The Nothing is a smart, subtle and cohesive album that suits Polygon’s always formidable flow. He clearly has bought into the Clams Casino mode of hazy hip-hop production, and it’s a smart choice; his voice has always moved like oil in vinegar, and the beats now properly complement that.

Opener “Purple Mess” is a blurry, heartfelt ballad that showcases Polygon’s unexpectedly strong falsetto over a delicate, synthetic track that swings like a spider web in the wind. The supremely blunty “Normal” follows, with Polygon lighting up and then lighting things up with a texturally rich melody that feels like a re-imagined take on Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. A spaghetti-Western guitar strum opens up “Whoa Is Me” before erupting into a sultry bedroom burner.

“Brainpowder” snarls like an Odd Future track done with a shred of restraint, as does its counterpart, “Lovesick (Super Nintendo).” The bass-heavy “Kosher” and washed-out “Magenta” anchor The Nothing’s closing act.

With rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q making smart, soulful hip-hop hip again, one hopes Polygon finds the fame he well deserves, although he states more than once — in true Oklahoma fashion — that he could take it or leave it.

Download The Nothing and see him live with Pac Div and Kneighborhood at 9 p.m. Tuesday at Kamps 1310 Lounge, 1310 N.W. 25th. —Joshua Boydston

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