Potatohead People "Eat Your Heart Out" (2024)

 

A snug fit for rising temperatures hitting us here in England, Eat Your Heart Out has been the soundtrack to my morning walks drenched in glorious summer sun. Jazz Hop duo Potatohead People, refine their tone with a focus on soulful moods and mellow croons, a classy vibe elevated greatly by subtle Funk baselines. They often bustle and bruise with character, bolstering rather subdued Hip Hop beats. Steady tempos arrange cushy kicks, snappy claps and reverberated snares with a breezy softness, grooving rhythms that shy away from becoming the focal point.

 Unlike prior records, only two of its eleven cuts are instrumentals. On both, the lead tones down any individual charisma, a step away from the expressive Jazz Fusion solos like heard before. This puts a notable emphasis on its expanded array of guests, who drop raps and rhymes along with some smooth singing in apt spots. Familiar names return, along with a surprise big hitter from the 90s, Redman.

None of them define the record with any remarkable lyrics, nor do any instrumentals drop illuminating melodies. Without peaks or valleys, the whole records demeanor is a mellow, tranquil vibe. An endearing warmth to relax to, that puts all troubles aside. That's to say, despite having a stellar resonance, nothing deviated from its baseline.

Only Paradise stood apart. With a dreamy shift in tone and sly tropical flavor, shimmering guitars and glistening synths give it a special touch when washed in this glossy reverb. The whole track feels plucked from an 80s fever dream, with Diamond Cafe's vocal performance reminiscent of Michael Jackson's classic high tenor. All in all a warm spin from start to end, full of good vibes but lacking a spark to make it special.

Rating: 6/10

Denzel Curry "Melt My Eyez See Your Future" (2022)

 

I've become fairly accustom with a side of Floridian rapper Denzel through Spotify's artist shuffle. Tilted to my tastes, I've heard my preferred tracks from many albums rotated extensively. Melt My Eyez is my first time getting stuck in with a full record. I'm struck by how broad a scope Curry strikes within the Hip Hop sphere. Often steered by his guest features, Denzel leans into the Trap, Mumble and Pop influenced tunes where his presence diminishes. An autotune drenched T-Pain on Troubles, a cast of feisty features on the following Ain't No Way, a youthful high pitched hook from 454 on Sanjuro. These tracks bridge into other territories to mixed results for this listener.

The bulk of this album is a curious balance of soulful Jazz Hop inspired beats venturing into animated alternative production styles. Denzel's raps are frequently the hook line and sinker, making these colorful instrumentals amount to much more. His verses delve swiftly into meaningful, emotional narratives. Both reflective and introspective, his commentaries, expressions and insights bleed on a variety of creative flows, cadences and rhyme schemes. Not exactly groundbreaking raps but they keep the pace interesting as its milestone tracks are frequently reached.

Ironically X-Wing was my favorite track. Leaning into darker vibes on a Trap percussive stint, Curry embraces modern flows where he would normally echos the 90s. Its catchy autotune hook has an uncanny resonance over swirling glossy pianos and a gray, morose string section. I think it simply encapsulated a gap in arrangement I'd not heard ventured into before. Alongside it, the colorful jazzy cuts and Denzel's emotive raps where the keen highlights for me on this fruitful album.

Rating: 7/10

Potatohead People "Mellow Fantasy" (2020)

Mellow Fantasy, a breezy affair of performative Jazz Hop. Slick in design and execution, the Jazz Fusion adjacent instrumental artistry of this dynamic duo indulges in soft affable tunefulness. One can "tune in and tune out", an effortless listen. A feathery glow blows in the winds of every track, a cushy soothing groove, infusing dauntless jives within an airy carefree stride, letting its plentiful good vibes flow forth.

Hidden Levels breaks its relaxed stride. Injecting a quirky baseline, its harder bass kick thump gets rocking with the arrival of infectious claps. Forrest Mortifee illuminates this track with a colorful timid tenderness in voice, swaying on the songs texture with a breathy performance reminiscent of Hiatus Kaiyote's Nal Palm. The theme returns twice with both Bunnie and Kendra Dias bringing 90s R&B voices to the fold.

