Verb T – “To Love a Phantom” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verb T running it back with Vic Grimes for his 14th studio LP under High Focus Records. Most notable for being a member of The 4 Owls, he’s also been carving a path of his own for nearly 2 decades putting out over a dozen LPs & 8 EPs in that span of time. I didn’t care for Restoration as much as The Tower Where the Phantom Lives & the same can be said regarding both Homer Loan & it’s sequel, hoping To Love a Phantom would continue the momentum of it’s predecessor ahead of Jay Joshua becoming the new RPW British Heavyweight Champion along with the longest reigning RPW British Women’s Champion ending the current champion Mercedes Moné’s reign & Joe Lando being crowned the new RPW British Cruiserweight Champion respectively this past week.

We get a somber boom bap instrumental all over the intro “Through the Wall” talking about moving more cautiously whereas “Introvert” describes a man who consistently lies with a straight because the facts are hysterical. “Illusion of Self” featuring BVA & Farma G brings the trio together so they can talk about the very thing they’ve seen many people fall victim to just before “Absorbing Imagery” captures pieces of his soul within the screen of this machine he’s lost in.

“Distraction” brings a bit of a funkier vibe to the beat making his opponents fall backwards after zapping their energy leading into “See the Truth” featuring Leaf Dog goes for a boom bap vibe once again hoping that everybody listening has all of their doubts erased & becomes proud of who they genuinely are. “Change” featuring Verbz stays in the basement instrumentally refusing to freeze when the pressure hits while “Motivation, Pt. 2” featuring Karizz finds the pair asking what their motives are.

Nearing the end of the 1st half, “Alien Concept” talks about having to shake things up to create a distance from a group of people whose conscious has been invaded by a foreign idea while the vibraphone-inflicted “No Expression” featuring Scorzayzee & Teach Em discusses their expressionlessly deadly statures. “Adrenaline” featuring Beano hops over some horns to talk about feelin’ like their hearts have been displaced while “Suspense & Tension” featuring Harry Shotta & Jah Digga describes a situation overcome with those 2 emotions.

“To Kill a Phantom” begins the 2nd act with a funkier beat talking about a ghost-hunting woman who stays stalkin’ on the ghost train while “Not There” speaks of his presence being felt even when he isn’t around at all. “Anti-Stress” talks about building himself up from ruins & not letting anyone tell him he can’t do it while “1,000 Features 2” fully colors the sketch of dreams he’s been drawing, only for his sorrow to be interrupted by the thought of his squad’s gratitude.

Vic hooks up some jazzy pianos during “Swerve a Lot” talking about being way too avoidant lately only for a switch-up to occur midway through while the laidback “By Myself” describes what it’s like whenever he’s alone. “Minimal” featuring Truemendous talks about both of them trying to take a more scarce approach to their lifestyles while “Don’t Waste Time Rushing” featuring Jayahadadream tackles the idea of making every minute count.

“Prior to Existence” smoothly advises the crowd of people whose souls have been crushed to say whatever they want as long as one learns to control their own noise after “Bring It All Together returns to the boom bap with some horns talking about combining fractured pieces, “Late to School” featuring Donkobz swaps out the horns in favor strings breaking down a gravitational pull they experienced that forced them to make a move.

The song “Rejuvenate” featuring Fliptrix starts To Love a Phantom’s final moments fusing jazz rap & boom bap talking about healing through the body, mind & soul while “Everything” featuring Isaiah Dreads explains that things around us were always meant to be connected. “Phantom Laugh” finishes up Verb’s best offering in a couple years trying to figure out if the echoing laughs of a ghost are actually a memory haunting him & the only thing he learned was to never conform.

Noticeably more ambitious than The Tower Where the Phantom Lives was a couple years earlier, Verb T bounces back from Restoration & both installments of the Homer Loan series’ averageness with a sequel to his greatest 2020s offering for an adventurous double full-length. Blurring the everyday with the supernatural conceptually, the cast of UK underground guests including the other 3 members of The 4 Owls all add their own distinctive flare to the wider narrative & Vic Grimes’ production marks a huge improvement over Verb’s recent extended plays.

Score: 4/5

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Verbz – “The Way FWD” review

Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verbz reuniting with Brighton, East Sussex producer Mr. Slipz for his 3rd studio LP. Introducing themselves in 2017 off the full-length debut Lessons of Adolescence, he would later put out the debut mixtape Pathways & make his High Focus Records debut with the sophomore effort Radio Waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming off The Low as well as Where It Started & more recently In Time this past spring, he & Slipz have decided to lead The Way FWD in celebration of the current TNA X Division Champion Leon Slater’s birthday weekend.

