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Review: Nothing Like The First Time - Watsky [Album]

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Review: Nothing Like The First Time - Watsky [Album]

Independent Release

by , and has been Read 1394 times.
Last Edited by: Chris MUG5 Maguire July 3rd, 2012.
George Watsky has taken on a number of roles for his listeners and followers since 2007, when he first showed his face on YouTube as an already popular spoken word performer. He’s been that pale kid that rapsfast, he’s been that guy that writes poems about lisps and avocado, and he’s even going to soon become that actor who plays himself in a comedyweb-series. At just twenty five years old, he’s achieved a lot, but his creative intentions have never wavered; he wants you to laugh, to think, and ultimately to feel things. Perhaps this impressive sincerity is where his popularity stems from?



But Watsky is, above all, a musician. On June 11th he released Nothing Like The First Time, his sixth album / EP / mixtape / inspiring collection of music for free on the web. A comfortable and inviting blend between soul, attitude and (as always) fun, Watsky doesn’t just stick exclusively to the generic conventions of hip-hop; in Nothing Like The First Time, expect an alluring dash of everything in a wonderfully mixed musical concoction, and expect it done well.

Watsky kicks off proceedings with a light-hearted sample of Kanye West’s eloquently titled ‘Ni**as In Paris’. The “rapping labradoodle, half a wasp and half a jew” kills it from the get-go; out-classing and out-rapping the immediately watery-by-comparison original. “What's 50 grand to a motherfucker like me, can you please remind me?” bragged Jay-Z with the unbecoming and boring ego-inflation too typical of modern rap-goes-pop. “A lot”, retorts humble and down-to-earth George. “That's... a life changing amount of money for normal people”.

Aptly following is another example of Watsky’s propensity for reinvention; springing new life into Hall & Oates classic ‘Rich Girl’.The chorus remains familiar but the verses are shaken up with a healthy dose of modernity. Like the original track, his message is fundamentally one of criticism – targeting materialism and avarice - but he still maintains a chilled, optimistic atmosphere about the song that gives it an irresistible flavourand makes it a highlight from the album. Check out the video for ‘Rich Girl’below.


WATCH // Watsky - 'Rich Girl'

‘IDGAF’ is without a doubt one of the catchiest tracks from Watsky’s discography; with a chorus that has such a punchy, almost anthemic (without the horrifically cheesy connotations of the word) resolving line; “I don’t give a fuck”, it’s tricky not to get caught up in the midst of the carpe diem attitude of the young songwriter. It’s a fine demonstration of the duality of Watsky’s lyricism; a fun-loving approach to life and, with a little extra gravity, underlying philosophies of mortality and humanity.


All I wanna do is get my mind right/
If I'm looking at tomorrow check my eyesight/
All I'm gonna focus on's this fine night/
Cause all I know is that this life is finite
It’s a nice mix – enough to make you laugh, think and act -and the jazzy guitar solo is certainly a neat touch.


WATCH // Watsky - IGDAF

‘A Hundred Words You Could Say Instead of Swag’ is an impressive feat both as a piece of music and for its poetic value, since the lyrical content is such an accurate reflection of its title. Watsky attacks the contemporary overuse of the word ‘swag,’ citing a mountain of phrases that would most likely be preferable substitutes anyway. Maybe the fact that so many can be crammed into just two verses says something about the technical ‘fluency’ of a myriad of today’s popular artists. A personal favourite is “I cock my hat as I please,” but George pretty much nails the crux of the matter, with a tinge of comedic irony, in his final line; “just say ‘he’s got Watsky’”.

It was nice to see the full, three-verse version of ‘Stupidass’ finally available in respectable quality; the shortened-for-video equivalent has been racking up hits on YouTube since April 2011, and the extra two minutes on this release certainly don’t disappoint. Here’s a taster.


WATCH // Watsky - Stupidass

However, the absolute pinnacle of the quality of Nothing Like The First Time has to be, for this writer at least, the track ‘Wounded Healer’; a melancholy, thought-provoking acoustic piece that has a certain intriguing – no, haunting – quality about it that’s so hard to define. It feels like the song is laden with emotional and personal value for George, but there’s nothing explicitly or openly confessional about it. It’s fantastic, is what it is, and if you want to approach Watsky as a serious artist and as the poet he is, head straight for ‘Wounded Healer.’

Concluding the album are three live tracks – songs that have been taken from the A New Kind of Sexy mixtape and given a little spice and flair thanks to the full, funky band that accompanies Watsky both in the studio and out on tour, a fact that George is understandably very keen to pointout to us before launching into ‘Show Goes On’. It’s also something we’ve heeded; AltSounds will be covering the London date of Watsky’s current Nothing Like The First Time tour in August, so stay tuned for that one to see how this release translates onto the stage.

In all, Nothing Like The First Time is undoubtedly a solid and respectable release from the ever-active, ever-stunning mind of George Watsky, but is this therefore a signifier of maturation? Is it the best of his material so far? Is this pinnacle of his musical and lyrical capability? The answers to the questions seem a little hazy to me and I feel inclined to postpone the declaration of the inevitable ‘peak’ of Watsky’s already extensive career until some point in the (perhaps) distant future. Right now, at this very moment in time, George Watsky is still growing, still improving and still kicking ass. Nothing Like The First Time promises brilliant, exciting things, and you know what? I just cannot wait until the next time. See you in London,George.

Track Listing – Nothing Like The First Time
(download the album HERE

1. Ninjas in Paris
2. Rich Girl
3. IDGAF
4. Difference is the Differences
5. Gummy Bear Hundrednaire
6. A Hundred Words You Could Say Instead of Swag
7. All I Ever Wanted
8. Other Cities
9. Write Your Name
10. Stupidass
11. Bucketlist
12. Wounded Healer (Deer Tick sample)
13. Nothing Like the First Time
14. $
15. $$
16. $$$

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