Open Mike Eagle has never been coded to the extent of a rapper like Aesop Rock, but during the live stream release concert for Anime, Trauma and Divorce, he admitted that he "work[s] in metaphor to protect [himself] from people's bullshit". This album stands out in his discography because it is often the antithesis of that. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was a fantastical journey into his roots and Anime, Trauma and Divorce is a rumination on a terrible year. Clocking in at just 35-minutes, it's the shortest Open Mike Eagle album, but it's easy to see why: even with all the Anime references, it's the most direct he has ever been.
Anime, Trauma and Divorce could be described as a midlife crisis album, and there are few moments where that is more apparent than “Sweatpants Spiderman”. The mantra of “tattoos, haircuts, gold chains, anime” seems to represent Open Mike Eagle’s way of dealing with the ramifications of his divorce and being acutely aware that he is almost 40. The lyrics are caught between self-soothing through media (reading comic books, 90s alternative playlists), and considering doing things that are now necessities (moving on emotionally, looking for a new apartment). As the beautiful mellow instrumental is filled with ideas and activities, it’s hard not to think that the rapper is attempting to fill a void.
Open Mike Eagle is at his most devastating when he details what led to that emptiness, which can be heard on “Everything Ends Last Year” and “The Black Mirror Episode”. Both tracks are expressive to a cinematic extent and exist on opposite sides of the mood spectrum. Open Mike Eagle sounds borderline manic in the darkness of “The Black Mirror Episode”, a wildly entertaining song that manages to be sad and hilarious at the same time. “Everything Ends Last Year” is musically sparse in comparison, carrying a sense of building towards something. That “something” never arrives - there’s space where the triumphant instrumental climax would be on a happier record. His TV show was canceled, his 14 year-long marriage failed and now he’s his “own personal winter”. "Everything Ends Last Year" is a compelling song that could only be written by someone who feels completely defeated.
Anime, Trauma and Divorce could be described as a midlife crisis album, and there are few moments where that is more apparent than “Sweatpants Spiderman”. The mantra of “tattoos, haircuts, gold chains, anime” seems to represent Open Mike Eagle’s way of dealing with the ramifications of his divorce and being acutely aware that he is almost 40. The lyrics are caught between self-soothing through media (reading comic books, 90s alternative playlists), and considering doing things that are now necessities (moving on emotionally, looking for a new apartment). As the beautiful mellow instrumental is filled with ideas and activities, it’s hard not to think that the rapper is attempting to fill a void.
Open Mike Eagle is at his most devastating when he details what led to that emptiness, which can be heard on “Everything Ends Last Year” and “The Black Mirror Episode”. Both tracks are expressive to a cinematic extent and exist on opposite sides of the mood spectrum. Open Mike Eagle sounds borderline manic in the darkness of “The Black Mirror Episode”, a wildly entertaining song that manages to be sad and hilarious at the same time. “Everything Ends Last Year” is musically sparse in comparison, carrying a sense of building towards something. That “something” never arrives - there’s space where the triumphant instrumental climax would be on a happier record. His TV show was canceled, his 14 year-long marriage failed and now he’s his “own personal winter”. "Everything Ends Last Year" is a compelling song that could only be written by someone who feels completely defeated.
Even though the content of the album can be very heavy, there are moments like “Asa’s Bop”, where the combination of Open Mike Eagle’s wit and Frank Leon’s colorful bouncy instrumental presents the rapper’s woes in a lighthearted fashion. “Wtf is Self Care” could have easily been one of the most depressing songs on the album if Open Mike Eagle wasn’t so funny. The flowers cause allergies, the massages hurt and the smoothies are disgusting. It’s a search for happiness - he runs through self-care tropes with no real resolution, suggesting that perhaps one of the most taxing elements of the healing journey is the uncertainty of it all.
Open Mike Eagle’s quirky idiosyncratic personality is perfectly equipped for this level of vulnerability. He wears his insecurities on his sleeve alongside Kari Faux in the jazzy “Bucciarati”, which is so good that it may go on to be remembered as one of the best songs of his career. Despite all that Anime, Trauma and Divorce entails, it still ends on a happy note with “Fifteen Twenty Feet Ocean Nah (Live from the Joco Cruise)”. The live recording features Open Mike Eagle’s son, who is having so much fun rapping that his joy is contagious. Closing the album with something so buoyant feels like a statement: although the talented emcee cannot return to his former life, he can rejuvenate himself through doing what he loves - making art and bonding with his son. Anime, Trauma and Divorce is a fantastic achievement - a succinct poignant album that ranks among Open Mike Eagle’s best work.