The title track opens by hooking up a boom bap instrumental with a string sample talking about facing facts in a matter of time comes whereas “Seen a Lot of Change” featuring Cam Thomas takes the boom bap route reflecting on seeing a lot of things in this game not being what it used to be compared to when they started. “Mémoires de Perte” keeps things dusty talking about the realizations he’s experienced in the midst of life moving rather quickly just before “What You Reckon?” speaks of having nothing to lose & everything to gain.

“Switch Lanes” blends these pianos chords with some kicks & snares talking about him accelerating at a different pace in contrast to everybody else leading into “S.O.T.S.” ruggedly explaining that he ain’t stumbling because it’s only up from hereon out the way he looks at it. “Each Hurdle” featuring Cappo talks about how both of them used to go around in circles & time running out for what it’s worth while “Keep On” dustily remains confident of getting what’s his.

Starting the 3rd & final act, “Got It Myself” shifts towards a spookier boom bap vibe talking about carrying around the ghost of his younger self while “It’s Raining Again” comes through with a downtrodden sequel to “The Rain” off Radio Waves advising the world to stay where it shines. “Turn the Page” maintains the raw instrumentation talking about searching for a better tomorrow & his intuition telling him brighter days are ahead while the outro “Came Close” raises a toast to everything he never did that he was on the verge of doing.

Paying respect to the sample-driven boom bap soundscapes & introspective lyricism that’ve been synonymous with Verbz & Mr. Slipz’ output for almost a decade, The Way FWD basically recapturing the aura of Radio Waves except they’re taking the classic feeling of their earlier material & pushing it forward a month after Sha Samuels became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion. The production’s a lot rawer than it was 5 years ago & a lot has changed in regards to Verbz’ style of songwriting, prioritizing evolution as we get ready to start the 2nd half of the 2020s in only a few months.

Score: 4/5

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Dabbla – “BLOTS” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Dabbla teaming up with local producer Ghosttown for his 2nd solo EP. Both of whom formed the Dead Players alongside Jam Baxter until Dabbla made his solo debut in 2016 off Year of the Monkey followed by the debut mixtape Chapsville under High Focus Records & the sophomore effort Death Moves respectively. Coming off Nobody as well as Bad Tuesday & G.W.O.A.T. (Greatest Wanker Of All-Time), it was intriguing to hear the LDZ & Problem Child member returning to High Focus with Ghosttown by his side throughout the duration of BLOTS ahead of Nino Bryant becoming the new RPW British Cruiserweight Champion this weekend.

“Shoosh” opens with what’s easily my favorite track here from the bassy trap beat to the rapid-fire flow & lyrics about being UK hip hop royalty whereas the 3rd & final single “Paper Boats” featuring PAV4N links the pair up to flex leveling up on some next shit. The 2nd single “Karate Good” featuring Dubbledge goes for a boom bap vibe instrumentally having both of them wishing a muhfucka would just before the lead single “Bang” featuring Tis Zombie spits that gun talk pulling from trap once again.

Succeeding the “My Guy” interlude, “Uh Oh” begins the 2nd half of BLOTS fusing trap & jazz rap explaining that the true meaning of boredom is when one’s lacking inner resources while “Yadda Yadda Yadda” featuring Smuj joins forces to talk about hearing a whole lotta bullshit out these people’s mouths. The closer “Nonsense” sends off the EP with him over a woodwind so he can take aim at those speaking in balderdash.

Chapsville still remains my favorite solo project Dabbla has ever made almost a decade later so when I heard Ghosttown was fully producing BLOTS, I was hoping for it would surpass Bad Tuesday in becoming the most celebrated extended play of the 2 we’ve gotten from him & I certainly did it enjoy it more than it’s 2022 predecessor by only a slight margin. My criticisms of this EP lie more with them overloading it with guest appearances for nearly every son, but I can respect Ghosttown’s chaotic trap production & Dabbz recapturing the spirit of his LDZ days.

