Aesop Rock – “Black Hole Superette” review

Here we have the 11th studio LP from New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd album with Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop had made himself home with for over a decade at this point. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, returning for a trip to the Black Hole Superette.

“Secret Knock” opens up shop with a quirky & futuristic self-produced instrumental advising to walk with him & opting to not go on any signal taking it in his own hands whereas “Checkers” works in elements of abstract conscious subject matter, space ambient, boom bap & illbient that made for a promising lead single. “Movie Nights” turns up the boom bap influences even more talking about his blue eyed dog & his cat prior to the synth-driven “EWR – Terminal A, Gate 20” explaining that vandals are unordinary now.

Armand Hammer teams up with Aesop on the collab “1010WINS” taking their consciously abstract pens to newer grounds with one another over a rap rock/boom bap hybrid while “So Be It” featuring Open Mike Eagle finds the 2 advising to not look down, sitting still & letting things fall. “Send Help” takes a jazzier boom bap approach to his sound & going nerdcore at the same time just before “John Something” brings lounge music in the fold recalling a man named John he met 3 decades ago referencing WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali.

“Ice Sold Here” intricately describes how cold he is in many different ways while the funky “Costco” talks about the chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores operated by the multinational corporation. “Bird School” puts a cloudy spin on boom bap boasting his witchcraft pops up in the Atmos & everyone else’s taking practice, but then “Snail 0” wants to know what the fuck he’s supposed to do with this bagful of snails he has.

Lice gets together with Lupe Fiasco on “Charlie Horse” warning that everyone in their path should stay as clear from the streets as they possibly can while “Steel Wool” reflects on going from pairing cereals & cartoons back in the 80s to panicking in a war room turning up the quirky boom bap vibes. “Black Plums” tackles the theme of gardening admiring the way his fruit is getting fatter each summer & becoming a minute quantity of matter while “The Red Phone” talks about being the keeper of the keys.

“Himalayan Yak Chew” pushes further down the last 10 minutes or so of the album describing fish jumping in his boat whenever he pushes off of the dock without even getting a single duck in a row in addition to having a horse in the way when he gets his car without having 1 in the race & “Unbelievable Shenanigans” featuring Hanni El Khatib on the outro recalls a hamster he had almost 4 decades ago named Elizabeth as well as talking about the universe nothing if not silver lining stuffed into compartments.

Delving into the invisible forces that shape our lives & psyches, Black Hole Superette will become amongst Aesop Rock’s most technically accomplished bodies of work in his entire discography. The experimentally complex structures of his beats drawing further inspiration from space ambient, boom bap, jazz rap, rap rock & illbient attribute to that as much as his consciously abstract & occasionally nerdy lyrics portrayed from the perspective of a mad scientist seeing bigger picture of the small moments in our lives that wind up overlooked.

Score: 4.5/5

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billy woods – “GOLLIWOG” review

Washington, D.C.’s very own billy woods making his Rhymesayers Entertainment debut with his 13th studio LP. Whether you know him for teaming up with Elucid as the duo Armand Hammer or his own solo output like History Will Absolve Me & Dour Candy, there’s no denying that he’s been steadily holding it down for the abstract hip hop scene for a minute. 3 years following the Preservation-produced Aethiopes from top to bottom, Rhymesayers has brought him on board for GOLLIWOG.

“Jumpscare” produced by Steel Tipped Dove strips the drums to start us off likening himself to a rag doll playing dead whereas “Star87” turns up the psychedelic vibes thanks to Conductor Williams talking about his phone ringing off the hook tryna find the bodies he hid. “Misery” heavily bases itself around the 1990 film of the same name conceptually with Kenny Segal reuniting behind the boards for him just before “BLK XMAS” featuring Brusier Wolf might hurt R.A.P. Ferreira’s feelings since Sadhugold was involved due to the ongoing beef.

