HAARPER’s Evol, released October 30, 2019, is a brisk 22-minute underground trap ride that feels like a late-night smoke session turned into music. The 12-track project (yes, 12 if you count the title closer) distills the artist’s lo-fi aesthetic into something raw yet strangely replayable. Richard McLaughlin, aka HAARPER, leans hard into minimalist production—think hazy 808s, crisp hi-hats, and eerie synth stabs handled by himself, Hinh, Singe, and crew. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s atmospheric enough to swallow you whole.

Standouts hit immediately. “Baki” opens with aggressive energy that matches the anime-inspired flex. “Thotties” and “Seth Rogen Is My Eskimo Brother” deliver tongue-in-cheek humor over bouncy beats that make the absurd titles work. The feature on “Nimbus 94” with Isaiah The Wulf adds a welcome dark chemistry, while the title track “Evol” closes on a hazy, reflective note that almost feels like an afterthought apology for the chaos before it. “Puke” leans into grotesque flexes that walk the line between meme and menace.

Where Evol stumbles is depth. HAARPER’s flow is smooth and confident, but the lyrics often stay surface-level—braggadocio, weed references, and throwaway punchlines that prioritize vibe over substance. Some lines land as pure comedy gold; others feel like they were scribbled between blunts. It’s the classic underground trap tradeoff: killer atmosphere, disposable bars.

Still, for fans of cloud rap and phonk-adjacent scenes, Evol remains a low-key essential. It’s short, cheap on the ears, and oddly comforting in its slacker energy. Not a classic, but a solid late-night soundtrack that proves HAARPER was cooking even before his later buzz. If you want polished mainstream trap, skip it. If you want something that feels like scrolling SoundCloud at 3 a.m., press play.