Alone Together

Skizzy Mars keeps to himself on his studio debut, exploring mental landscapes and tactile affairs. Inward thinking and a bit emo (“I’m Ready” even references Morrissey’s “You Have Killed Me”), Mars stockpiles his misadventures and turns them into catchy, melodic songs that straddle the lines between hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Mars switches between singing and rapping with the flair and freedom of a street skater combining tricks. “Comb” is an anthem for post-club shenanigans. “Girl on a Train” is a missed-signals story in the vein of Frank Ocean’s “Novacane” that highlights his storytelling abilities. *Alone Together* is an intimate look at Skizzy Mars’s world and feeling isolated in the big city.

Alone Together is the ultimate soundtrack to your suburban teenage years, a downbeat hip-hop and downbeat concoction that breezes past your...