Review: The Alchemist and Oh No - Welcome To Los Santos
By Alexander McEvoy, Contributor
[Rockstar Games, Mass Appeal; 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Key Tracks: “Play it Cool,” “K.Y.S.A.,” “Lock and Load”
The Alchemist and Oh No were commissioned by Rockstar Games to curate and create the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto V for its original release in 2013 on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game went on to critical acclaim, named one of the most important releases of the seventh generation of gaming.
Two years later, the game is finally coming to PC, shortly after its re-release on Xbox One and Playstation 4. Along with a myriad of exclusive PC features including 4K resolution and increased graphical fidelity, PC gamers are getting an exclusive radio station, The Lab.
The radio has always been an integral part of Grand Theft Auto. From the neon-laden streets of Vice City to the slums and alleys of Liberty City, the radio has always expressed the musical stylings and strange personalities of the inhabitants of Rockstar’s sprawling open-worlds. Los Santos is one of the largest video game worlds ever created, expertly crafted and almost limitlessly diverse. Welcome to Los Santos is at times an acceptable representation of the diversity of the fictional Los Angeles. The music is mostly skewed to a metropolitan and “projects” vibe rather than the wilderness in the northern part of the region.
The soundtrack features some of the best rappers in modern hip hop, namely Killer Mike, Earl Sweatshirt and Freddie Gibbs, each standing out amongst the expansive cast of MCs featured on the LP. Gibbs holds the record for most appearances with three features across the collection, stealing the show on each of his tracks. Killer Mike and Earl both only have one feature each, but do not disappoint when they come on. Killer Mike especially surprises with a verse over the ethereal “Lock & Load."
The most surprising thing about Welcome to Los Santos is that the standout tracks that have you coming back aren’t the ones in The Alchemist's and Oh No's comfort zones. Songs like “Speedline Miracle Masterpiece," “K.Y.S.A." and “Wanderer” steal the show with their late-night funky vibes that provide a nice break in between the rappers spitting at you with their traditional west coast vigor.
This leads to the main problem with the entire album: it feels fragmented and inconsistent. After only one listen it’s easy to notice this sounds like you’re listening to the radio, with songs feeling disjointed and not connected. The only linking fiber seems to be Gibbs, who appears the most throughout. There are no necessarily weak moments on the release, but the disjointed nature keeps it from ascending to anything more than a compilation album made for a video game.
It’s rare that a video game OST graduates to the likes of amazing music and breaks out of the genre clichés of crescendo-laden, phoned-in scores. That is not to say it’s not without precedent; Super Mario Galaxy 2, World of Warcraft and Journey have beautiful original soundtracks that are in no way restricted by the fact that they’re based on video games. So it’s rather disappointing that an album with as much diversity to work with, while never exactly falling short, fails to create a consistent experience that truly transports and welcomes the listener to Los Santos.
