Welcome to the 12th installment of Deep Cuts, a new monthly segment highlighting standout tracks that weren't given a spotlight to blossom. All songs listed below have been released in the month of April on albums where they weren't previously released as a single. The only condition I've imposed upon myself is that no artist can have more than one song.
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Much of Czarface Meets Metal Face went exactly as predicted. DOOM, in his later years, bowing to straightforward Boom Bap while the trio of 7L, Esoteric, and Inspectah Deck extol the genre despite its inherent setbacks. Rarely did they tread off the trail, only do so through cartoon-driven samples and elaborate production. The latter is the distinct cause of 'Phantoms'' success, a mid-album highlight that found Art Rap comedian connoisseur Open Mike Eagle matching wits with DOOM. The former, unraveling a ludicrous and ghostly tale that proved nothing more than a slapstick farce, the latter developing inconsistent beliefs based on the angel and devil grazing each shoulder. However, it's actually 7L's work on the boards that steal the show. What begins as a spacey, synth-driven beat similar to OME's Dark Comedy or even DOOM's Vaudeville Villain back in the day morphs effortlessly into a cold, bass-driven soundscape amidst Kendra Morris' striking chorus. 'Phantoms' is one of Czarface's most complete works, incorporating facets of musical enjoyment that the traditionalist genre of Boom Bap has left behind.
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Hop Along - One That Suits Me
Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Indie Rock
The evolution of Hop Along from 2015's Painted Shut to 2018's Bark Your Head Off, Dog has been close to immeasurable. Rather than succumb to outdated Midwest Emo Rock without a lick of ingenuity, the group helmed by Frances Quinlan evolved into a free-wheeling Indie Rock outfit that embraced their humble roots while progressing in both sound and style. At times, Bark Your Head Off is Rock, others Emo, others Folk. All three come together in 'One That Suits Me,' a track that bears resemblance to Japanese Breakfast's developmental chord progression and her knack for intriguing descriptions in a post-modern society. See, despite the elastic production that travels along a tightrope for the majority of 'One That Suits Me,' the most emanating facet is Quinlan's thoughtful lyrics, one that pokes fun at an aging generation that wishes for peace but only at the detriment of others. Rather than unite all in the search for worldwide peace, Quinlan acknowledges the arrogance of a nation, or a people, whose priorities don't go beyond their borders. In many respects, 'One That Suits Me' is a clever anti-war song that abolishes the ignorance that war leads to peace, especially when death and destruction is what lies on the other side.
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Oddly enough, Flatbush Zombies' latest record Vacation In Hell left the best for last. So much so that arguments could be made that the final five tracks, out of 19 total, are the album's best offerings. This, due in large part to the serious turn Flatbush Zombies take, whether it's the identity crisis on 'Misunderstood' or the ode to A$AP Yams on the bold 'YouAreMySunshine.' However, all the pieces come together with one last hooray on 'The Glory,' a reflective journey for each emcee, the normally vicious Denzel Curry included. That's perhaps the most embracive aspect of 'The Glory,' that predictions of a hardcore banger went out the window in place of some much-needed soul-searching. Unlike other Flatbush Zombies tracks that bear serious weight, 'The Glory' actually features an uplifting tone carried throughout; a first for the group. From Erick Arc Elliott's opening verse about introversion insecurities to Curry's gush-worthy flowing depicting a folding relationship to Zombie Juice's lengthy final verse that replaces pettiness and regret with forgiveness and amicability, 'The Glory' thrives by tearing away the charismatic masks covering the Flatbush Zombies' true faces. This, all over some splendid production that incorporates soft touches of Gospel and Soul.
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On their third LP, Sons Of Kemet correlated their ceaseless energy with the foreword march of empowered women seeking equality for the underprivileged. It's a fiercely political album that outright defies norms in favor of radical change, with a tumultuous stampede of sounds to match. One such example of Shabaka Hutchings' disorderly genius comes during 'My Queen Is Albertina Sisulu,' one of nine such odes on the album, this one dedicated to the late South African activist for her humanitarian social work. Right from the get-go, 'Albertina Sisulu' comes equip with a feverish bounce. A funky melody plays a prominent role throughout the duration of the song, acting as a proverbial hot potato for every instrumentalist to take control of. Even Theon Cross' tuba puffs and farts its way through the pandemonium, to exhausting levels. This is what Your Queen was all about; progressing and powering through the struggle. However, Hutchings' saxophone steers the ship and steals the show midway through, taking 'Albertina Sisulu' up another impressively reckless notch. An unrelenting journey towards progress.
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Saba - PROM / KING
CARE FOR ME | Jazz Rap
Pair Kendrick Lamar's knack for theatrical storytelling and J. Cole's elaborative prose with the systemic problems of inner-city Chicago and you have CARE FOR ME's centerpiece 'PROM / KING.' The eight-minute tale of two halves unfolds like every story ever told; with humble beginnings that evolve, deteriorate, or twist. Through his stalwart delivery that only deviates when tension's at an all-time high, production equally as frantic, Saba powers through an array of conflicting emotions. One instant he's spiteful over a failed relationship, the next he's cautiously optimistic (and rightfully so) of a new one. On 'PROM,' the one predominant theme is that of awkward adolescence and the troubles naivety can get you, especially in Chicago where problems can arise anywhere. Part two, 'KING,' takes an especially dark and personal turn, after the most violent gesture in 'PROM' was that of a knife being held to one's neck. What unfolds is a panicked rise to one's untimely death, in this case Saba's cousin and collaborative rapper John Walt. Below Saba bellows a Free Jazz freakout as the multiple strains in his life come crashing together, culminating in fiery release. This, followed by the bitterest of ironies; John Walt himself singing "just another day in the ghetto, I just hope I make it to tomorrow."
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Loved checking out these recommendations, keep at it!
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