Open Mike Eagle’s latest album, DOOMED!, is a deeply personal and intimate exploration of the complexities of relationships and breakups. The record, crafted in collaboration with producer Kenny Segal, marks a new chapter in Eagle’s discography, showcasing the artist’s vulnerability and emotional depth.

The album’s opening lines, ‘Breakups are… tough,’ set the tone for the rest of the record, as Eagle delves into the intricacies of relationships and the pain of separation. The interlude, ‘It Happens in Every Universe,’ serves as a thesis statement for the album, highlighting the universality of breakups and the emotional turmoil that often follows.

The production on DOOMED! is a key element in the album’s success, with Kenny Segal delivering some of his most commanding beats to date. The two artists have worked together before, but this is their first full-length album release, and it’s clear that they’ve found a perfect synergy in their collaboration. Segal’s production style, which often incorporates warbly piano samples, strings, detuned sax melodies, and psychedelic synths, provides a fitting backdrop for Eagle’s lyrics.

The album’s opener, ‘Out to Lunch,’ sets the tone for the rest of the record, with a loose, jazzy piano and confident bassline that recalls the work of Madlib. Eagle’s lyrics are characteristically melodramatic, but they’re also deeply personal and relatable, as he spins an oblique tale of fighting with a significant other. ‘She cut deep with short barbs, but twist me up with a lil whisper,’ he raps, capturing the complexity of human emotions in a way that’s both poetic and piercing.

Throughout the album, Eagle and Segal demonstrate a perfect balance between the rapper’s melodrama and the producer’s woozy, forlorn beats. Tracks like ‘Streets of Rage: Public Arguments Edition’ and ‘She Swear I’m Colorblind’ showcase the duo’s chemistry, with Eagle’s lyrics weaving in and out of Segal’s atmospheric production. The result is an album that’s both deeply personal and universally relatable, a true masterpiece of hip hop storytelling.

One of the standout tracks on the album is ‘Unfinished Concrete Initials,’ which contains some of Eagle’s most vulnerable lyrics to date. He raps about memories that feel like landmines, about agonizing over deletions and flushing evidence to keep pain a secret. It’s a deeply emotional and relatable track, one that showcases Eagle’s ability to craft lyrics that are both poetic and piercing.

Even in the midst of such intense emotional exploration, Eagle still finds time to inject a sense of humor into the album. Tracks like ‘Schrödinger’s Green Room (There but Uninvited)’ showcase his ability to balance humor and pathos, creating a sense of tension and release that’s both captivating and relatable. It’s a testament to Eagle’s skill as a rapper and a storyteller, and a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there’s always room for a little bit of humor and levity.

DOOMED! is a triumph of hip hop storytelling, a deeply personal and universally relatable album that showcases the best of Open Mike Eagle’s talents. With Kenny Segal’s production and Eagle’s lyrics, the album is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever experienced the pain of a breakup or the joy of a new relationship. It’s a testament to the power of music to capture the human experience in all its complexity and beauty.