Meanwhile on “Waterproof Mascara”, we have Preservation & Billy throwing it back to the Aethiopes days leading into “Counterclockwise” linking up with one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist for my favorite song here airing out a serpent moving in the opposite direction of him. “Corinthians” featuring Despot brings the pair together to spit streams of consciousness over an El-P beat, but then “Pitchforks & Halos” finds himself where all the time has gone & idiots thinking he was simply rhyming at the last second.

“All These Worlds Are Yours” by Armand Hammer turns up the abstract lyrics over a DJ Haram instrumental while “Maquiladoras” featuring al.divino gets the 2nd half of Golliwog going talking about time always being on their side. “A Doll Fulla Pins” featuring Yolanda Watson likening herself to a doll with a bunch of pins in it while “Golgotha” keeps Messiah Musik in the fold reflecting on a woman he once loved now coming to terms that it was only a fling looking back at it.

Ant from Atmosphere brings a piano-heavy flare to “Cold Sweat” poking fun at the Pistons picking Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh & Dwyane Wade until the conscious lyricism continues during “BLK ZMBY” explaining it’s because of him being very experienced in there being not that many things he doesn’t know from what he understands. “Make No Mistake” hides everything in the rhymes hence why everything needs to be dark when he’s on stage while “Born Alone” breaks down feeling lonely throughout life

The last 2 songs on billy’s official Rhymesayers debut Golliwog are both performed by Armand Hammer using “Lead Paint Test” featuring Cavalier using their childhood homes as a representation of a space haunted by the past & “Dislocated” finishes up the album with both members without any other guest talking about trying to not be found or simply going off the radar completely.

Aethiopes for a few years now has quickly become my favorite billy woods album & his official debut under Rhymesayers Entertainment has already surpassed it similarly to Elucid’s own Fat Possum Records debut Revelator last fall. His conceptually abstract, political/conscious & horror-inspired lyrics are taken from the doll Florence Kate Upton had created centuries earlier & the creatively experimental production points signs towards secondary influences of jazz rap, drumless & sound collage.

Score: 4.5/5

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Kurious – “Majician.” review

Kurious is a 54 year old MC from the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York who originally came up under the moniker Kurious Jorge. He later signed to Columbia Records over 3 decades ago for the underrated full-length debut studio album A Constipated Monkey after shortening the stage name, returning 15 years later for the independently released sophomore effort II followed by a couple EPs: Koncrete Jungle & Monkeyman. For his 3rd LP however, Kurious has interestingly signed a new deal with Rhymesayers Entertainment & the late underground icon MF DOOM overseeing its creation before his untimely passing.

“Unknown Species” starts with this playfully jazzy intro hitting y’all with that funky new shit whereas “Untainted” puts more emphasis on funk music instrumentally talking about how the streets be promoting as much as it’s riddled with crime. “‘Tis the Season” soulfully feels compelled to spit the smartest within reason leading into “Eye of Horus” conveying urgency by weaving a complex tapestry of history & insight the midst of ducking through & under each pocket in the beat.

As for “1984”, we have Kurious over a sample that throws it back to 4 decades prior getting his b-boy bag lyrically just before “Teach & Forgive” brings a dusty boom bap flare to the table talking about everyone bring sinners & referring to the Earth as primal. “Separation Anxiety”, happens to be this a personal bloodletting in the form of lyrical exercise over this raw synth-driven instrumental, but then “Cow’s Eye” hooks up some horns to talk about feeling emptiness in the heart & the stomach burning being part of the game.

“Bacalao Opera” hops over a vocal sample charging it to the fact of protecting one’s inner vision while “Majical Journey” brings the synths back talking about respecting time so that it eventually respects us. “Barry Gibb” keeps the keen ear for sampling on display treating his people as if they’re royalty & “Par for the Course” featuring Mr. Fantastik makes drum breaks from the early Reagan era sound totally revitalized keeping this this thing of theirs crackin’.

