13 Months of Sunshine came out and suddenly it feels like Summer in Portland. Aminé’s third album comes at the perfect time, its danceable beats and breezy textures pair well with the increasingly sunnier days as we transition out of Spring and into Summer. The Portland rapper’s sound continues to draw from an eclectic array of genres, with echoes of dance hall, EDM and reggaeton. While many of the songs may usher you into a dancing fit, diving into the lyrics may send you into deep self reflection.
While the album surfs quite the spectrum of topics and themes, we see Aminé share a rare breakup ballad in the track, “History.” Chronicling the slow descent of a relationship from a mature stance of heartfelt appreciation, albeit approaching its demise. This may be his most heartstring tugging song to date, particularly with the shimmering vocal accompaniment from Waxahatchee, showing a vulnerable side to Aminé.
“And after all that Portland rain is combined, all I need is 13 months of sunshine,” Aminé said on the title track, “13 MOS.”
While Amine always reps Portland, he expressed a need to get away and enjoy a break from the overcast drab of the Northwest. That’s surely something I think those of us who grew up in the area can relate too.
The name of the album, 13 Months of Sunshine, is a reference to Ethiopia’s 13 month calendar year. Aminé celebrates his Ethiopian heritage frequently throughout the album, both lyrically and sonically. For instance, the track “13 MOS” samples the song “Nafkot” from popular Ethiopian Singer-songwriter, Aster Aweke.
The album cover shows Aminé himself sitting on a couch next to a very chillaxed sloth wearing headphones, presumably jamming out to the new album with a poster behind them bearing the album’s title. The album art was designed by local Portland Graphic Designer, Bijan Berahimi, a frequent collaborator with Aminé.
Aminé continues to make his city proud, bringing us another soundtrack to the next era, in this case a summer spent sunbathing and busting a move—with the occasional and much needed moment of self reflection.
