What’s better than getting a Future project 2 weeks into the new year? Another one, two weeks later. Fresh off a new deal with Apple Music, Future wasted no time dropping his first album since last July’s DS2. Like DS2, EVOL was announced merely days prior to its release. With all that he’s done in the past year, who needs a formal album rollout?

EVOL, which was originally the title for 2014’s Monster, sticks to the script that has worked for Future thus far. He doesn’t need anyone besides himself and his team of in-house producers. The hypnotic opener “Ain’t No Time” sets the scene for most of the album, and Future does little to deviate from that style. At this point fans know what to expect lyrically: a lot of drugs, a lot of models, and the drugs that these models take with Future. But like all skilled artists, he can find interesting ways to say the same things. Nothing kickstarts a song like opening with a line expressing his desire to fuck the face of the district attorney. “Xanny Family” is a depraved and addicting song that sounds, for lack of a better word, evil. Energetic tracks like “Maybach,” “Program,” and “Seven Rings” solidify his consistent catalog and proves once again that Future knows a) what he’s best at and b) what the fans want. There will always be a positive correlation between the quality of song and the amount of 808 Mafia sirens.

Future’s songmaking ability is undeniable, but in some places the high energy present throughout EVOL tapers off. “Lil Haiti Baby” feels like EVOL’s main event, and while bombastically overshadowing the other songs on the album, it dips in excitement as the track seems to stretch on longer than it should. “Photo Copied” suffers from a repetitive beat that leaves plenty to be desired. That being said, both songs are still enjoyable, but they lack some of the aspects that make his other tracks so remarkable. Of the 11 tracks on EVOL, Future only switches up the style on a couple songs. “Fly Shit Only” is a well-executed changeup that flaunts Future’s versatility and progression of his sound. The lighter, carefree “Lie To Me” is a stark contrast to the dark mood of the album and is reminiscent of his Pluto days.

The way the projects are laid out, Purple Reign sounds more like an album and EVOL sounds more like a mixtape. The classifications are arbitrary, as both projects have their merits. But Purple Reign displays Future taking risks and delivering a more diverse project than the one-dimensional EVOL. Songs like “Perkys Calling” and “Purple Reign” show the introspective side of Future that was near absent on EVOL. Combine the best of the two projects and you have yourself a DS2-level album. However, the massive response to both projects — millions of downloads of Purple Reign and a huge 1st week for EVOL — proves that Future has the winning formula and that there’s no end in sight. Oversaturation might be a problem for less talented artists, but Future is now 7/7 since dropping Monster 16 months ago. Besides, if you’re complaining about too much music, just become a Jay Electronica stan instead.