The penultimate song “Open” featuring Homeboy Sandman nears the end of Majician. with both MCs on top of this drumless beat wanting to know exactly what the motive is recalling an unpleasant or embarrassing experience in the past that others would rather forget right after the “Majic” interlude, the closer “Come Back” has this symphonic vibe that I enjoy throughout addressing those who want the payoff & never craving chaos.

A mesmerizing blend of technical wizardry & personal introspection, the radical amount of work Kurious put into his Rhymesayers debut cements his place as one of the premier MCs of his time in addition to substantiating the legacy he has long deserved & removing all ambiguity from the question of whether he can stand as one of the premier MCs of his time. Mono En Stereo’s production feels nostalgically reminiscent to DOOM’s material & Kurious himself steps up his lyrics compared to his previous EPs.

Score: 4/5

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Atmosphere – “Talk Talk” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards following up their 13th LP So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. Initially a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast!, they would later go on to build an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly of Sad Clown Bad Dub 9.. But it turns out Atmosphere has some outtakes from the sessions of their latest album & are compiling them into Talk Talk.

“Wetter” starts the EP for all the party people down the electro-trap instrumental whereas “Attachings” works in some synthesizers advising to never change & that everything’s happening whatever that even means. “Rotary Telephone” goes for a funkier approach to the beat so he can think out loud on wax prior to the dance-inspired “Don’t Mind Me” talking about deserving some levity & that everybody gets left behind in the end.

Meanwhile, the futuristic jam “Where I’m / You’re At” asks if anyone’s in the back of the front or the front of the back while the title track is taken straight from the new full-length that Atmosphere put out this spring. “Hear Hear” experiments with trap again saying you need someone here when you got something to hear while the wavy “Hello Pete” featuring Buck 65 & Kool Keith pulls out the receipts on the titular character.

“Make Party Politics” continues to draw near the end of the 2nd body of work from Slug & Ant this year fusing trap with electro music once more detailing that you don’t even know what the Hell you’re looking at & to not hold your breath prior to “Traveling Forever” ending the EP with a calming boom bap instrumental portraying himself is an endless traveler.

So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneouslyevoked the multiversal storytelling that’s recently vaulted into the mainstream consciousness & with this EP that came out of those very sessions, they dart across threads of space-time to grab hold of the one becoming titans of the sounds that was foundational to their youth. Ant’s production is more inspired by the likes of Kraftwerk & The Egyptian Lover so Slug can makes visions of the future from 4 decades ago seem new once again.

Score: 3.5/5

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Aesop Rock – “Integrated Tech Solutions” review

New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock returning for his 10th full-length LP. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd album with Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop had made himself home with for over a decade at this point. But coming off the Blockhead-produced Garbology couple years ago, Aesop’s now offering Integrated Tech Solutions.

After the “ITS Way” intro, the first song & lead single “Mindful Solutionism” is a self-produced industrial nerdcore opener with elements of glitch hop & some humorously abstract consciousness on the lyrical side of things whereas “Infinity Fill Goose Down”musically feels like a bit of a throwback to his early Def Jux days from the experimental noise rap production to the lyrics about always being into something. “Living Curfew” featuring billy woods finds the 2 discussing crystals being in the handle of their hands up to the ember over a fucking crazy sample leading into a brief lesson about “Pigeonometry” with some rap rock undertones to the beat.

“Kyanite Toothpick” blends industrial hip hop with boom bap & trap to declare that he’s on that Mobius shit just before “100 Feet Tall” goes for a quirkier sound talking about not letting any fools or suckas in his circle. “Salt & Pepper Squid” displays an incredibly charismatic flow from Aesop Rock as he flexes how y’all exactly know when he’s made it, but then “Time Moves Differently Here” goes for a spacier feeling instrumentally so he can end the first leg of the album pretty much talking about gluttony.