This highlights the albums structure, alternating collaborations with rapers and singers between shorter instrumental cuts. This time, less emphasis is placed on lead instruments, serving more as a slice of cool atmosphere between its voiced chops. Although I missed this dexterous dazzle of melodic manifestation, the bigger picture is a consistent vibe, nailed exquisitely. All pieces present fit this pleasant puzzle.

Rating: 7/10

Potatohead People "Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy" (2018)

 

 Reveling in the merits of predecessor Big Luxury, the Potatohead People duo, Nick Wisdom and Astrological, return with another Jazz Hop indulgence. Again, the quality of compositions on display set it apart from expectant groovy indulgences of the genre. Sung choruses, guest rap verses and instrument solos break up the looped foundations. The beats are class, slick jazzy moods frequently leaning into G-Funk and dreamy detours as spurts of soft instrumentation and reverb ups the indulgence.

Last outing, guest verses and lyrics illuminated the runtime. This time, its instrumental cuts grab attention as the songs drift with non linear feeling. The core rhythms stand firm but around them breezy Sax solos, dreamy acoustic guitar licks and Jazz Fusion keyboard tones wrap the groove in organic expression. Especially captivating is the closer Rituals. Its eclectic pull of glitched vocals, gritty saw bass and House pianos acts as a closing novelty you could imagine fitting snugly on a 90s Trip Hop record.

Ultimately, its not too dissimilar a project with a similar flow. The pair lean into a more diverse source of inspirations which they wield to fit their mold. The result tips the scales as its interesting assembly of sounds gets to flourish in the spotlight. The beats built for rhymes come rigid and stiff in contrast. The raps contributed by guests Illa J and the like, have less of an impact than before. Either way, its another quality Jazz Hop craft to pluck out some personal favorites from, that I'm sure will last with time.

Rating: 7/10

Potatohead People "Big Luxury" (2015)

 

 Cut from the cloth of its era, here lies a Jazz Hop record with distinction. Big Luxury stands apart among a then blossoming scene. Although only catching it recently, an ear is turned for this favored niche. With uplifted spirit and endearing warmth, the duo behind these snappy beats conjure classic feel-good vibes reminiscent of Summer Time and other Hip Hop party hits. Its pacing and staying power arrives through the aid of soulful vocals and conscious Raps, complimenting these infectious grooves.

With a sensible touch, the assembly of percussion, samples and fine instrumentation simplifies in the presence of human voices. On the flip-side, these instrumentals lean into Jazz Fusion ideals with grooving lead melodies to dazzle and delight. Blue Charms echos charisma heard before with Plini, high praise no doubt. This layer of personality above the well executed beats is where the magic lies as a unique Jazz Hop adventure is forged through gorgeous instrument aesthetics crooning on the vibe.

There it is in a nutshell, a brief twenty eight minutes journeying through the traditions of rhyme and rhythm, gracefully detouring to an adjacent sound and doing it with class. Jazzy samples over drum arrangements has been saturated with time but this duo had something deeper to bring to the table. Further exploration is required!

Rating: 7/10

King Geedorah "Take Me To Your Leader" (2003)

 

Operating under the alias of Godzilla's three headed nemesis, the beast King Ghidorah, prolific hip hop entrepreneur, rapper, producer, MF Doom puts his talents to work. Take Me To Your Leader is an oddity, an album standing apart from the norm with its quirky thematic charm. Emerging from the ashes of old Godzilla flicks and Ishirō Honda's "Invasion Of Astro Monster", vocal and action snippets revive a unique vision to life. Monster Zero runs by as a keenly cinematic track, unloading its samples front to back without a verse, as does title track too later on in its thirteen tracks.

Between the instrumental passages of crafty world building, a diverse range of voices drop onto the mic. Mostly rhyme riddled and intricate in nature, lyrical games play out on the bars, adept with flow, woven with tricksy word play and verbal acrobatics, the focus shifts as the album matures. With such talents strutting, the subject material often slips into bombast and prowess as these emcees rhyme hard. In its transitions, the spectacle remains, suiting this novel packaging for a memorable listen.

