Lyrics
Born aka Tom Shimura is a name associated with alternative hip-hop’s
higher echelons, a plaudit rightly gained due to his ability to
carve out mind-boggling syllable-twisters and produce chunky funk-laden
beats that bounce with an effervescent energy. One of the founding
members of the seminal independent label Quannum Projects, a label
responsible for launching the likes of DJ Shadow and Blackalicious,
Lyrics Born is back with a follow up to 2003’s critically
acclaimed ‘Later That Day’. Entitled ‘Everywhere
At Once’, this latest release takes a step further away
from the sizzling MC-ism’s which littered early Latryx and
Quannum Spectrum releases, in favour of a contemporised funk-fuelled
adventure that writhes and shakes with a captivating intent. Musically,
it’s as kaleidoscopically diverse as the multi-coloured
artwork that adorns its cover, mixing together a host of styles
from old skool hip-hop to r’n’b, from electro to Reggaeton
in a unique, fresh and funky manner that echoes the flair and
eclectic-ism of Gnarls Barkley.
Throughout the album, clunky beats and squidgy
bass-lines are fused with manipulated electro motifs and steeped
within a neon-funk aesthetic to create convoluted yet catchy soundscapes
that instinctively suck the listener in. When he does rap, Shimura
spits his usual witty and intelligent bars that regale listeners
in fascinating and intriguing themes about a range of topics from
fe/male dissimilarity to the struggles of making it. Shimura delivers
his vocals in a deep, lower octave style that make them ooze out
like a smokey, slow-motion Busta-Rhymes, spitting out bars like
“for a kid who flunked algebra, there ain’t nothin’
wrong with my numbers now……”
From the recoiling Dr Dre-inspired melodic groove
of ‘Differences’ to the old-skool Sugarhill dynamic
of ‘Cakewalk’, Lyrics Born is clearly on fire both
in terms of arrangement and production. Tracks capture the imagination
and seep into the listeners mindset making them perfect for captive
and non-captive listening. The core of the album reveals a delightful
bounty of tunes starting with the dark and grinding slow-motion
beatscapes of ‘I’m a Phreak’ which would have
lit up Pharrell Williams latest album. ‘I Like it I Love
It’ rides on an infectious plane of deep squidgy beats and
psychedelic melodics, creating a vivid soundscape that never compromises
the music's natural funk timbre. After the soulful hip-hop of
‘The World Is Calling’ that see’s Lyrics Born
spit in a unique spliced flow on-top of a grimey platter of electro-laced
beats we witness ‘Top Shelf (Anything U Want)’, a
track that breaks the mold with a slice of summertime Reggaeton.
Working around warped Caribbean melody, steady kicks and syncopated
snares are laced with multi-layered percussion and finished off
with undeniably catchy vocals, so catchy in fact that they will
stay in your head hours after listening to it.
With ‘Everywhere at Once’, Lyrics
Born has moved further away from his alternative indie-hop persona
to concentrate on a unique fusion of old-skool hip-hop, funk,
soul, Reggaeton and electro. From smoky, slow-burning tracks to
stomping, club-orientated numbers, ‘Everywhere At Once’
is mainstream breakthrough album littered with an impressive number
future hits. (AM)
For fans of: Blackalicious, Gnarls Barkley, TTc
|
