Sometimes, I don’t know which one of my kids is weirder: The one who reads old Stan Lee issues of Amazing Spider-Man and listens to Jonathan Coulton and We Are Scientists, or the younger one who digs Run DMC and insists on playing Sirius 20 in the car–the 1920s channel. But I know which one would like Mocean Worker.
Candygram for Mowo! is mostly a beats album–and its focus is on a big band type of sound. But this isn’t just nostalgia with a back beat. It’s not jsut a soundtrack to a fight scene in a rooftop bar in a Bruce Willis movie. (But it could be.) It’s original and compelling–it’s using a swing music feel, but it’s organic and modern.
And when voices come in, they’re perfect. Specifically, My Own Little World, a track with Lyrics Born, is hotter than hell. Lyrics Born is the man behind “Same !@#$, Different Day,” one of the best underground rap albums you’ve probably never heard. I’ve had it on frequent play for years. His voice is perfect for this kind of music, because rather than focus on grimey stories or intricate wordplay, LB uses his voice like an instrument. Every phrase, every stress, every murmur and slur is designed to keep you in pace with the tunes…Most rappers take the lead and expect the beats to follow. LB is the opposite–which is perfect when you’ve got a champion producer like Mocean Worker. The result is a swinging, wildly entertaining album.