Score: 3/5

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Harry Shotta – “Odyssey” review

Essex, England, United Kingdom emcee Harry Shotta of SaSaSaS signing to High Focus Records for his 5th solo LP. Making his solo debut in 2010 off 8 Days a Week followed by the debut EP Xtravagence & debut mixtape 12 Months, he would go on to follow those up with Back 4 More as well as It’s Showtime & Screaming at the Skies until having Erb n Dub & Xyphon producing Spanner in the Works & Year of the Lyricist respectively. Possessed by the DNB came in the summer of 2020, making his debut for High Focus to embark on an Odyssey following the death of Skibadee.

After the intro, “Put My Feet Up” starts off jumping over a sample-driven boom bap instrumental from King Kashmere talking about feeling like his younger self in the booth whereas the lead single “It Wasn’t Easy” produced by Leaf Dog discusses being a product of hip hop culture. “Final Results” featuring Grafh joins forces to dismantle any opposition over a Farma G beat sampling a piano just before “Different Fabric” talks about the type of cloth he was cut from with Wundrop behind the boards.

MC Spyda & P Money both join Harry for the bass heavy 3rd & final single “Imposter” airing out those who be cappin’ in their lyrics leading into “Bad Boy Sound” featuring Eksman & Shabba D embraces a jungle drum & bass sound thanks to Telemachus homaging that popular style emerging out of the UK rave scene. “Labor of Love” featuring Scrufizzer talks about what this music shit mean to the both of them while the drum & bass “Motion Picture” compares his scriptures to movies.

“Stay Defiant” ends the 1st half of this audio Odyssey instrumentally taking it’s cues from the grime scene while the 2nd single “Legendary” featuring Fliptrix & Verb T comes together over a soulful Illinformed beat talking about their respective legacies. “Wild Bunch” featuring Leaf Dog asking for everyone to put their hands in the sky although it ain’t a robbery while “Chasing a Buzz” returns to the boom bap talking about becoming a better version of himself after sobering up & firing back in the midst of the world becoming colder.

As for “New Breed”, we have Harry over this uncanny trap instrumental showing an eagerness of raising the bar & switching things up while grim-influenced “Overthinking” talks about the requirement of finding peace if one truly wants to get to the end of their journey. “Lazy Days” brings the kicks & snares back in full gear celebrating a fun evening out prior to Pitch 92 jumping behind the boards for “You Deserve It”, endearingly gives his flowers to his wife ahead of a whole decade being married coming up later this summer.

“Breathing Under Water” starts Odyssey’s final moments with a chipmunk soul beat talking about hiding out of fear while “Salute” dustily pens a passionate love letter to hip hop itself. The title track combines cloud rap with drum & bass talking about life changing since nothing stays the same while the closer “No Competition” featuring Westman sends off the full-length shrugging off the haters who keep both of them rent free inside their heads.

Taking it back to his roots in the wake of Skibadee’s passing, Harry Shotta’s introduction as part of the High Focus Records roster surpasses everything he’s done by himself within the last decade plus breaking down his adventures in music & the significance hip hop has had in every chapter of his life. The production’s more innovative compared to what the label normally puts out from going from grime to jungle, drum & bass, boom bap and chipmunk soul for an reflective Odyssey themed around Harry’s life both artistically & personally.

Score: 4/5

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Ramson Badbonez – “White Rabbit” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Ramson Badbonez teaming up with Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog for his 15th studio LP. An underwing of the Task Force, he would eventually sign to High Focus Records in 2013 making his debut for the label with A Year in the Life of Oscar the Slouch that same winter. Hypnodic, Jason Bonez, Mic Day the 13th, Death Mask & Fusion would all come out under the Hove, East Sussex imprint with White Rabbit now becoming the 7th raising my expectations with Leaf’s heavy involvement.

After the “Nothing Stops Him” intro, the first song “Hijack” is this sample-driven boom bap opener letting y’all know what he’s all about whereas “The Great” maintains a boom bap edge working in these horns boasting his lyrical technicality. “More 4 Less” featuring Smellington Piff instrumentally kinda reminds me of Mobb Deep talking about them being lyrically gifted until he looks back on getting called upon to take the “Dirt Road” to get where he is currently sampling a piano.

“Rabbit Hole” featuring mysdiggi finds the pair tryna open everyone’s heads in the midst of them getting deeply involved musically just before “Stolen Scrolls” gets back on the orchestral boom bap tip calling himself a professional dread expressionist with a vengeance list. “Try Not to Judge” featuring Verbz soulfully discusses their judgmental free tendencies, but then “Upside Down” featuring Cymarshall Law talks about the current state of the world.

