“I had to grow my own garden”.
The Spring season is in full swing; the flowers are blooming, the sun is out and shining, the weather is perhaps ever so slightly too warm for my liking. All of these aspects have returned to our life. But something is missing, something is yet to be added, the final piece of this spring puzzle.
All we need is a soundtrack. Something wavy, something bouncy, something with a modern yet retro vibe, one that you can stick onto your modern iPhone, or an old-school iPod, plug some earphones in, and take in on a nice walk.
Enter Amine’s latest album, “13 Months of Sunshine”, his first solo album since 2021s “TWOPOINTFIVE”, the American rapper returns with yet another collection of tracks that emphasise one thing more than anything else. Well two things. Vibes, and chill fun.
13 Months of Sunshine is an album about growth, and love for one’s heritage and upbringing, amine drew inspiration from his Eritrean-Ethiopian heritage, the album title refers to a tourism motto that Ethiopia has an excess amount of sunlight year round due to its position near the equator. Opener ‘New Flower’ sets the tone immediately, it is bouncy, catchy, with lyrics about learning to grow and make your own path.
But whilst some of the album may focus on the growth that we all grow through, under the veil of the album’s energetic and sometimes indie-like sound, Amine sheds the light on some more personal battles, such as complicated relationships and addictions, the latter of which is discussed on the excellent ‘Sage Time’, which is a breeze of a track, that contrasts well with it’s slightly more pessimistic lyrics.
Contrasts may be the one word to describe 13 Months of Sunshine. It is an album that continually blends relaxed, lo-fi style beats, with lyrics and themes that are darker and more personal, and how one responds to those issues. The end of ‘I Think It’s You’ ends with Amine saying that to cope with his issues, he states that he will “Smoke my spliff and pray” again pointing to addiction and how drugs are common coping mechanisms.
Despite this, Amine maintains consistency with both sides of this contrast, each track remains relaxed, and sometimes completely veers away from any focus of Amine’s expected pop-rap, like the sombre ‘History’, a collab with singer-songwriter Waxahatchee about a couple that know they don’t work, but whose lives still end up intertwining.
To close out, ‘Arc de Triomphe’ is an upbeat anthem, directly sampling the classic track ‘Has It Come to This’ from The Streets. Sample a classic, and you get another one back, and that is exactly what Amine accomplished. And closer ‘images’ wraps up this soft session out, with Toro y Moi bringing some beautiful vocals on the chorus, as the lyrics stress the importance of capturing and remembering the important moments in our lives. The album closes with a sweet interaction between Amine and his father, bringing us full circle on the embrace of Amine’s heritage.
13 Months of Sunshine is not an album that will blow your mind. But it will relax it. it is a simple welcoming of Amine’s growth and strong pride in his heritage and self, whilst also opening the door to discuss one’s inner demons. It is an album that highlights that Amine is his own unique individual, and there is nothing more positive but to embrace that.
Amine: 13 Months of Sunshine – Out 16 May 2025 (10K Projects)
– Arc de Triomphe (Official Video)
