Shabazz Palaces - “An echo from the hosts that profess infinitum”
That’s one hell of a moan, isn’t it? The pitched, mangled wail that forms the backbone of this track would quickly turn grating in lesser hands, but Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire not only shape a fantastic beat to it, they give it a verse-less mid-song spotlight, wringing every last drop of dark, sensuous atmosphere from it. The music is engrossing on its own, swerving and slithering back over itself, but Butler’s slick, evasive rhymes are what make “An echo” such a replayable delight. He flips through images and half-thoughts like a deck of cards, and just when it seems like he’s wandered off on his own, babbling about “playing the blade” or “flamboyant obstacles,” he hits us where we live: “Hey, here we stand, slaves to network’s master plans,” a sharp jab at digital culture that, true to form, begets no further explanation. Shabazz Palaces’ uncanny ability to dodge linear coherence while keeping the listener hooked is on full display here, defending hip-hop’s capacity for impressionism and sticking the landing with confidence and flare.
runner-up: “Free press and curl”
3 Notes/ Hide
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ilovetransmission liked this
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imathers said:
Just could not get into this one, for some reason.
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bmichael liked this
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popcornnoises posted this