To start the 2nd half of Integrated Tech Solutions, “Aggressive Steven” fuses rap rock with boom bap & even some soul samples telling the story of the titular character while “Bermuda” keeps it dusty bringing more kicks & snares into the picture talking about flowers being sent to him. “By the River” goes for a jazzier vibe expressing how much he likes rivers while “All City Nerve Map” looks to get out of his own nightmare by himself over a boom bap beat with a blobby loop.

Hail Mary Mallon reunites for the rap rock-infused “Forward Compatibility Engine” letting it be known that this is for the roof dogs only while the “On Failure” interlude mixes more guitar riffs with kicks & snares admitting that he was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh recently. More specifically the Landscape with Snow painting. Getting back to the music: “Solid Gold” goes for more of a hardcore approach acknowledging he’s always looking out while “Vititus” is a luxurious boom bap cut dedicated to his grandmother. “Black Snow” hypnotically ends the album boasting that he got stacks covered by the stove.

Aesop’s output on Rhymesayers throughout these past 7 years have been his most conceptual since Labor Days & he continues to move towards that trajectory on Integrated Tech Solutions because this is the best thing he’s done for the Minnesota indie powerhouse since The Impossible Kid. We are introduced to an organization offering “lifestyle & industry-specific applications designed to curate a desired multi-experience” with his production probably being the leanest & most innovative.

Score: 4.5/5

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Atmosphere – “So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously” review

Atmosphere is a revered underground duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards. Initially a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast!, they would later go on to build an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. Last we heard from them was WORD? a year & a half ago which wasn’t a bad return to form for them considering the mixed reception The Day Before Halloween got for it’s experimentation, but are back again for album #13.

“Okay” is a cheerful opener to the album assuring that everything will work itself out in the end whereas “Eventide” dives into boom bap territory talking about someone pretending not to hear Slug & pulling it off in an insincere manner. “Sterling” has more of a rap rock flare to it this time around admits that he’s running like he’s up against the clock, but then “Dotted Lines” fuses more guitars with kicks & snares talking about being unsure as to what to say to his woman.

Meanwhile, we have Atmosphere diving into funkier turf on “In My Head” encouraging someone to wake him up & check to see if he still has a pulse leading into “Crop Circles” talking about to do whatever it takes to making the same mistakes twice over a crooning beat. “Portrait” returns to the boom bap confessing he’s trying to treat his body like a church these days, but then “It Happened Last Morning” has a more industrial sound to it discussing a panic attack he had on first avenue.

“Thanxiety” makes it known that you gotta stop & try to smell your own accomplishments sometimes over some synthesizers & thumping drum patterns while the 6-minute “September Fool’s Day” talks about how this is more than production & showmanship over a piano instrumental. “Talk Talk” embraces a more electro-funk sound assuring there’s nothing here to fear & to set your secrets free while “Watercolors” has a more stripped-back sound talking about feeling like he’s driven by the sacrifice to suffer from the hunger of composure.

Moving on from there, “Holding My Breath” is a soulful reggae hybrid discussing never feeling alone when I’m alone by himself while “Still Life” keeps it tranquil talking about the whole thing being pretty like a painting even though it’s all coming to an end. “After Tears” by Sa-Roc serves as an interlude with a chipmunk soul instrumental tackling a heartbreak that’s threatening to escalate while “Positive Space” talking about haunting record players.

The penultimate song “Bigger Pictures” gets ready to round out the album with an acoustic guitar accompanied by kicks & snares looking back on his life up to this point but after the “Truth & Nail” interlude, the final song “Sculpting with Fire” psychedelically blurs the lines between self-reflection and derealization. However, the outro & official closer is actually a reprise to the opener “Okay” aptly titled “Alright”.

Of the 3 albums that Slug & Ant have given us since COVID changed the world forever, there’s no doubt in my mind that So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously has to be my favorite of the bunch so far. The production here is more gentle in comparison to all of their previous efforts combined as they present an unnerving excavation of paranoia that can be grafted onto the general malaise of a pandemic weary society full of civil unrest.

