In his expertly curated third major-label LP Astroworld, Houston-area native Travis Scott realizes the breadth of his abilities. The rapper/producer’s best attributes lie in his high-level facility to collect and reassemble voices and sonics the way a fashion designer organizes a runway show. The album’s trap-psych spaciousness blends so that most of Astroworld plays out like a single long, spectacularly mixed track. From the start, “Stargazing” and the Frank Ocean-assisted “Carousel,” Scott weaves himself into the cosmic production. Even Astroworld‘s best moments, “Stop Trying to Be God” and “Sicko Mode,” are the compositional flips featuring big-name players – James Blake, Kid Cudi, Stevie Wonder; and Drake, respectively. (8:45pm, American Express stage)

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This article appears in October 12 • 2018.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.