If summer was cruel to producer Kanye West, this album makes me wonder if it was just because his artistic ambition was not up to its usual standards. Coming out on the tail end of the warm season, G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer largely misses the mark of a classic summer album.

With over 15 artists featured, the songs are too varied, and do not seem to centre around any particular theme. Each song has some merit and is worth listening to, but as a whole, the composition does not have the usual cohesive vitality of a Kanye-produced album. Songs mostly fall into two respective camps: aggressive hustler anthems and soulful, introspective melodies.

Of the former, the two most notable are the high-energy “New God Flow” and “Mercy,” which were released as singles prior to the album. The only other truly worthwhile song in this category is “The Morning,” in which seven artists deliver clever, revved up verses. In the second, more melodic category of songs, standouts include “To the World,” in which R. Kelly returns from oblivion to deliver some memorable lyrics. Another notable contribution is made by Ma$e, the one-time Diddy sidekick, on the seductive and progressive track “Higher.” “Bliss,” a soulful duet delivered by John Legend and Teyana Taylor, is wonderful, and Kid Cudi’s “Creepers” is also a highlight—if only because it’s reminiscent of the former rapper’s contributions to the genre. “The One” is another gem, balancing a hopeful melody with earnest, skilled rap.

If Cruel Summer had been a playlist of rap and R&B songs someone had thrown together for me, I would have probably loved it. However, from something produced under Kanye West’s name, I can’t help but expect more.