The beats rapped over are relatively straightforward. Its the source material and obscure movie dialog sampling that gives this production an undeniable charm. The firm mix of Soul and Jazz gets obscured by a string section focus. The occasional Sci-Fi theme's spice up the overall vibe and tend to find themselves paired with stints of sampling as the guest verses end up on the Jazz Hop leaning cuts. Although capable of dissecting its composition, the elements are gripping throughout, making for a record difficult to critique on its own merits. If this suits your preferences, you'll adore!

Rating: 7/10

Maurice Brown "The Mood" (2017)

The Mood, an apt name for a record that can impose its own upon one so snugly. This forth outing of veteran Maurice Brown, composer, voice and Trumpeter, bestows itself so elegantly. The soft swaying swagger of Smooth Jazz. Extended aesthetic pallets akin to Jazz Fusion. A subtle rhythmic groove fond of Jazz Hop. Maurice creates a modern, relaxing take on the classics. Fleshed out with occasional vibrant verses by himself and guest rappers, they somehow cut the instrumental flow perfectly with the sudden arrival of deep, thought provoking lyrics. The silence between barely yearns for more, despite the expressive words and chemistry they adorn.

Past its warm welcoming open cuts that set a firm groundwork, the album moves into a couple of Avant-Garde leaning songs. Its percussion busying and with dexterous, dissonant leaning leads emerging, it end up rustling the feathers of its slick persona. Upon finding a way back with Capricorn Rising, the musical themes and key melodies seem to lack the initial dazzle that captivated ones attention. Despite still possessing an easy charm, loungy vibes and full of good mood, It seems a step lower in energy.

Destination Hope, the album closer, rekindles that early magic. Bringing on a fine R&B singer, the Jazz hybrid template finds another soothing chemistry as Chris Turner swoons in to the forefront. Returning again with an epic, softly reverberated chorus. The message is strong and sweet, the melodies croon again and then a spoken word, half rap cadence, from J Ivy blossoms briefly as a fond unity is achieved. The Mood is a hard record to knock. Despite delivering such delightful magic upon the way, it falls short of a classic album experience despite its remarkable impressions.

Rating: 7/10

Malcolm Horne "Frost Walker" (2022)

 

Released Christmas day, with seasonal, wintery hints in theming and bowing out on a familiar festive melody, Malcolm Horne gifts us a mini record for the holidays. However Frost Walker's synergy doesn't house that timely cheer. These are rather typical sounds for him. Leaning into the soft and gentle, breezy side of mellow Jazz Hop beats, the instrumentation croons in its gorgeous setting. Roomy pianos, glistening bells, humble organs keys and echos of drifting acoustic guitars shimmer above warm bass resonance. The spacious groove of sparse bass kicks and snare clicks guides tempo, anchoring otherwise lofty music that could almost drift away without it.

Frost Walker is one for the vibes, a mood setter. Its occasional voicing of soothing saxophone seeming like an ethereal voice in the winds, aching to roar yet subdued on this instrumental voyage. Its pleasantries are welcome company, a warm fuzzy set of songs with the easiest of pacing. As often happens with seasonal suggestions in music, the tone seems flipped to my mind. I hear cool summers days and relaxation. Not as wintery as intended for me but a welcome set of songs to mellow out with.

Rating: 5/10

Malcolm Horne "Mending" (2022)

 

Shedding the antiquities of Jazz Hop's established union of styles, this third stroke rids itself of percussive burdens. No longer hinged on crunking snare kick grooves and subtle boom bap rhythms, Mending arrives at the source of inspiration. An orchestra of instruments croon. Luscious, resonate and gently woven they harmonize at a place of healing. Soft airy reverbs and atmosphere indulge as soothing calm sweeps over every track. Minimal, spacious percussive lines subtly hold tempo, an evolution felt between Infinity & Volume II. With Mending, a conclusion of that trajectory is met. Malcolm accomplishes inspired moods free from shackles of the genres tropes.

The delicacy of performance is a delight. We are spoiled to baselines hinged on texture and feel, over power and force. Many instruments follow suit, perusing, swaying with persuasion. Capturing the essence, a symphony of minimalist parts amassing a serine outcome. Mending's warm calm is evening sunlight, the yawning death of a beautiful day. Cool airs breeze by, so welcoming in its gentle demeanor. This outing is an inspired refinement on the instrumental magic heard twice before.