As for “Loop Holes”, we have Badbonez over another piano-boom bap instrumental kicking hardcore lyricism for a few minutes while “Soul Searching” featuring Phoenix da Icefire talking about them being the butterfly effect that emerged from the chrysalis. “Can’t Give Up” soulfully gets on the motivational side lyrically & ahead of closing out with a “Wondaland” sequel, “Strike” featuring The 4 Owls gives a taste of what’s to come from the quartet’s upcoming 4th album.

Marrying his street poetry with the macabre at every turn, White Rabbit is a potent reminder of Badbonez at his lucid best & searches out the truth in the music he makes. Leaf Dog’s production provides a pitch-perfect soundtrack for Badbonez to showcase his full arsenal of multi-syllable flows, punchlines & infectious hooks as he adventures further down the rabbit hole.

Score: 4/5

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Farma G – “To Kill a Butterfly” review

Farma G is a 40 year old MC/producer from London, England, United Kingdom known for being a member of the Mud Family collective & 1/2 of the Task Force alongside his brother Chester P. He would go on to produce for several big names within the underground from Rome Streetz to Vinnie Paz & the latter’s Heavy Metal Kings cohort Ill Bill. However after signing to High Focus Records as a solo artist, he’s ready to show the world what he’s capable of doing on the mic & dropping a full-length solo debut a month after Michael Oku became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion.

“Cats & Dogs” begins with a cumbersome beat referring to the titular idiom used when it’s raining really hard just before “Bearskin Coats” shifts towards a boom bap direction so he can liken himself to a walking killer carrying a harpoon. The self-produced “Junkyard” sticks out to me as a favorite of mine from the overall mafioso vibe to the lyrics detailing the kind of business you can’t get out of once you’re in while “Say How You See It” speaks of calling things the way they are.

Moving on from there, “Classic Tech” instrumentally somewhat reminds me of Griselda’s late 2010s output talking about a bad moon rising & a new sun’s quest to take it’s 1st breath leading into “Here Come the Gods” works in a gritty piano flip to explain that he was born to rock clubs. “Peet” samples an organ so he can a couple minutes to remember his late father while “In Between the Lines” talks about how he feels trapped whenever he’s writing songs.

“Found That Funny” laughs at rappers who only have money on their minds while “Angels” talks about hearing messengers of God speaking to him. “Me Oh My” dustily offers an easy listening experience for the drug dealers & their victims while “Goat Shit” featuring Jehst finds the 2 over a woodwind instrumental talking about ranking amongst the greats. “The Start & End” finishes up the LP by jumping over a drumless loop suggesting death runs the numbers until our time comes.

Hanging up the mic in 2013 following the completion of the Task Force’s 6th & final album Music from the Corner 5 so he could focus more on his production skills, To Kill a Butterfly thematically connects itself to Farma G’s origins as part of the Mud Family duo he & his younger sibling formed 3 decades ago officially closing that chapter of his life & beginning anew. I understand him only producing a few cuts so he can let his pen shine, but I’d love to hopefully hear the guy fully produce a future sophomore effort all by himself now that his solo career’s begun.

Score: 3.5/5

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Sparkz – “Full Circle” review

Highly anticipated debut album from Manchester, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sparkz. A member of the LEVELZ collective & co-fronting The Mouse Outfit, he would later make appearances on projects like Verb T’s 8th album Good Evening & Pitch 92’s debut EP Lost in Space until Fliptrix signed Sparkz to his historic Hove, East Sussex underground imprint High Focus Records dropping the self-produced Overload following the Angle trilogy of EPs in preparation of Full Circle.

After the intro, the heavenly boom bap flavored title track talks about what goes around coming around in this world whereas the 2nd single “Start & Show” combines these luxurious piano chords with kicks & snares calling for the attention of all advising those offended to cry him a river. “Never” goes for a funkier vibe talking about not having to step back just before the smooth “Overnight” featuring Coops marks my favorite guest appearance of the 3 discussing their souls staying aligned.

“Got This” works in some more piano-driven boom bap instrumentation for a lead single talking about staying in the game now that he’s no longer sitting on the bench leading into the dustily summery “Supposed to Be” speaks of this breather he’s been looking for making time move slowly for him. The 3rd & final single “Genius” blends jazz rap & boom bap together for an aggressive look at his witty penmanship while “Can’t Limit” featuring oskarcw0 talks about the blessin’ of big steppin’ over keys, kicks & snares.