Score: 3.5/5

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Black Star – “no fear of time*” review

This is the highly anticipated sophomore album from Brooklyn duo Black Star. Consisting of Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli, the pair started off as childhood friends before dropping their self-titled debut in the fall of ‘98 to universal acclaim. Both parties would go on to have very successful solo careers of their own, but reunited with Madlib in late 2019 when they recorded no fear of time & is finally seeing the light of day thanks to Luminary.

“O.G. (On God)” opens up the album talking about how the real don’t die over a bass-guitar & some strings hanging in the background whereas “So Be It” has somewhat of a rugged quality to the instrumental going at the throats of anyone who wants to step up to them lyrically. “Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd” takes a more soulful route getting romantic just before “My Favorite Band” works in a crooning vocal sample to make a dedication to their favorite group of human beings.

Meanwhile on “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”, we have Yasiin & Kweli on some pianos & dusty drums talking about how automatic they are leading into the entrancing “Yonders” delivering bars like “Real G’s try to stop the violence” as well as how Satan runs everytime they smell him coming. The track “Supreme Alchemy” shoots for a more mellow sound talking about paying tribute & commemorating shortly after while the penultimate song “Freequency” with Black Thought finds the trio over a beat with some jazzy undertones to it repping the few that can sell you their life stories. The title track ends the album by keeping the jazz going talking about floating on.

I didn’t think this album would ever see the light of day, but I’m sure happy as Hell that it did because this is a stellar follow-up to their self-titled debut. Madlib’s production is a bit more abstract in comparison to the duo’s debut, but both of them sound incredibly laser-focused & manage to deliver the conscious hip hop we’ve all come to know & love them for as if it hasn’t been almost 24 years.

Score: 4.5/5

Aesop Rock – “Garbology” review

This is the 9th full-length album from New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. Last we heard from him was Spirit World Field Guide & now with the 1-year anniversary of that coming up over the weekend, long-time collaborator Blockhead is being brought in to produce Garbology from start to finish.

After the “Only Picture” intro, the first song “Jazz Hands” is a cloudy kickoff to the album serving as a “love note to the fuck show” whereas “Wolf Piss” grimly talks about making motherfuckers disappear if they trip the wrong light. “Legerdemain” goes into a more funkier route saying he went home different leading into the tuba, boom bap infused “Difficult” finds him admittedly bugging.

Meanwhile on “All the Smartest People”, we have Aesop over a drumless instrumental telling listeners that the titular type he knows personally are paranoid just before the dusty “Oh Fudge” talks about metaphorically having no bones. “More Cycles” weaves in some synthesizers saying he doesn’t ever blink first, but then “Flamingo Pink” ominously calls out his idols as cons.

Lice reunites for the psychedelic “All Day Breakfast” reminding everyone of how well they mesh with each other whereas “Fizz” groovily talks about a dude being a lame. The song “That’s Not a Wizard” incorporates some pianos speaking on bare-witnessing the second first step while the penultimate track “The Sea” has a more scrubbier vibe talking about how it all falls below. “Abandoned Malls” closes out the album on a more dramatic note talking about the death of his close friend Kurt Hayashi.

Blockhead has produced some of the best songs of Aes’ career, so it was only a matter of time that they came together for an entire album & it’s exactly how I imagined it to be. The whole concept of examining material discarded by a society to see what it really means is well-thought out & as talented as he is behind the boards, it’s nice to see him take it back to basics.

Score: 4.5/5

Atmosphere – “Word?” review

This is the 12th full-length album from renown Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere. Coming up as a trio in the late 90’s off at their critically acclaimed debut Overcast!, they would later go on to build an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. But for the last 3 years now, Slug & Ant have been treating their fans to a new album every year starting out with Mi Vida Local. Now with the 1 year anniversary of The Day Before Halloween coming at the end of the month, Atmosphere is continuing their new tradition by dropping Word?.