Nothing is perfect and for all the praises, Mending does serve its conventions to sooth and relax with formulas. On inspection, the looped nature of compositions emerged, highlighted by instrumental drop ins and outs, a key song structure utilized. Lead instruments are often absent, leaving space in the music for a voice to shine through.

The moments where a guitar solo steps up are grooving, variation aids its purpose. Like before though, they cropped up before fade outs. Grander directions would be very welcome but perhaps not as suited as one might imagine. Lastly, the Synthwave and 80s Synthpop influences are amiss. Constellations treats us to this charm again but its brief stay perhaps signals the style no longer has a place. Quite a shame as I enjoyed this take greatly yet its absence makes sense given what Mending is, a cohesive record of introspective healing. This is definitely my favorite of the three.

Rating: 8/10

Malcom Horne "Infinity Volume II" (2021)

 

 Smooth, sweet and soulful, this secondary installment of Infinity pairs the modern Low-Fi influenced Jazz Hop aesthetic with a classy voice through exuberant musicianship. Malcolm litters these dreamy beats with gushes of emotional expression, always emerging through subtly and captivating fondly as a voice. Each of its twenty seven cuts are rooted in the timely pairing of percussive grooves and jazzy persuasion, foundational to its flushes of warm sunny color that ooze from guitars, synths and the like, giving many of the loops a real sense of unique identity.

Its other edge comes from its backbone of looped beats. Born less of sampling and more of instrumental arrangement, its texture and aesthetic is a consistent dazzle of breezy easiness and soothing reverbs, taking us to an easy space to escape all worries and leave ones mind at ease. With this, more love and care can be heard as little accents and notations arise from multiple instruments to compliment its main direction. M.A.D. is a keen example, its fluster of melody jumps between instruments with the tang of a guitar lick nestled between, the resonance is simply lush.

At a whopping ninety one minutes, Volume II excels at finding its target audience. Where Volume I fumbled in its inconsistencies, II focuses very much on the chilled out and lounge alike styling of its sound, channeling the music into a very streamer friendly lane. As a lone record it one could yearn for a little more progression or evolution to take off for new heights, especially when a swooning guitar solo drops in. Of course restraint is placed with these songs being fitted for smiley backgrounds.

Despite that, Volume II is actually rather engrossing as a lone experience. When paired with an activity, focus arises as the meditative quality of its easy flow and steady pace locks one into a mental groove. My only negative take aways are some of the sudden cut offs, Lemonade a criminal culprit of sapping away the buzz just as that charming lead guitar was wooing away. I'm also left missing a little of the punchier Synth tones heard on the first record. Otherwise its a fine collection of lush songs with a strong human expression some of these other Jazz Hop beats miss out on.

Rating 7/10

Brelstaff "In Human Terms" (2021)

 

Brelstaff, formerly known as Daryl Donald, throws a fresh "beat tape" our way. At twenty tracks, it runs deeper than usual with similar duration tracks ranging from one too three minutes. Anticipating demo quality, or unfinished ideas, I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent array of beats loosely framed by the snippets of past time American gangsters talking while running their criminal errands. Its a niche charm for timely compositions that rides the dynamics of Jazz Hop and dreamy instruments sampled against the loose yet snappy boom bap nineties drum grooves.

Through its many temperaments, shades of experimentation lean mostly towards a Noir Jazz flavor with relaxed, indulgent tones that get a little summery here and somewhat darkly there. Often with a slight psychedelic, dream like tone, the music memorizes with its laid back approach rubbing of the punching groove of snare and base kick. Its all atypical yet has this character I can't quite put the finger on.

My thoughts are rather similar on each outing with this artist who has figured out there form. These beats need a voice to elevate them too the next level. A progressive or fluid motif is missing to have them work solely as instrumentals. Although very enjoyable they feel as if the right rapper could work wonders over them. Not Enough Crime, a favorite track of mine, the perfect framework for some verses and a hook to further the already animated instrumental. Overall, its a great little gem to enjoy.

