In the summer of 2014, Travis Scott was not the chart topping juggernaut he is today, someone who could sell over 500k records first week. No, Scott was poised to release his newest Mixtape, “Days Before Rodeo,” which gave way for his first studio album, “Rodeo.” “Days Before Rodeo,” shows Scott at arguably his most experimental as he croons hauntingly over bass heavy and otherworldly beats.

On the fourth and most poorly punctuated track on the album, “Drugs You Should Try It,” Scott groggily reminisces about drug induced peaks and sobering valleys. The melancholy sentiment matches the energy of the instrumental. The beat opens with a despondent electric guitar loop which immediately makes way for a distant and indecipherable droning backup vocal.

As Scott delivers the chorus, the vocals seem to have gotten closer, they are clearer and less hysterical than before, but are still rough with a lingering static. The chorus features Scott coyly coming to terms with his drug use and matter of factly stating the ups and downs he faces because of it:

“I’ve been down and lost for days

Glad I found you on the way

When the day gets brighter, the night gets nighter

I always feel this way

Through the hills

I hear you callin’, miles and miles away,”

When Scott starts his verse, along with it come a shaking and persistent percussion section which, up until now, had been lacking. Scott’s verse is even louder than the chorus and has a more confident tone. Throughout the record there’s a continuous parallel between the lyrics and instrumental, reflecting Scott’s evolution from frantic and spiralling to self-aware and accepting.

“Drugs You Should Try It,” is a song which puts Scott’s current musical style into context, exemplifying his roots and the sonic style in which he found his niche. The clear and discernable sections of the song efficiently pack a large amount of musical ideas into a three and a half minute track. “Sicko Mode,” the five minute trilogy off of Scott’s newest album “Astroworld,” which debuted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, features a more extreme take on compartmentalization with hard cuts and beat switches. “Drugs You Should Try It,” is a mellow and spacey track which gives listeners a lot more than flashy hooks and punchy basslines.