Myles Bullen
Wake Up Century
self-released

When rappers traffic in earnest, peace-and-love positivity, they’re daring you to call them corny. So let’s get it out of the way: Myles Bullen’s third album, Wake Up Century, is corny — defiantly, even admirably, corny. Bullen is a firm believer that love trumps hate, and our current culture of fear has only inspired him to dig in his heels. The Portland emcee raps in soothing tones throughout Wake Up Century, with a lightly syncopated flow. He rarely raises his voice. He’s never overwhelmed by emotion. He’s confident. “We are people / We have power / We will get through this mess,” he shares on the opening “Death to the Old Way.” Bullen’s not doing much to sell these words, and they seem politically naïve — when has just being a person ever been enough to wield power in America? But in that moment, I believe him — or at least I want to. It helps that he’s got a great producer echoing his sentiments through instruments. Earth Person gives Wake Up Century a floating, carbonated vibe by valuing ambiance over rhythm, stripping drums away in favor of soft, rippling keys. So when Bullen goes full self-help-seminar on the title track — “Give your heart space to learn / Give yourself time to grow / And anything’s possible” — the gliding, steel-drum-flecked beat gives those airy platitudes real weight.

— Joe Sweeney