Rating: 7/10

Brelstaff "Brelstaff" (2020)

 

 Formerly know as Daryl Donald, this name change to Brelstaff signifies little in the way of musical progression. Its another collection of mini Jazz Hop instrumentals exploring the craft with a familiar Entroducing... akin charm. These short, mostly two minute tracks swiftly conjure an atmosphere and reside there for a brief stay, fleshed out with some variations. The selections of drum patterns and samples mix sweetly into easy indulgences. With enough ambiguity and noises between the obvious pairings, the tracks keep delivering a fresh depth on each listen. Together, the tracks are all laid back, summery and warm. The Jazz flavor keeps it musical and grounded, not running away with the uplift but holding back an air of spirituality. The mood is an introspective one, perfect for both background music and giving it your attention.

The short compositions do feel somewhat demo like. Fade ins and outs give ques to where ideas start and end. Stitched on mini beat creations and the like make it into the twenty minute run time but in all fairness there is no filler. No track out runs its purpose, once seeing through its variety it ends. A voice in the form of rhyme or reason, rapping or singing may serve it well as the voices calling John Coltrane's on the track of the same name seem to ramp up the mystique over a mysterious pondering bass line. Its a dusty track with a lot of charm. That note may just signify what's missing, the foundations are in place but as a collection of beats they feel in need of something to elevate it upwards to the next level.

Rating: 6/10

Malcolm Horne "Infinity" (2020)

Immediately warm and welcoming, the smooth, soft jazzy beats at play feel right at home, pardon the pun. Infinity is a debut album loaded with seventy five minutes of breezy Jazz Hop instrumentals. Its subdued Hip Hop element gives rise to a colourful melodic that feels so reflective of many electronic and ambient artists in recent memory. Its of the times, a chilled out, carefully crafted set of songs with melodies learning in the Synth Pop revival direction with a touch of Anime theme song spice dazzling in a couple of song which also tend to be the better ones.

Originality is term thrown around too easily and although I don't hear anything that feels like a stone overturned, the particular fusion of glossy sounds and involved layers of notation has it steering into a combination of recent styles and sounds that feels like a little bit of everything and none of it all at once. This seems to be true of its better moments where the chemistry is ripe but over its broader cut of songs the threads that pull yield different results as the magic stems from this middle ground.

The breezy effortless dreamy arrangements, soaked in reverbs and oozing with summery vibes, get a little tired in the less involved instrumentation. At times the looped nature of the music shows its flaws as songs revolve with little beyond the initial temperament set. Equal to it though are these fantastic flushes of growth as some songs seem to evolve with a lead instrument acting as a voice. Losing You has a dynamic electric guitar solo illuminate an already captivating song.

Infinity's best feels loaded in its front. Save Me brings in a voice for collaboration I cared little for, the vocal didn't gel. Past this point It sounds like the less fleshed out ideas reside in the albums final third which drifts on. This plays up some of the production tricks as they become more noticeable, like wonky keys that flavour a little obscurity throughout. A couple of slow, dreary, dramatic and slow Post-Rock style songs end up here too. A niche touch but a little of key with the overall vibe.

This is a dense record given its runtime, some simple songs are given fair leeway on the repetitions yet on other tracks you almost don't want them to end with the amount of variety being unleashed. It all suggests a need for curation and focus on being more than a collection of beats because in its stride, it really hits the mark! Despite its chilled out nature and easiness, it can get dull in the forefront but It also provides an atmosphere which may just be right for rest and relaxation!

Favorite Tracks: Mercy, Losing You, Drown In The Stars, Los Pantalones, Infinity
Rating: 6/10

Danny Brown "Uknowhatimsayin¿" (2019)

For his last major release Danny dazzled with a wild unhinged experimental Atrocity Exhibition. Its flamboyant nature and eccentric charm seems to have been turned on its head. This time Brown delivers a lean and fresh collection of songs that feel isolated from one another yet all land a strange dissonance. Selecting oddball instrumentals, his raw voice recording aesthetic adds this layer of separation between beat and rhyme that initially left me not knowing what to make of the project.

With plenty to say, the rhymes in the best moments are unbelievably sharp, witty and well articulated. Layered with elements of comedy, story telling, self deprecation and vulnerability he musters up some engaging flows that topically chop and turn at pace. Brown's cadence often feels a step off the beat, free and loose yet holding its own flow of continuous verbal packages to unwrap. It may also be the percussive grooves mustering this illusion as they are often untypical of a groove to rap along with.

