Float (Aesop Rock album)
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album Float is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released on Mush Records on September 5, 2000.<ref name=mushrecords>Template:Cite web</ref> Produced by Aesop Rock, Blockhead, and Omega One, it features guest appearances from Slug, Vast Aire, and Doseone.<ref name=exclaim/>
Background
Prior to Float, Aesop Rock self-released two projects, including the 1999 EP Appleseed. The final track of Appleseed featured Doseone, who—during the same period—had become an A&R representative for Mush Records. Doseone subsequently approached Aesop to offer him a single-album contract.<ref name="PF" /> Although he was skeptical of record labels at the time, Aesop decided to sign with Mush for Float due to the relatively small commitment and the simplicity of the contract; in a 2007 interview, he described his thought process at the time as "Fuck it, if I don't do this now..."<ref name="Crossfire">Template:Cite web</ref> Aesop had written "about 20" songs at the time and states that he decided to record all of them for Float.<ref name="Crossfire" />
Critical reception
Template:Music ratings Brad Mills of AllMusic called the album "surprising, analytical, darkness, mystery, lyricism, and jealous."<ref name=allmusic/> Jon Caramanica of Spin gave the album a 7 out of 10, commenting that "Aesop's voice is a rich, flat bass cut with a thin growl; through its resonance, he's able to explore the variations within a timbre to access a vast emotional range."<ref name=spin/> Thomas Quinlan of Exclaim! gave the album a mixed review, writing: "While there are no bad songs, the consistent similarity between all of the tracks in regards to drum samples and vocal sounds causes the album to have a bit of a tiresome feel as it nears its conclusion."<ref name=exclaim/> He added: "The guest MCs add different vocal styles to the album, which helps take your mind off Aesop's vocals long enough to appreciate them when they come back."<ref name=exclaim/>
In 2014, Joseph Schafer of Stereogum named it the 3rd best Aesop Rock record, saying: "The whole record sounds more anxious than his more assured later work, which makes for an exciting listen."<ref name=stereogum>Template:Cite web</ref>
Reviewing Float retrospectively in 2025, Dash Lewis of Pitchfork described it as "the road map for everything [Aesop Rock would] go on to do", highlighting the "overwhelming" feel of the densely packed lyrics, the paranoid mood of the album, and the incorporation of stylistic techniques like internal rhyme and "hyper-detailed observations".<ref name="PF" />
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- Aesop Rock – vocals, production (1, 3, 4, 8, 11, 15, 16, 20)
- Blockhead – production (2, 5–7, 9, 12–14, 17–19)
- Omega One – production (10)
- Slug – vocals (5)
- Vast Aire – vocals (14)
- Doseone – vocals (18)