Tag: Overload

Sparkz – “Overload” review

Manchester, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sparkz dropping his 4th extended play under High Focus Records. 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 dropping Overload following the Angle trilogy of EPs in preparation of his own debut album.

“Buzzin’” kicks it all off with self-produced boom bap intro reminiscent of Yasiin Bey or A Tribe Called Quest talking about doing his thing whereas the 2nd & final single “Mean It” doesn’t shy away of keeping it sincere with his words. The title track & lead single blends boom bap with grime putting his lyrical proficiency in the limelight & after “Kidda” goes a little hardcore pulling shit out the basement to show audiences what the deal is, “Quit” blends wonky & boom bap to end the EP suggesting people to give up whatever they’re trying for.

Testifying to the years Sparkz has spent honing his wide range of talents from the mic to behind the boards, his inaugural solo release brings the heat with this 5-pack of unforgettable bangers that’re guaranteed to brighten up even the dreariest of places. High Focus brings him on board the label’s roster giving him a new sense of creative freedom, exemplified by his production sounding a bit wonkier unlike everything he’s done previously matched with the buoyant flows & sharp penmanship.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Georgia Anne Muldrow – “Overload” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, rapper & producer Georgia Anne Muldrow. Self-producing her 2006 debut album Olesi: Fragments of an Earth under Stones Throw Records, the sophomore effort Umsindo was as positively received although Early alongside King’s Ballad & Owed to Mama Rickie’s reception were generally lukewarm. Seeds produced by Madlib however would become the most revered entry in her whole discography, coming off Oligarchy Sucks! & A Thoughtiverse Unmarred to make her Brainfeeder Records debut with Overload.

After the “I.O.T.A. (Instrument Of The Ancestors)” intro, the first song “Play It Up” advises the star that guides & leads her through not to worry about the haters whereas the title track blends contemporary R&B with hip hop & trap thanks to Mike & Keys and DJ Khalil confessing that she’s been overwhelmed by work lately. “Blam” goes for a neo-soul vibe singing about picking up a gun & pulling the trigger out of self defense leading into the “Williehook” skit.

“Aerosol” embraces a psychedelic soul sound describing finding beauty within your average urban neighborhood while “Vital Transformation” sings about all of us being meant to evolve. “You Can Always Count on Me” kicks off the 2nd half uniquely covering a song off The Gap Band’s eponymous 3rd album just before “These Are the Things I Really Like About You” featuring Declaime finds the 2 joining forces so they can tell each other what they enjoy the most regarding one another.

The track “Canadian Hillbilly” pushes towards Overload’s conclusion singing about her husband always being by her side no matter what life throws at her while the jazz-infused “Conmigo” pleads for those listening to cherish everyone that we keep close to our hearts. And prior to the “Ciao” outro, “Bobbie’s Dittie” spends the last 4 & a half minutes experimenting with jazz fusion singing about how fake the bruise we take from love is once we’ve awoken.

Seeds remains my favorite album of Georgia Anne Muldrow’s with Olesi: Fragments of an Earth, but Overload comfortably places itself behind the latter amongst her most celebrated material & vindicates every reason why Flying Lotus signed her to Brainfeeder. The production’s more on the neo-soul, alternative R&B, synth-funk & psychedelic soul side of things rather than continuing to emphasize the predecessor’s heavy boom bap/conscious hip hop influences & she’s thematically healing from the pain society has caused.

Score: 4/5