The moods and temperaments of the samples and beats shift all over the place, never slipping into anything too banging or obvious, always focused on the power of subtler chemistry. Run The Jewels turn up to stamp their style on a JPEG beat and Q-Tip produces a couple of my favorite cuts that have the Jazz Hop lean. This wild variety in production aids producer White in delivering striking esoteric and Ethereal sounds that stood out among a lot of great instrumentals. With every listen this record reveals more, its got depth and substance rammed into its thirty three minutes.

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Change Up, Belly Of The Beast, Best Life, Uknowhatimsayin¿, Combat

Daryl Donald "Full Circle" (2019)

A second release this year from Scottish producer Daryl Donald brings us another cut of smooth and mellow Jazz Hop beats lined with thoughtful vocal snippets to induce a relaxed mood. By now its become predictable but the best kind. Its a prediction that one can feel cozy and wrapped up, snug and warm inside this world of breezy cool instrumentals that groove easy temperate drum samples under atmospherically arranged samples of calming, soulful and jazzy instruments.

The beats are short and sweet in nature. Being looped and highly repetitive, a balanced is struck as lingering on the theme is avoided. Experimenting with gentle noise, each track has some subtle ambiences, conjuring shapeless forms of ambiguous sound to decorate the main loop. It works fantastically and if absent a vocal feature can drift in with the same breezy easiness that makes this record a pleasure to mellow out to. Its words had less of an impact this time around, but its experiments in ambiguity spark quite the intrigue to their origin.

With its overall swift nature, Get Alive stands out as an odd cut where the audio fades out abruptly jusr as the beat just gets going. Otherwise its a slick flow of cohesive musical grooves. The opening tracks are particularly reminiscent of early 90s Jazz Hop classics. I couldn't put a finger on which tracks but they had a fond familiarity. The closing tracks however pivot to slightly snappier percussion with a soft crunch added to them. Its a gentle transition, just something I noticed on this short album that delivered exactly what I expected but still charmed none the less.

Rating: 7/10

Little Simz "Grey Area" (2019)

Every year I aim to find fresh artists, new releases and so far just a measly thirteen records. Despite me failing to get in a discovery groove, it has yielded some fantastic albums. The Goat, Woodland Rites, Empath & Kill The Sun, all contenders for top lists. Now to throw in another contender in the mix, Grey Area blew me away with just the first listen alone. My ritualistic listening has since convinced me Little Simz is a talent to behold and this is my first encounter. Its her third full length and she certainly sounds experienced on the mic. With a light, firm and steady flow, soft, flat toned voicing and sparkling lyrical creativity, I am reminded of one the greats, Rakim, in a roundabout way. Simz style stands on its own, a plain faced, spoken word calmness with an urban London charm ready to slip into slick rhyming grooves and swift flows as your lured in by her calmness. Its gorgeous and has some of the best rhymes Ive heard in sometime! "I'm a boss in a fudging dress!"

Her technical proficiency wont take long to perk your ears but whats equally earnest and engrossing is the topicality and self reflection. With her words she locks you in to situations, trains of thoughts and introspection with a vivid intensity that manifests in witty, expressive and cultural claps of rhyme that rock and rattle when she gets into a flow. She comes across as a genuine character with sincerity and authenticity in abundance. Some of these songs open a door into her life as an artist, struggling and working hard to succeed while dealing with life's stresses. Its not on an every track basis but just about each song has a pull. A little braggadocio and chest pumping comes into play on the albums slickest song Venom. Its on the flip side and her boisterous style is marvelous, flows swell with sharp, smart and damn right mean lyricism, its venomous. Ok that pun was just plain awful! XD

You'd be no fool to see how talented she is but behind the words, these instrumentals pulled together are fresh, fun, classy and right on point for setting the tone. It kicks of from Offense with an Indie feeling executed with a Jazz Rock flair. The beats are stripped back, the instruments have a live feel, high fidelity and its not until the third song that a more traditional Jazz Hop vibe. Its peaked with beautiful singing from Cleo Sol. The production is utterly sweet, Grey Area is a short, compact and tight record that churns through its ten tracks with a variety of defined vibes that all sound purposeful. The chemistry is fire, I still jet through its thirty five minutes feeling flabbergasted. This is a example case of quality over quantity. There isn't a moment wasted on this superb record, I'm still engrossed within it but had to write!