“Fleetwood” is a rich boom bap opener saying he’s glad he’s not the same person as he once was whereas “Something” thunderously encourages listeners to get back up when pushed down. Evidence & Muja Messiah both come into the picture for the bass guitar-infused “Crumbs” speaking on their obsessive compulsions, but then “Woes” glisteningly details that you can’t love without misery.

Meanwhile on “Strung”, we have Musab accompanying Atmosphere on top of a melodic vocal sample expressing that they’re feeling tense just before “Clocked” is a misty declaration that time is killing us. “Sleepless” works in some keys & hi-hats as Nino Bless tags along to tackle the theme of insomnia leading into the eerie “Distances” pleads to leave him & his family alone.

“Carousel” mesmerizingly talks about wanting to protect myself from his lover’s sting while “Vanish” is a short yet vibrant & funky little freestyle. “Pressed” serves as a tribal posse cut with Anwar HighSign, Lateef the Truthspeaker & Sa-Roc being amongst the best of the 6 while the song “Skull” hauntingly details a night where he or Ant was supposed to die.

The penultimate track “Nekst” works in some acoustics & handclaps airing out someone he loved ending up betraying him, but then “Barcade” with Aesop Rock & the late MF DOOM ends the album with a complete lyrical annihilation with the Hellish beat fitting into the mix ever so flawlessly.

As much as I liked The Day Before Halloween for it’s experimentations, I think the hardcore fans are gonna dig Word? a bit more. Ant takes it back to the duo’s signature sound & Slug’s lyricism is as lighthearted as it was back in their prime almost 2 decades ago.

Score: 3.5/5

Evidence – “Unlearning” review

Evidence is a 44 year old MC/producer & former graffiti artist from Venice, California coming up in the early 90’s as part of the trio Dilated Peoples alongside Rakaa & DJ Babu. He’s also established himself as a solo artist along the way, dropping his debut album The Weatherman under ABB Records in 2007 & making himself at home with the renown Minneapolis powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment since ‘09. Last time we heard from him was at the beginning of 2018 when he dropped Weather or Not & now after putting out 3 singles throughout this spring, Ev’s making his return by putting out his 4th full-length album.

“Better You” kicks things off as a grimy ode to self improvement with The Alchemist on the boards whereas “Start the Day with a Beat” jumps on a jazzy boom bap instrumental from the weatherman himself to say he’s a rare breed. Ev tells listeners to sink or swim on the guitar-laced “Sharks Smell Blood” courtesy of Sebb Bash just before addressing the shit he’s been dealing with on the Animoss-produced “Pardon Me”. Boldy James tags along to reminisce on where they started for the psychedelic “All of That Said” & then going on to speak about someone whose heart has gone south on the forlorn “Won’t Give Up the Danger” with Mr. Green on the boards.

Things go back into boom bap territory with the help of Daringer on “Moving on Up” as he & Conway the Machine talk about how they’ll never stop chasing their dreams leading into the stripped back, sincere “Talking to the Audience” produced by Khrysis. Meanwhile on “All Money 1983”, we get a soulful look-back on when Ev met Al Pacino almost 40 years ago before bringing in a vintage sample on “Pray with an A” for him & Navy Blue to look back on their past.

Lost in Time (Park Jams)” speaks on smoking weed at a park over a heavenly instrumental from Nottz while the Fly Anakin-assisted “Delay the Issue” is a luxurious reminder that life is too short. The penultimate track “Taylor Made Suit” is a bluesy cut produced by V Don about how his funeral suit is the same as his wedding suit & the the album ends with the churchy “Where We Going From Here…”, which is about how it’s the first day in a while where he woke up on the right side of the bed.

From front to back, this is a really dope album in my book. It’s refreshing to hear him move away from the weather-theme of his previous solo output, his writing is clever than ever & the production is on point as well.

Score: 4/5