Sleeping on Danny Brown is an understatement. This comes from a man who just recently began to dive into his short, but distinct discography. But I’m glad I came around when I did; he truly is one of the most unique MCs in recent memory. And that uniqueness continues here, and it’s unlike anything you’ve heard this year. After all, any album with “The Downward Spiral” as its opening track should give you an idea of what kind of ride this is.

The title is a direct homage to the Joy Division song of the same name, but that’s not what Danny Brown channels here. Talking Heads’ Fear of Music is certainly more appropriate, and has the same level of weirdness throughout. But whereas Fear of Music had lots more pop accessibility and lightness, Atrocity Exhibition is something straight out of a nightmare. There’s a lot harder and more aggressive hip hop out there, but this is something only Danny Brown can dream of. The music’s great for us fans, but it does make you wonder of what kind of atrocities he’s seeing in his dreams.

Am I onboard with all of these erratic and unusual beats? Not even close, but I appreciate the imagination behind it. But there are no standouts other than the three singles that preceded this album’s release. Nowhere is there to be found a non-single as amazing as “Lie4” or a “Break It (Go)”. It strives to be different, but offers hit-or-miss beats throughout. Some of them bump, and the others are ones you have to really try hard to enjoy. But if there’s anything consistent about Danny Brown, it’s his ability to keep you laughing and just as importantly, keep you guessing. If the album isn’t doing it for you, you can at least enjoy some of Danny Brown’s finest singles to date. “Really Doe” is possibly the best collaboration of the year, with all four rappers firing on all cylinders, while “Pneumonia” is somewhat of a cure for those overwhelmed by typical hip hop beats.

Admittedly, this is frustrating and awe-inspiring at the same time. Frustrating in that it gets super weird with it, but awe-inspiring for the same reason. Will it grow on me? I’m certain it will. It’s unique in that it’s appalling, but you dig it just for that. If Brown had the same audience Kanye West had, this would be as risky as Yeezus. And frankly, this is more of a challenge to truly get into. Yeezus’ uglier moments seem quite pop when compared to songs like “Dance in the Water” and “Golddust”. The music’s as bewildering, repugnant, and vile as its sick artwork. You also may notice that this album’s slightly shorter than his previous two works. I’ve never approved of his excessive album lengths, but oddly enough, I wish there were volumes of this kind of ghastly, abhorrent ingenuity. I have a feeling this album is only a snippet of what he sees every night. But that doesn't necessarily mean he wants to be saved. A-