Back in 2022, when Deezie Brown rolled out his second LP 5th Wheel Fairytale, he told the Chronicle the album was the first of a five-chapter soundtrack to a book that he also aimed to turn into a movie – an ambitious but not surprising claim, given the rapper’s already-established work as a visual artist. Those ventures are still coming (though vinyl copies of his next LP, Look Mom, I Made Varsity, are for sale via Try Hard Coffee Roasters’ vinyl label now), but with intergalactic synths, cheery horns, and a full-on Austin choir (featuring Malik Baptiste, Jackie Venson, and more), 5th Wheel Fairytale captivates just fine in the meantime. – Carys Anderson
