely to the music before you put it in a box,” at the end of the original version of “Sandwiches.” The Internet is a prime example of what he meant.

Much of the album is concerned with the personal experiences of the two performers, but this isn’t a typical R&B record. Odd Future affiliate Mike G shows up on the song “Lincoln,” a funk-inspired song about Mike G’s favorite topic: weed. Then there’s “She Knows,” a meditation on Syd coming out of the closet to her parents. In many ways, The Internet is a perfect fit for the newly founded Odd Future Records. Its music is just as unclassifiable as everything else in the group’s canon.