Herb Tha 4th – Street Art (Album Review)

Herb Tha 4th’s Street Art is more than just an album; it’s a deeply personal collage of love, loss, and emotional evolution, painted in sound. From his early days as a college dreamer to signing with Sony Music in the early 2000s, and penning lyrics for Disney shows, Herb has long proven his artistic reach. But it’s this album, crafted in the wake of personal tragedy, that reveals the most intimate portrait of the artist yet.

Street Art is the product of introspection, healing, and reinvention. After the loss of his father, Herb invested in himself, both spiritually and musically, learning the ropes of production and creating a space where he could shape sound on his own terms. The result is The Mastered Demos Vol. 1, a genre-blurring, soul-forward exploration of identity, grief, and love. It’s R&B. It’s rock. It’s folk. It’s lo-fi and high-emotion. It’s not easily categorized, just like Herb himself.

The opening track, “Street Talking,” sets the tone with its low-fi charm and layered backing vocals that echo like memories. Herb channels Prince’s mellower side here, groovy yet calm, personal yet universal. It’s the kind of song that finds its home on a lonely, late-night bus ride, looping in your ears like a mantra.

“The Rain” follows with soothing, butter-smooth vocals and simple, nostalgic guitar chords reminiscent of beabadoobee’s acoustic vulnerability. It’s a warm, soul-filled track that leans into love and serenity, showing Herb’s range as a vocalist and emotional narrator.

With “Paper Plane,” Herb gives us a moment to breathe and reflect. The consistent drumbeat offers a steady pulse, inviting you to close your eyes and simply exist in the music. Though the song stretches out in length, it never drags, anchored by strong vocals and a calming tone that envelops you like a dream.

A tonal shift arrives with “Lie to Me (Invisible Man),” diving into anxiety and emotional disconnection. It’s more upbeat, with a kinetic energy that contrasts the earlier calm. The mood shift continues in “Good Love,” a quirky, off-center track that feels like a genre wildcard. Herb explores the sacrifices made for love, right down to changing his diet, making even the mundane feel poetic.

“Jungle Karaoke” pushes further into experimental territory with club-ready intensity. The Ibiza-style beat pulses under soft, almost monotone vocals, a juxtaposition that shouldn’t work, but somehow does. It’s unconventional, but uniquely Herb.

“Queen Athena” brings the guitar back, centering Herb’s voice around wisdom, reverence, and devotion. A modern ode to divine femininity, it’s where Herb sounds most grounded, melodically and emotionally.

Tracks like “I Don’t Need This Work” and “I Ain’t Running” blend groove with introspection, marrying soulful guitar licks with themes of longing and emotional resilience. These moments show Herb’s ability to straddle genres while keeping his emotional narrative intact.

“U Deserve Better” takes us to the California coast with its breezy guitars and self-deprecating lyrics. It’s as if Herb is telling his love interest she’s outgrown him, but he’s doing it with a smile and a beach soundtrack. “Man on the Moon” continues the theme of love as distance and effort, blending dreamy chords with click-along rhythms and clever metaphors of abandonment.

The final trio of songs brings Street Art to a graceful, heartfelt close. “Paper Plane Pt. 2” loops us back to the album’s core sonic identity, lo-fi, introspective, and emotionally resonant. Then comes “Aunt Joan,” the emotional peak. A tribute to a lost loved one, this piano-led track is a raw, honest eulogy that contemplates the afterlife, memory, and the weight of grief. It’s where the album’s heart reveals itself most openly.

Herb Tha 4th has created something that feels handcrafted, personal, layered, and alive with emotion. Street Art is both a therapeutic release and an artistic statement, blending his inspirations (Prince, Pharrell Williams, Cee Lo, and Anderson Paak) into a sound that is unmistakably his own. In each track, you hear an artist not just making music, but reclaiming his voice.

SCORE/Mediocre – This isn’t just an album. It’s a story. A moodboard. A love letter. A farewell. Street Art is Herb Tha 4th at his most vulnerable, and his most compelling. If you want to go through the motions, this album is for you.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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