The newest record from Tyler, the Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost, took a few listens to grow on me. One song that intrigued me upon first listen, though, is “Wilshire,” an eight-minute epic that spotlight’s Tyler’s incredible ability as a storyteller. Tyler goes into painful detail about an illicit relationship with a friend’s lover, starting at the moment they meet, and ending with the emotional wreckage that ensues.
The song is based around a hypnotic chord progression that loops throughout its entire length, with very simple instrumentation comprised of a groovy drumbeat, bass and some synth keys. The instrumentation does not change throughout the song, except for a few moments where the bass drops to create some separation between the different verses.
I’ve read some complaints about the production on the track, which is fair. I do think the instrumentation could do with a little more variation, and mixing the drums so far to the right channel makes it a little abrasive to listen to with headphones. There’s also a subtle vinyl crackle effect that I honestly didn’t notice at first, but it personally doesn’t bother me. In my opinion, all of it is overshadowed by how impressive Tyler’s rapping is here.
First off, Tyler really sells it on the sensuality of the first few verses. His lyrics display the mental ping pong going on in his head–he constantly worries about the moral implications of his actions, but then gets overwhelmed by the power of plain old physical attraction. “It’s morals I really have, it’s lines I could never cross. But you got something that make all them good intentions get lost.“
This guilt follows Tyler throughout the affair. One thing Tyler emphasizes earlier on is that he doesn’t enjoy being a homewrecker, but his attraction to this person is just too powerful to deny. As it continues, the affair ends badly, and no one involved is happy–“We sat in the car and cried for an hour. My shirt look like a showerhead got it. We called it off, I’ll skip the details but that night I seen hell.“
The emotional vulnerability here stands in stark contrast to some of the rather boastful verses elsewhere in Call Me If You Get Lost, which makes “Wilshire” such an interesting moment in the tracklist. If we are to believe Tyler, there was real, mutual chemistry between him and this other person. Does chasing that make him a bad person? What responsibility does the other person share? Can you continue to be friends with that person after such a situation? This is just such an impressively nuanced take on the narrative of infidelity, which is why I think this track leaves such an impression despite its flaws.
Amped! 