'Wet Dreamz,' Cole’s light-hearted tale of awkward teenage sexcapades, showcases his storytelling chops. The album’s high points are clustered early on.

Cole has stopped trying to make radio-friendly singles-a complete reversal from last year’s commercially successful Born Sinner. It’s not a groundbreaking acknowledgement by any means, but it’s still welcome and meaningful. Here, Cole touches on Ferguson and issues within the black community: 'What’s the price for a black man’s life, I check the toe tag, not one zero in sight.' Cole continues, 'I turn the TV on, not one hero in sight, unless he dribble or he fiddle with mics.' Cole’s addressing the plight of young black men who at most only see their career prospects lying in sports and music. It’s named for Cole’s birthday (he turns 30 next year), and it’s the first sign that 2014 Forest Hills Drive isn’t merely a collection of subtle references to his past but a first-hand tour through his early life in modest North Carolina. The next song 'January 28th' is fittingly Cole’s announcement to the world that he’s arrived. ' If the album itself is a journey through his youth, the 'Intro' contains the thoughts of an embryonic Cole, outlining his hopes for the future as well as warning himself about the pitfalls that await. The slightly somber, almost hypnotic ' Intro,' begins with Cole singing (to the best of his ability): 'Do you wanna be happy? Do you wanna be free?' Free from what exactly? 'Free from pain, free from scars, free to sing, free from bars. That’s a complete reversal from last year’s commercially successful Born Sinner, which was replete with easy hits, namely the über-successful ' Power Trip.' Cole’s new album is a more cohesive, narrowly focused project, and a shorter one at that, with a mere 13 tracks. Dear Therapist: My Son Has an Impractical, Ridiculous Career Plan Lori Gottliebįor this album, Cole has stopped trying to make radio-friendly singles.

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