Genre-blending Rhombus mixes up the right tunes, Christian
rockers that appeal to all, local lecturer Dr Glam's fusion
jazz proves a treat, People Under the Stairs with their
down-to-earth rhymes, and Ice Cube back at what he does best.
> Rhombus.
Self-titled. Rhombus Productions.
4 stars
(out of 5)
The opening strains of the third album from Kiwi band Rhombus
are fitting: a slow, staccato burst of bass that sounds like
the foghorn of some ghost ship headed for strange waters.
Rhombus doesn't disappoint, taking in various points of the
musical compass, mixing and mutating genres into its own
blend of dub, reggae, soul and scratchy funk.
MC Antsman and MC Mana join Lisa Tomlins and other guest
vocalists, including Jamaican artists Ranking Joe and Junior
Kelly, to lay various lyrical textures to the bedrock of
beats provided by the band's core crew.
Single download: Babylon Retreat
For those who like: To step through twisted roots.
- Shane Gilchrist
> P. O. D. When Angels
& Serpents Dance. Cooking Vinyl.
4 stars
(out of 5)
Christian rock . . . it's an oxymoron, isn't it? While the
devil is supposed to hold all the best tunes, someone forgot
to tell Payable on Death (P. O. D). This, their seventh
studio album, will satiate old fans and should encourage new
devotees.
Their bluesy ease is a revelation. Reuniting with original
guitarist Marcos Curiel, P. O. D. release the noose that is
nu-metal.
Working into the mix the unmistakable vocal contribution of
Suicidal Tendencies' Mike Muir and a refreshingly different
gospel chorus, and bringing Helmet's Page Hamilton into the
fold, P. O. D. prove that after 16 years, they are still
evolving.
Single download: It Can't Rain Every Day
For those who like: Crushing groove-laden melodies
supplemented with funk, reggae, and positive karma.
- Mark Orton
> Dr Glam.
Glitter Spreader. Ode Records.
4 stars (out
of 5)
University of Otago lecturer Ian (Dr Glam) Chapman has a
"dress up or go home" ethos that translates into sonically
splendiferous jazz. And while image is everything at his live
shows, it's top-drawer musicianship that gets Glitter
Spreader off the ground.
Chapman's deft command of the steel hang drum is centre stage
- Moonboots is a particularly entrancing mix of
tabla-like rhythms and haunting, melodious sounds. But
elsewhere it is fusion jazz played by the best in the
business - Trevor Coleman, Frank Gibson and Rob Burns among
them.
The three-track bonus DVD provides a taster of the doctor's
live extravaganza.
Single download: Lurex Mothership
For those who like: Relaxomatic Project, spaced-out
jazz.
- Jeff Harford
> People Under the Stairs.
The Om Years. Om Records.
4 stars (out of 5)
Never fond of songs about shooting people, boho-rappers Thes
One and Double K - collectively known as People Under the
Stairs - release The Om Years, a retrospective which
cherry-picks hits, B-sides and rarities from their four-album
tenure on the underground label.
This two-disc, 31-track collection is a captivating
reinterpretation of hip-hop's innocence, full of
down-to-earth rhymes about Saturday nights on the California
coast. While such subject matter wears thin, the beats remain
crisp and inventive throughout, conjuring a kind of "Daisy
age" rap for the 21st century.
Single download: San Francisco Knights
For those who like: The fact that alt-rap isn't dull
- John Hayden
> Ice Cube. Raw
Footage. Lench Mob Records.
3 stars (out of 5)
The granddaddy of gangsta rap leaves behind the silver screen
to release his eighth solo album, Raw Footage.
Opener What is a Pyroclastic Flow? ("red hot lava
mixed with saliva", apparently) suggests senility is setting
in, while the stale G-Funk backdrop of Get Money . . .
and Do Ya Thing give the impression that he's merely
(West) coasting.
But a brace of tracks - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It and
Hood Mentality - rescues the set. The former is a
whip-smart ironic comment on the cause of the world's ills,
while the latter sees Cube brood in a manner last seen when
he burst straight outta Compton.
Single download: Gangsta Rap Made Me Do
It
For those who like: Gangstas growing old gracefully.
- John Hayden
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