Made mostly on tour and in airports, Guilt Trips was reportedly an introspective experience for Hemsworth. He accordingly shies away from trendy pastiche, sticking to his own signature set of sounds, though he does throw in some big-ticket pop jams. Haleek Maul & Kitty get an emo-rap canvas for the stunning closer "Day/Night/Sleep System," and young R&B singer Tinashe has a delicate bed of soft percussion and trilling synths for LP highlight "One For Me."
And before you know it, it's over--at just 36 minutes, Guilt Trips doesn't quite tell the full story of Ryan Hemsworth. To get an idea of his impressive grasp of funk and dynamics, not to mention his sense of humour, you'd have to see him DJ. But as an outlet to show off his production skills, Guilt Trips isn't a bad place to start. It's quintessentially him, stuck in the little world he's created. And there are worse places to be than his realm of video games, rap music and pop so sweet it tickles the back of your throat.