Favorite Tracks: Boss, Selfish, Venom, Therapy

Rating: 9/10

Daryl Donald "Behold The Spirit" (2019)

Seeing a new release from Scottish producer Daryl Donald put a smile on my face. I knew Id be in the mood for more indulgent, mellow Hip Hop instrumentals. With this sophomore record he really hits home with the DJ Shadow vibes, one of the first artists to make craft and elevate the instrumental side of Hip Hop music. Behold The Spirit is a collection of short beats and tidbits, roughly two minutes each, that establish meditative vibes fit for mellowing, soaking in the sun and enjoying a soft breeze.

Its got summery vibes that aren't overtly pronounced, everything is a craft of soft measures and subtle sample inclusion that form a bigger picture. Its percussive lines are sharp and snappy but with just the right tempo to feel at ease and slightly lethargic. A couple arrangements may give an impression of a stripped back boom bap groove however the keen kicks and snares are always softened by the surrounding samples, often layering ambiguous airy synth without distinct melodies. Many vocal snippets are deployed ambiguously with helpings of dreamy reverberation, furthering the soothing vibes that feed into its distinct atmosphere.

The albums structure is a bit lack luster in its linear design. Some beats have build ups but mostly the songs fades in to existence and after its repetitions, fade out again. Its held together like glue by the consistency of tone, each beat is unique but they all hone in on the same urban summer vibrations. The track Banquet has a vocal pitch shifting sample that borders on Vapourwave akin to Macintosh Plus. However Its an isolated moment that borders overlap, would be interesting to hear it explored further.

Its after this track vocal samples become more prominent. The following Like A Brother has the voice of a man with a tone similar to AZ speaking thoughtful wisdom. The last three tracks bring a strong audible presence to the record as at closes out with the title track. It has a stunning speech on the power of meditation. A fitting end to a short collection of beats that all bring with them a consistent mellowing quality fit for reflection and thought, or the lack of it. Another strong record, looking forward to more!

Favorite Track: Behold The Spirit

Rating: 7/10

The Underachievers "After The Rain" (2018)

I was dead excited to see this in my inbox. Rap duo AK & Issa Gold are two bright sparks among a young generation of rappers. Their dark and esoteric Cellar Door - Terminus Ut Exordium was a distinct introduction to the duo however opening half of Evermore - The Art Of Duality has become a favorite a frequent back to. Its lyrics of overcoming struggle and rising up hit me hard. We get a little of that youthful wisdom on the opening Downpoor as the pair exchange themes of changing the world with positive metal attitudes in the face of a materialistic world that can consume a person.

After The Rain has been an enjoyable, reasonable listen where the instrumentals define most talking points. Lyrics circle the waters, recycling familiar topics with a lack of hard hitting lines as the vocals are mostly linear expressions with less wordplay than I would of liked. The production sounds expensive, a step up that might be sideways. It elevates their sound to a crisp, glossy tone that's a tad over polished, squeaky clean samples and drums come close to peaking in a vivid construct.

Its all mostly warm, bright and sunny sounds. A lot of colorful, jazzy and soulful instrumentation with a crisp punchy audacity. A plethora of guest singers gives many songs agreeable choruses with powerful, harmonious singing that steers in a pop appeal direction. Nightmares & Dreams, plus a couple others too, push it a little to far with the broad allure. When either of the two are not on the mic, it can be an unrecognizable sound with guests flexing their prowess with some beautiful singing.

Its a hard record to be dismissive of, The Underachievers pack a lot of powerful, potent empowering lyrics in the run time for a warm, uplifting listen. The instrumentals aim high, a very crisp production with some fantastic Jazz Hop beats. All the pieces are in place but something in the chemistry is just missing something. Perhaps it lacks some urgency or struggle about it. Everything is just to neat and nice, so its hard for any truly memorable songs to emerge. It lives in the shadow of their former works.