Starting the LP’s final leg, “Glass House” opens up regarding him losing money & eventually getting it bag while “Team Set” featuring Voodoo Black comes together to fire 3 hardcore verses over a fusion between boom bap & lo-fi hip hop. “Say” instrumentally honors the late J Dilla’s legacy telling people to spew whatever they want about him & after “Where We At” talks about cherishing memories with every act, “Got Me Here” soulfully ends with Sparkz looking to leave the whole scene shook.

Introducing himself as a solo artist by putting his dexterity in the limelight with the Overloadextended play, I can’t complain that Pitch 92 fully produced Full Circle because it was really a matter of time given his & Sparkz’ history apart of The Mouse Outfit for over a decade already. A few guests join the latter during a few instances contrasting Overload having no features at all, made up for by Pitch 92’s buttery production & Sparkz’ confidence balancing elements of the timeless & new.

Score: 4/5

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Vitamin G – “Prophet of Doom” review

Here we have the official solo debut album from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Vitamin G. Known for being 1/3 of CMPND alongside Kemastry & Wundrop, he would also comprise 1/2 of the duo Illitamin G with Illiterate & made their debut in the spring of 2019. Establishing himself as an MC of his own in February a couple years later with the Isolean in Quarentation extended play, I was more interested in the fact Mr. Slipz was fully producing Prophet of Doom under High Focus Records.

After the “Wid the Snippets” intro, the title track comes out swinging with a gully boom bap instrumental talking about being an unstoppable force whereas “High Scores” works in a Middle Eastern sample advising to stay conditioned since the place he’s at can make that kind of switch if they wanted to. “Hailstorm” has a cloudier boom bap vibe flexing he only puts his hands together when he sneezes or beatboxes while “5th Dimension” featuring Pique Roscoe joins forces for a decent hardcore hip hop track.

“Never Lost It” brings a somber boom bap vibe to the table talking about how he hasn’t lost a step unless his head’s gone enraged just before the downtrodden “Vulnerable Youngens” featuring Kieran dedicates itself to all the children in the world having it rough in life. “From the Drop” reaches Prophet of Doom’s halfway point talking about making this shit look easy while “Bleeding the Steeze” kicks off the 2nd act dustily boasts he’ll get on the grind despite not being a skater.

Bil Next joins G on “Boiling Point” instrumentally keeping things in the basement & talking about them fitting the description of fulfilling a quota while “Shelly Ann” featuring Tommy Mila & Wates after the “Get to the Shubz” skit brings the trio together to discuss repping their brands. Farma G& Jehst both drop some of my favorite guest verses during “The Internet”, where they talk about being fine where they are presently because they each have everything they need.

“Struggling to Swim” begins Prophet of Doom’s last let coming to terms with everything being what it is whether some pissing in the wind & others sinking into an abyss while the cavernously raw “Not Speaking” talking about being in the corner without saying a word. Possi’o” featuring Axel Holy, Sk!nt, Shogun & Verbz brings the quintet together staying the same as they were when everyone was younger while “The End” concludes by talking about his flammable penmanship.

This guy’s multi-syllable rhyme schemes have always been a distinctive attribute to the warm feedback both of CMPND’s full-lengths received, but I unfortunately found myself a little torn with the Prophet of Doom’s outcome especially considering all 4 singles were highly enjoyable. There are absolutely no issues with Mr. Slipz’ production & the same can be said regarding Vitamin G’s lyrics, I just feel like they went harder with the guests than they should’ve rounding up almost a dozen of them throughout his inaugural LP.

Score: 3/5

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Dead Players – “Faster Than the Speed of Death” review

The Dead Players are a hip hop trio from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of producer Ghosttown alongside emcees Dabbla & Jam Baxter. Making their eponymous full-length debut in the summer of 2013 under High Focus Records, they would later follow it up in the fall of 2015 with a sophomore effort called Freshly Skeletal until they embarked on an indefinite hiatus. They’ve surprisingly decided to reunite 1 last time for their 3rd & most likely final studio LP a few weeks away from former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座, EVOLVE Champion, 2-time 新日本プロレス世界認定TV王座, 3-time IWGPタッグ王座, PWG World Champion, 2-time GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグ王座, 4-time RPW British Heayweight Champion & 3-time RPW British Tag Team Champion Zack Sabre Jr. facing the current 2-time IWGP世界ヘビー級王座内藤哲也.

