On Black Hole Superette, Aesop Rock once again cements his reputation as one of hip-hop’s most distinctive and inventive voices. Known for his dense lyricism, labyrinthine rhyme schemes, and surreal imagery, Aesop continues to operate in a lane entirely his own. But while the album bursts with ideas and sonic ambition, it also wrestles with bloat—an overstuffed tracklist and uneven pacing that threaten to dull its sharper moments.

At its best, Black Hole Superette is a testament to Aesop's unrelenting creativity. The production is bold and eclectic, often veering into sci-fi territory with spacey synths, rubbery basslines, and abstract textures that echo the album’s interstellar title. Early standouts like “Secret Knock” and “Checkers” showcase this cosmic aesthetic well, pairing glitchy, robotic grooves with Aesop’s signature barbed-wire verses. These tracks pulse with energy and vision, offering a promising entry point into the album’s soundscape.

But Black Hole Superette is also a dense, winding listen—eighteen tracks long, with few moments of true breathing room. Aesop’s lyrical prowess remains unmatched, but his relentless verbal density can become overwhelming across such a long runtime. This isn’t helped by stretches where the production and flow feel disjointed. Tracks like “Movie Night” and “EWR – Terminal A, Gate 20” contain flashes of brilliance but often stumble due to awkward transitions and off-kilter rhythmic structures that sap momentum.

Pacing becomes one of the album’s key issues. While Aesop’s bars are consistently intricate, the musical framework around them sometimes fails to evolve. Several songs blur together rhythmically and thematically, making the listening experience feel longer than it is. Cuts like “Send Help,” “Costco,” and “Himalayan Yak Chew” recycle familiar cadences, making the album feel stuck in a loop despite its ambitious scope.

That said, when the formula clicks, it really clicks. “Ice Sold Here” is a mid-album breath of fresh air, with Aesop loosening his grip just enough to let wit and charisma shine through. It’s one of the few tracks that balances lyrical sharpness with an actual sense of fun—proof that trimming the fat can produce some of the record’s most effective moments.

Guest appearances add welcome variety, though they’re a mixed bag in terms of impact. Armand Hammer and Open Mike Eagle lend their voices to “1010WINS” and “So Be It,” respectively—both tracks lean into a moodier, more atmospheric production style. While these collaborations introduce new textures, they don’t always reinvigorate the pacing. “Charlie Horse,” featuring Lupe Fiasco and Homeboy Sandman, is a prime example of the album’s ambitions both paying off and collapsing under their own weight. It’s conceptually rich and packed with lyrical firepower, but its extended runtime and density make the experience more exhausting than exhilarating.

Still, Aesop manages to land some true highlights that cut through the fog. “Snail Zero” is a burst of kinetic energy, bristling with grit and urgency. “Steel Wool” brings a fiery intensity, its reverb-heavy chaos matching Aesop’s lyrical ferocity. And “The Red Phone” toys with beat switches in a way that feels refreshing and dynamic—one of the few moments where experimentation feels focused rather than indulgent.

By the time the closer, “Unbelievable Shenanigans,” rolls around, the fatigue is hard to ignore. The beat—evocative of a dreamy, lo-fi video game soundtrack—gives the track personality, but after so many verses packed to the brim with hyper-dense prose, even Aesop’s quirkiest charms begin to lose their impact.

Ultimately, Black Hole Superette is a fascinating, often brilliant, but frustratingly bloated record. It’s packed with sharp ideas, clever bars, and boundary-pushing production, but too often those strengths are buried under an avalanche of content. Aesop Rock remains one of the most singular voices in hip-hop, and Superette proves he hasn’t lost his edge—but a tighter edit might’ve made this trip through the void a more rewarding one.

Black Hole Superette is an imaginative, sprawling showcase of Aesop Rock’s talents—but also a case study in how creative excess can undermine impact. Brilliant in bursts, but often overburdened by its own ambition.

Rating: 6/10