Mike Eagle didn’t throw the word ‘open’ into his moniker without thought: you can scarcely walk away from an album like 2020’s ‘Anime, Trauma and Divorce’ without learning something new about the man, honest and vulnerable as his projects tend to be. New record ‘DOOMED!’ is no less brutal than what came before, and it’s backed by the always-intriguing production of Kenny Segal to boot. It’s really no surprise to hear the duo’s first collaborative project nailing things right out of the gate.

Unassuming as it may come across, ‘Out to Lunch’ is actually throwing a couple curveballs at your average hip-hop fan: indeed, ‘DOOMED!’ is not your typical rap album, and it’s better for it. Even outside of the droning bass notes and dreary brass accompaniments Segal peppers the track with— don’t worry, we’ll be showering his contributions with praise in due time— the opener introduces us to the world of Open Mike Eagle, which is as dismal as it is entertaining. The album’s cover proclaims it to contain ‘rap songs about a relationship that ends in every possible universe,’ and it’s the perfect tagline to describe this project, which places narrative and emotion at its forefront. ‘DOOMED!’ isn’t so much a hip-hop record as it is a musical audiobook, and an absolutely enthralling one at that.

The project is sprawled out like a series of diary entries, running through scenarios and perspectives that range from touching and heartfelt to outright absurd— this tracklist is a little scattershot, certainly, but in a way that manages to perfectly capture our protagonist’s fragile mental state. Eagle has no issue baring his heart for the world to see, throwing out references both to pop culture and to events in his own life left and right: his writing style, loose and rambling as it so often is, leaves you feeling like he could’ve penned twice, three times the material if he needed to. In amongst the controlled chaos, the album hits you with sobering bars that pack a punch every single time, whether it be “my fear is that nothing remains: every breath’s a reminder of pain” on ‘Unfinished Concrete Initials’ or “she used to say when we argued, it was hard to see us as ‘we’” on ‘She Swear I’m Colourblind.’

It may come as a shock, then, to hear that ‘DOOMED!’ is one of the funniest records you’ll hear all year: it’s a black comedy, most definitely, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t downright hilarious. These verses walk a fine line between levity and sincerity, always finding the perfect moment to slip something utterly ridiculous into the mix— after bars upon bars of isolation and stress on the title track, the rant Eagle launches headfirst into to close out the cut comes as a welcome relief, and will probably have you giggling like a maniac. In places, such as the “horse legs” bit on ‘The Irredeemable Magic Man’ or the dizzying ‘The Many Hustles of my Lonely Time Traveling Uncle,’ the project steps straight into absurdity, but never goes so far that it loses its humanity. If we had the time, we could spend hours gushing over the wit of ‘It Happens in Every Universe’ alone.

If this approach to songwriting has any pitfalls, it’s that rap fans probably won’t find too many standout flows to enjoy here: they simply aren’t Open Mike Eagle’s focus. On ‘Streets of Rage: Public Arguments Edition’ and ‘Unfinished Concrete Initials,’ it’s easy to hear how Gothic Tropic and Hemlock Ernst respectively bring a little more energy than our leading man, who’s sullen delivery is a very deliberate choice. ‘DOOMED!’ does have its catchy moments— look no further than ‘Science Fiction/Fantasy’ or ‘Schrödinger’s Green Room (There but Uninvited)’ for proof of that— but truth be told, this isn’t an album you’re going to pick favourite songs from. Like we said before, it’s less of a rap release and more like an audiobook, and that statement cuts both ways. What you get out of the record will depend on how thoroughly its ingenious concept ensnares you.

The album’s main musical appeal is coming straight from Kenny Segal, and why wouldn’t it: after putting records like ‘Hiding Places’ and ‘Maps’ together, did you really think he was going to miss? The beats Segal brings to the table on ‘DOOMED!’ are oftentimes low-key, even lofi, but that won’t stop you from bobbing your head to them— those serene guitars on ‘Trying to Remember What I Aimed At’ sound like something The Alchemist would put together, coming as a sharp contrast to the outright menace exuding from ‘Sweetheart Jail’ and ‘Out to Lunch.’ We could go on and on about the jazz influences that make ‘Infinity War Spoilers’ and ‘She Swear I’m Colorblind’ so magical, but truly, Segal’s greatest achievement is his ability to not just match, but elevate the emotion Eagle is driving at. By record’s end, the duo have you floating in contemplation on ‘Watching a Movie Called Freedom By Myself,’ the perfect place to round out this story.

‘DOOMED!’ may not be the loudest or most demanding listen of 2026, but don’t let that fool you: it’s ambition is staggering. Eagle and Segal have put together a hip-hop concept album that almost transcends their genre, throwing absurdist skits, lyrical brainteasers and instrumental gems together into a wild ride of a project that’ll have you chuckling and reaching for the tissues (and often both at the same time). Of course this duo’s collaborative effort is a success— their names rhyme, for goodness sake!