83%
"Is that the new Roots!" That's what my wife says. For those unfamiliar with Trek Life, (Where y'all been?!?!) he has that same aggression and precision in his style that Black Thought has, but with a distinctly west coast truth, so the Roots comparison is pretty spot on. And let me say for the record, that this review will be heavily biased. Both for and against and I'll explain how and why along the way. We will be tackling every song point by point, so stick with me here.
The album starts with a live drum heavy, bright, and bouncy track, "Ready to Live". I'm a fan of both Trek and Oddisee (pre-Biased) and this track shows why. It just feels good. No need for a heavy message yet. It gets the juices flowing and the smile stretching. It truly reflects the laid back sunshine of California. Olivier DaySoul is featured on the hook and fits the mood just right. Definitely a summertime with the top down track. This track gets a thumbs up.
Next up is "Still Never Rains" featuring J. Bizness, Audio Live and Skeem Price. Synth heavy electro funk with jazzy electric piano on the top. A slick combination. Sunset music with palm trees and ocean breeze. I enjoy how the content is strictly west coast but inclusionary. You feel like you're getting a view into California life that you can love, hate and break even with. Thumbs up again.
Olivier DaySoul returns for "As the World Turns". This pulls me into that same feeling I had on the "Do You Want More" album by the roots. Straight ahead hip hop, that's tight as a glove. And then the chorus comes in and the mood seamlessly finds Bootsy style Funk. Just the addition of Olivier's funky, slurry singing brings a new angle to this track. It went somewhere I didn't think the beat could go. Good use of creativity. Thumbs up on this jawn too.
On "Everything Changed Nothing" we find Olivier still hanging around. Oddisee takes chaotic chops and smooshes them under a filter that makes them cohesive. Spare drums give a solid base for Trek's storytelling on this track. At this point in the album the pacing is really controlled. Everything feels in place. A thumbs up here.
"Wow" takes me to the movie "Strictly Business" watching Halle Berry moving in slow motion on a crowded dance floor under the flickering strobe lights. Oddisee once again combines an east coast sensibility with pitchy west coast synths flawlessly. Trek tells the club scene from a down to earth point of view. It is possible to hit the club and not buy out the bar. The cuts from DJ Buddy are adequate but not distinct. Of all the things we have at our disposal to cut, I don't know why DJ's reuse the same vocal pieces. I actually missed Olivier on this track. I think he could have brought more to the track than the DJ cuts. Still a thumbs up on this but could have been better.
On "What it is" we step away from Oddisee for a moment for Hudson Mohawke who produces an off kilter limped leg banger. A good change of pace. Trek just goes in raw and explains the plight of the working emcee. DJ Buddy's cuts seem messy and slightly out of time here. They should have been left out. Thumbs up minus the cuts.
My east coast bias negatively impacts "Due West" for me. The beat is perfect for reminiscing but a little heavy in the mix. Tough to sit vocals on. This song makes me feel like "I guess I had to be there". It represents the west in a way that i feel excluded from it. Too many inside references. "So L.A." and "Still Never Rains" bring Cali to the world rather than segregating it. For those that know, this hits home, for all the others, we're lost. And there's no need to apologize for that. Everything ain't for everybody. I'm thumbs down on this though.
Oddisee gets ridiculous on "So Supreme". A HUGE track. This should be the NBA JAM theme song. It'll make an armless midget think he can dunk on shaq in the paint. The Busta Rhymes vocal clip on the chorus is a perfect fit. Trek handles his business, though I would have liked to hear more punchlines on a track like this. Thumbs up here.
Olivier returns for "I'd Rather Be". This feels like a funk update from the late 80's. Like a funk group trying to feel current. Well produced but just not hitting my sensibilities. I love the content. Trek expresses disgust with the duality of the female personality. That always hits home for me. (sorry honey). This one goes thumbs down for me though.
The pacing comes back to the rescue. "So L.A." is strictly raw rap. the feeling of this track is the same as when I first heard Smooth da Hustler's "Broken Language" or Camp Lo's "Swing". Just raw, dope emceeing. This is an open door, a welcome mat, and a glass of lemonade. Welcome to L.A. Finally, DJ Buddy comes through better on this track. Thumbs Up.
From the front porch we go down to the basement for "Jump Out There". Nice dusty joint from Oddisee brightened with a tambourine. Nice and simple thumper. Trek preaches tough love to those who aren't where they want to be in life. Simply "Jump out There". Thumbs Up.
"Might Sound Crazy" finds Oddissee banging out another big track. West Coast in a Dre kind of way. Olivier brings good life to the chorus. Audio Live and Ralph Real round out the track well. Thunmbs Up.
Let's tally it up. 12 tracks, 10 ups, 2 downs. 10 out of 12 is 83%. The album has been in constant rotation for a couple days. I'm happy with it. I spent good money. You should too.
http://treklifemusic.com/
http://oddiseemusic.blogspot.com/
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