“The Sooner We Die, the Sooner We Can All Go Home” begins with a sample-driven trap intro talking about what they’ve been up to since we’ve heard from them last whereas “Alaska Spearfishing” embraces a back-&-forth style of delivery wittily trading 8 bars with one another. “Just Above Water” talks about their ability to not let their struggles weigh them down while “Refried Nights” promises to stay weird throughout this final year of activity.

As for “Dustbowl”, we have Ghosttown going for a more somber vibe instrumentally so Dabbla & Jam Baxter can advise to never split your winnings with a thief leading into the 2-parter “Major Curse / Icepick” starting boisterously until hooking up a woodwind during the beat switch talking about coming back so they can crush some cities & switch it up again. “Bloodsuckers” however puts their chemistry in the spotlight once again to finish off the 1st half asking how those kind of people feel.

“Welcome Back Oh Cruel, Cruel Behemoth” kicks off the last leg of their coda sampling some violins & mixing it with some hi-hats talking about death not really being all that convincing to them while the 2nd single “Death by 1,000 Cocktail Sticks” speaks of the 1st life always being free of charge, hence why they’re living theirs quickly. The 3rd & penultimate single “Gasoline Sazerac” on the other hand advises to do your thing regardless of the world getting sapped of all meaning.

The lead single “Cherry Turbo” dropped 14 months earlier as a way of celebrating 10 whole years Players’ foundation going back-&-forth with each other without the need of a hook while “Neon Soup” talks about their thumbs ringing when they’re high whilst their lives flash in their faces. “Blue Crab Linguine in the Frosty Underworld” bittersweetly wraps up the album asking if everything sorted itself out the way they hoped.

Celebrating their evolution & staying true to the previous iterations of themselves, what could very well likely be the last time the Dead Players get back together sounds a lot more trap-oriented than self-titled & Freshly Skeletal were in earlier 2010s maintaining the signature abstractly hardcore lyricism that’s always made them stood out. Living up where the predecessor left off thematically, Faster Than the Speed of Death gives a peek at where the trio is now in their lives as they look back at their old selves along the way. Can’t forget to compliment Telemachus’ engineering either.

Score: 4/5

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Fliptrix – “Dragonfly” review

Brighton, England, United Kingdom emcee Fliptrix teaming up with the Leigh Brothers consisting of Illinformed & Leaf Dog to have them produce his 11th solo LP. The founder of High Focus Records as well as a member of The 4 Owls, he made his debut in 2007 off Force Fed Imagery followed by Theory of Rhyme and later 3rd Eye of the Storm & The Road to the Interdimensional Piff Highway. Out the Box & Polyhymnia both came couple years later as did Patterns of Escapism & Inexhale, but is coming off Light Work & Mantra #9 to unleash the Dragonfly less than a couple weeks away from 白川未奈& Luke Jacobs becoming the new RPW British Women’s Champion & RPW British Heavyweight Champion respectively.

“Striving” starts by stripping the drums completely hooking up a bare orchestral loop forever making great efforts to achieve or obtain more whereas “Forever” has a bit of a soulful boom bap flare instrumentally talking about having springs in their steps representing that. The acoustic “Keep Going On” wants to know if they can continue to go on with their lives since they’re unsure of it, but then “Dragonfly Steeze” works the kicks & snares back in flexing his titular style.

Moving on from there, “See it in the Clouds” delivers a cloudier boom bap flare forecasting rain that’ll be coming down feeling it in his bones leading into “Make It Rain” hopping over a soul sample for a minute discussing the importance of rain itself. “Funky Microphone” blends a piano with kicks & snares getting hardcore lyrically just before the jazzy “Cosmic Scenes” assuring that the sweet sound of birds can be heard though sirens.

“Spooky Times” maintains the jazz influence crossing it over with boom bap to talk about how nice it is to let the beauty rise sometimes while “The Glow” keeps it raw so everyone listening is able to feel the sunshine. “Paradoxical” has a darker atmosphere to the beat coming to heal you while the flute-heavy “Making Waves” talks being on madness these days. “Grapevine” maintains the instrumental vibes from previously feeling happy & sad simultaneously while the title track jazzily ends the album showing unconditional love to his family.

A series of life-changing events compelled Fliptrix to hole up in the studio to capture the true essence of his recent experiences in real time, resulting in his most alive offering to date with the handbrake fully off as well as emotions & energies dialed up to 11. Each unpacking a tumultuous year which included the birth of his daughter & unexpected passing of his father who played in a 70s rock band that Dragonfly is named after, all this while navigating the ever-shifting music scene he has championed for so long.

Score: 4/5

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