this was originally going to be a post in the new 2009 albums thread, but as usual when i start writing things (especially when reviewing), it got more and more out of hand as i started to articulate my thoughts until it reached a point where it might as well have been it's own thread, and now it is. enjoy.
Ratface - Enough Ratface
this man is a lanky bristolian "hip hop" artist, and he is fucking amazing. Enough Ratface, his third album following his debut "..On Ice!" and the follow up "Down With Ratface", does alot of new things musically, even if the lyrics are the same kind of thing seen in his previous work, which is a very british attempt at hip hop thats endearing and ridiculous enough that you can enjoy it without feeling like a dick (expect alot of crusty wankers, cans of 'tizer, and references to british weather).
the opener, "ratface got soul", experiments with some wailing saxophones and some other stuff going on behind ratface's drawling about getting drunk on the streets of bristol, and it all comes together in a totally unique sound that's really unlike anything else i could liken it to. as it all quickly builds and ratface starts his trademark vocals, there's clapping, drums, and tooty recorders, and an unbearable sense of rhythm. this is clearly a man who knows what he's doing.
as an aside while i'm on the topic, i think jazz makes amazing music when it's brought out of it's comfort zone a bit, and mixed with other genres. mouse on the keys is another good example of this, and if anyone has any other recommendations i would totally love to hear them.
back to the album, tracks like "the month that tried to kill me" and "banshee and boxer shorts" are a throwback to ratface's bounce along live persona that his debut album solidified, but the highlights of the album are those that do something different, like the off beat rhythms and synthy keyboards of "goodbye blue mondays" and the surprising closer "f this an f that", which features some actually rather lovely strings contrasted against lyrics which, as the title implies, mainly consist of ratface fucking everything from the credit crunch to the environment to shoes with holes in the bottom (and when i say fucking i mean as in "fuck this sandwich, its terrible" not "im going to fuck this sandwich"). the end result of all this is a fantastic track that lightheartedly touches on some serious issues and makes a strong point for Ratface's growth as an artist, all the while ensuring that the lasting impression of Enough Ratface is far more significant than previous efforts.
this isn't "hip hop" like you know it (i feel like just by defining it that way im turning off a lot of people, but really this doesn't fall easily into a genre), and anyone willing to give something abit different a try will really enjoy this.
Ratface - Enough Ratface
this man is a lanky bristolian "hip hop" artist, and he is fucking amazing. Enough Ratface, his third album following his debut "..On Ice!" and the follow up "Down With Ratface", does alot of new things musically, even if the lyrics are the same kind of thing seen in his previous work, which is a very british attempt at hip hop thats endearing and ridiculous enough that you can enjoy it without feeling like a dick (expect alot of crusty wankers, cans of 'tizer, and references to british weather).
the opener, "ratface got soul", experiments with some wailing saxophones and some other stuff going on behind ratface's drawling about getting drunk on the streets of bristol, and it all comes together in a totally unique sound that's really unlike anything else i could liken it to. as it all quickly builds and ratface starts his trademark vocals, there's clapping, drums, and tooty recorders, and an unbearable sense of rhythm. this is clearly a man who knows what he's doing.
as an aside while i'm on the topic, i think jazz makes amazing music when it's brought out of it's comfort zone a bit, and mixed with other genres. mouse on the keys is another good example of this, and if anyone has any other recommendations i would totally love to hear them.
back to the album, tracks like "the month that tried to kill me" and "banshee and boxer shorts" are a throwback to ratface's bounce along live persona that his debut album solidified, but the highlights of the album are those that do something different, like the off beat rhythms and synthy keyboards of "goodbye blue mondays" and the surprising closer "f this an f that", which features some actually rather lovely strings contrasted against lyrics which, as the title implies, mainly consist of ratface fucking everything from the credit crunch to the environment to shoes with holes in the bottom (and when i say fucking i mean as in "fuck this sandwich, its terrible" not "im going to fuck this sandwich"). the end result of all this is a fantastic track that lightheartedly touches on some serious issues and makes a strong point for Ratface's growth as an artist, all the while ensuring that the lasting impression of Enough Ratface is far more significant than previous efforts.
this isn't "hip hop" like you know it (i feel like just by defining it that way im turning off a lot of people, but really this doesn't fall easily into a genre), and anyone willing to give something abit different a try will really enjoy this.