Album Review: How Do You Sleep At Night? – Teezo Touchdown

People always want to talk about the mainstream music industry needing a refresh. But, when that refresh comes, they’re never ready.

This is the story of Teezo Touchdown.

His debut album, How Do You Sleep At Night? was Teezo Touchdown’s introduction to the mainstream, and he treated it that way. The album can be best explained as a buffet, where the listener can take their pick of whatever genre or style of music they want. Teezo’s point in making the album this way? To show people what he can do as an introduction to who he is.

“You think about that friend you’ve had for years, or a girlfriend or a wife, it all started with that first conversion,” said Teezo in a YouTube interview on Interval Presents. “So this is nothing except me extending my hand, like ‘hello my name is Teezo Touchdown.’” That is exactly what this album sounds like.

How Do You Sleep at Night contains subtle inclusions in each song that make them more enjoyable with every listen. “Neighborhood” is a storytelling masterpiece masked as a happy and laid-back anthem. “Mood Swings” has a literal mood swing in it as the climax of the song. These subtleties are where Teezo is truly gifted. But the biggest talking point of this album is the myriad of different anthems that could each be the best of its own genre.

If I could give this album one qualifier, it would be “different.” Not only in the sense that it’s different from everything else that’s out right now, but also in the sense that no two songs are alike. It’s like that one playlist you have where none of your songs are the same vibe, but they’re all great anyway.

The very beginning of the album starts with “OK,” an arena rock shot of audio espresso that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song grabs your ear and tells you to lock in for this wild ride.

It then follows through with that promise, giving you a cast of songs that all sound different but have those signature striking vocals in each of them. Headlined by “You Thought” featuring Janelle Monáe, “Sweet” featuring Fousheé, and “Familiarity”, I wish you good luck trying to find a common thread in this album.

But unfortunately, this very quirk is the same thing keeping Teezo from getting the streaming numbers to represent his talents.

The thing is, many critics of the album call it messy. While it does seem this way at first glance, I believe that what most people find to be a flaw is actually what makes it so valuable.

This is a debut album. The fact that it contains so many different styles Teezo was able to successfully employ just means that nobody has any expectations for his next project. He has the complete and total freedom to go in any direction with his next album now, because he has set the tone that he can do anything.

Maybe this was a strategic move by Teezo. Maybe this was him putting everything he has out there for the world to enjoy. Maybe he just went into the studio, screwed around a bit and decided to release it for fun. Whatever he did, he struck gold with this album and has me more than ready for wherever he goes with his hopefully long and illustrious career.