Favorite Tracks: Downpour, Let It Rain

Rating: 5/10

Logic "The Incredible True Story" (2015)

To put it simply, this record is wonderful. Undoubtedly the best of Logic Ive heard as we travel backwards in time, going through his yearly releases one by one. Its his second full length, a sigh of relief after the disappointing, braggadocio riddled Bobby Tarantino. Held together with a meaty size of skits and sketches in the opening phase, this far from perfect project reeks of fun, inspiration and an artist living in the moment. The uplifting, jazzy, summery beats will elevate your mood between the amusing audio scenes depicting the journey of a spaceship crew in a dystopian future making their way to a questionable place know as "paradise". It takes up a fair portion of the run time but keeps your apatite fresh for when Logic comes back to the mic with a plethora of rhymes delivered on top of his game.

Logic's firm grasp on the art of rap hails back as far as the roots, specifically heard in tributes to Nas's classic Illmatic flows as well as his own. The crisp delivery and smooth articulation has the strengths and hallmarks of raps greatest traits while standing to one side with his scintillating stretches of swift flows and embrace of modern trends. The timely use of sung raps and a soft dash of auto tune in spots breaks up the monotony that a full length of straight rap can encounter. His appeal must surely be broad as this record offers something up for fans of all eras. The same can be said of collaberator 6ix and his beats, a mix of lean drum loops and aptly programmed kits also span varying styles but mainly focus on the modern aesthetic as tight grooves with snappy hi hats match up with subtler, tone setting samples to build a meditative atmosphere for Logic to get in the zone with.

 Speaking to the strength of this record, I was really surprised when I realized the albums run time creeps just over an hour. It rolls by like a fine breeze keeping you cool until you notice times up. The lyrics are engaging, the moods engrossing. There is plenty to pick apart and the best of it comes in those classic Logic flows where it feels like each word is one ahead of the next as you mentally catch up with the wit in the rhyme. It ebbs and flows as he changes up the pacing with the sung hooks and the instrumentals are right in step. I can't fault the record, it doesn't define itself as groundbreaking or earth quaking, Its a solid musical experience, so enjoyable, so fun and a pleasure to let spin when you have the time.

Favorite Tracks: Fade Away, Like Woah, Young Jesus, Paradise, The Incredible True Story

Rating: 8/10

Childish Gambino "Because The Internet" (2013)

Gambino's final album Awaken, My Love was a real treat of rich, indulgent, soulful music reviving the sounds and emotions from genres mostly originating in the early decades of the last millennium. I very much enjoyed it and going back to his prior releases I was expecting the shift to Rap and Hip Hop but not the freedom and creativity this record endures. At the time I caught wind of the release was only through negative reviews and I'm wondering what on earth they heard that was so bad?

This album is warm, breezy and fun, an exploratory journey with plenty of the Soul, R&B, Psychedelia and Jazz creeping in that would blossom to become the main focus on Awaken. If there is a complaint it may be Glover's rap persona, a rather wild, fun and carefree character who jumps all over the place with topics and a wide variety of eccentric moments to disrupt the norm in his raps which come with a healthy variety of flows. Personally I find it refreshing even if its not a home run each time, Glover is expressing himself with an endearing charm and plenty of mature lyrics between his energetic outbursts.

The album warms up with the aforementioned sounds of previous decades, fusing soulful, jazzy instrumentation and samples with tight, sharp beats. As it grows, modern sounds of Dance, Synthpop and even Rave creep into some tracks for some real banging party numbers in between a flow of rather indulgent, experimental and unstructured music. From the mid to end the album struggles with pacing as many halfway tracks are littered between skits and short quirky tracks. Its mostly good artistic fun but the album suffers from a lack of direction from this point as the music falls into a whirlpool of ideas that keep jumping from one to the next before being fully realized, despite showing lots of musical chemistry and charm.

Because The Internet is a fun free for all of musical ideas and inspired creativity that's fresh, exciting but unstructured, youthful and without focus. Your opinion could swing either way and I find myself in awe of the moments where its chemistry flows and a little frustrated when it dips into the swirling of ideas that don't lead anywhere. For it to be one thing or the other would be great but caught in the middle it becomes a mixed bag of fruits that certainly yields some fantastic songs to come back to over and over again. As a listening experience its drags its feet periodically and that's a little sad as Donald Glover is clearly a very talented man but on this release its perhaps its a lack of experience that hinders it.

Favorite Tracks: Crawl, Worldstar, Shadows, Oakland, 3005, Life Is The Biggest Troll

Rating: 7/10