by Saba
Released February 4, 2022 via Saba Pivot, LLC
Reviewed February 16, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Few Good Things (48%), If I Had A Dollar (32%), One Way or Every N**** With a Budget (30%)
Saba’s made more than a few good songs; but in Chicago, at its worst, good things are few and far between. At its best, few things are more beautiful than our country’s inner cities, and this is where Few Good Things aims to strike its balance. Saba, known for cutting through the air with the weight of his words, each looming with great emotional meaning. In creating 2018’s CARE FOR ME, Saba made his point with blunt force, about the lonesomeness associated with survival. In the following effort, Saba is less emotionally vulnerable, and a bit more focused on turning subconscious pain into fundamental beauty. These themes convey themselves nicely in the end. Saba seems to enjoy this blend of drum-heavy energetic songs alongside calming, comforting ones. This balance is nice at times; it just fails to catch fire for any significant stretch of the record’s runtime. Few Good Things delivers much of what fans have come to love about Saba, yet it doesn't amount to a spillover of success in likeness with his previous work. – DeVán (7.4/10)
Few Good Things is a dreamy reflection on Saba’s accomplishments, those of which are haunted by the realities he feels he has yet to truly escape from growing up in Chicago’s west side. The space he crafts here is meditative and measured as Saba juggles the leisures and pleasures of his newfound success accompanied by the anxieties and possibility of losing it all. Few Good Things is mostly understandable “what if”-ing and waxing nostalgic, but carefully saves moments of sobering revelation to ground its ethereal 48-minute run. Peppered with features who work about as lightly as Saba on this project, Few Good Things has the Chicago native pivoting from hungry rapper to the type of nigga that says “I could eat,” confident that he’s got options. A solid installment in his discography, but it’s hard not to yearn for whatever is next when Few Good Things largely feels like a transition. – Henny (7.3/10)
Saba’s most recent project, Few Good Things has a lot to unpack. Coming off of his sensational 2018 release Care for Me, expectations were high for the Chicago rapper. This album moves away from the coming of age style and into the present. Whether he’s speaking about having money he’s not accustomed to, dealing with both personal and business relationships, or dissecting life’s challenges, Saba stays collected throughout. The production is top notch and filled with elite features. “Still” with Smino and 6lack is an absolute vibe, but we knew before even listening. “If I Had A Dollar,” features a verse from Benjamin Earl Turner, and he does not disappoint. The project ends with a sonic play “Few Good Things,” which sums up the album as Saba and Black Thought discuss life across seven minutes. Take note of Saba if he’s not already on your radar. – Daniel (7/10)
Pax: 8.4/10 | Pablo: 8/10 | Dominick: 7.6/10 | Cam: 7.5/10 | DeVán: 7.4/10
Henny: 7.3/10 | Daniel: 7/10 | Hadley: 6/10 | Jared: 6/10
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