Wow, even as the album continues to frustrate, the reviews continue to come in, each seeming more favorable than the last.
From DrownedInSound:
"If the ego-stroking is incessant, tracks like ‘Famous’ and ‘Waves’ at least remind us why tribute is due. The former, already notorious for the line about Taylor Swift, is a magnificent piece of production, wrapping Rhianna’s rereading of Nina Simone’s Do What You Gotta Do into a sample of Sister Nancy’s iconic dancehall track ‘Bam Bam’ before an outro of Nina Simone’s original vocal. It’s a song dominated by strong female voices that undercut Kanye and Swizz Beats’ braggadocio. ‘FML’ and ‘Real Friends’ go further in undermining the deity Kanye; overexposed 3am synths collide with self-pitying narratives of failure. “I guess I get what I deserve, don't I?” he ponders.
So it continues – the ego is stoked (see ‘FACTS (Charlie Heat Version)’s overexcitement at shoe sales) only to be deflated (Kanye is barely there on dance to the death closer ‘Fade’). Once again, Kanye has released music filled with contradictions and confusion. Once again, it’s like nothing heard before. Once again, it’s good to have him back."
It's almost suspicious that nobody's said, "dude, what the hell is FACTS doing on an *album*?" I mean, it's the worst Kanye song since "Take one for the Team" (which was actually quite hilarious, but it would have been insane to put it on MBDTF). I actually don't mind FACTS as a track. I could totally love with it as a bonus track or a b-side. But why, with songs like "All Day" and "Only One" at his disposal would he choose to make it part of this album? I was still in the city when those tracks dropped (in other words, I shared the road with a delightful plethora of rap fans, while now I'm the only guy in town blasting bass) and people LOVED those songs man. All day sounded electrifying coming out of people's cars. And Only One is obviously one of his best. Why aren't they here?