Incredibly my first time listening to Aesop, and I know I've been missing out. Well, that's what I think anyway. On hearing an artist that innovated his own form of Alternative/ Underground Hip Hop, and it's surprising really because it isn't exactly a case of only just finding out about Aesop Rock because I've known about him for a good few years now, but just never got around to checking him out. So I mean I would probably put it down to my insecurities, and a comfort zone of select artists, but thank god I have reached a stage where I can build an opinion on albums like Aesop's new one Skelethon.
An album - I don't know how to describe, from hearing that first noise on the intro track Leisureforce. A haunting, and enchanting kind of song which I feel just kind of pulls you in, and even more as soon as Aesop actually goes in. A bit of a shocker really for somebody like myself listening to the rapper for the first time, but it's good. Maybe a little hard to understand, but it's something you get used to after a few listens. Although not to judge Aesop on the first track alone, on track 2 now, and this one's a bit different. A largely instrumental beat with mostly noticable percussion. It is a bit easier to take in then the intro, but not complaining about the rapper. The whole complex lyricism thing starts to catch on after a few listens. It's not really like anything you've heard before. I mean you could say the beats are a bit like some of the Cypress Hill rock numbers they've done in the past, and the content? you could say the simularities are there with other Westcoast Artists, but it's only like the accent really, because otherwise as an emcee Aesop's like nobody you've ever heard before. Even on the mellow- ish Cycles to Gehenna he still goes in, and he keeps it up. The same as on Zero Dark Thirsty, a beat blatantly made on the MPC, and you can hear Aesop a lot better on this one, but still it's quite attentive in the sense of how carefully you have to listen to the lyrics, but it's quite a short track so it's over quite quickly.
On to track 5 though, and in the sense that it's a bit more difficult to write about Aesop than most other artists I review, I'm kind of glad I've almost reached the milestone of 1/3 of the way through the album, but before, a little bit about track 5, Fryerstarter. It's got this odd kind of sample that keeps on popping up through out, and the beat is like - wierd to explain like a japanese/ jungle/ rainforest movie sort of sound. It's hard to describe, a beat you can just listen to, and ignore the lyrics completely. It is, but I wouldn't say Aesop is out of place, because when you do remember he is in the track also - the balance is right. A track i'd say maybe needs to be listened to at least twice, once for the beat, and twice for the lyrics. Enough about track 5 though on to track 6 now, Ruby'81, and this one's a bit graphic i'd say if you want my honest opinion. It's only a short track, but it's about a two year old girl being involved in a car accident, and being rescued by her pet dog. Not exactly something your Eminem's or Lil Wayne's would rap about so I suppose you got to give to Aesop for being original. On not just this number though, the next two tracks are quite interesting though, the Crows 1 & 2. A two part-er which plays right next to each other. The 1st one is kind of like an interlude with a female singer on the hook, and the second is a bit darker, and beatwise a bit lke some of the Neptune's old tracks. Not too sure about the content something about black birds of a feather all flock together. Assumingly crows, which serves as metaphor for... the innocent being lead astray.
Track 9 now, and this one's called Racing Stripes. A track which continues with the theme of insane random lyrics, and next level beats. Features a wierd trumpet sample, but at this stage of the album you kind of get used to Aesop's creativity, and even more start to appreciate what kind of artist he is. Check track 10 for example, 10'000 O'Clock:
"I wear shoes to bed, paint keathed on my lips, trenchfoot gangrene, from the wind,
Splitscreen bopper, tish battleships break proper, the only end to this is the blip on a screaming dopplers".
Not sure what it means, but that pretty much sums up the previous 2/3rd's of the album. Not bad just mind blowing, but moving to the last 5 tracks, and the crazyness continues with track 11. Which you can tell is weird as soon as you hear the cat noise at the start, although when you actually hear the lyrics, and the song title 'Homemade Mummy'. Now that is really wierd. A track about obviously mummifying a corpse in your own home. Very weird Indeed.
And, track 12; well it's called Grace, and it's about wussing out:
"Who was at the door right now? kids on their bikes, asking you to bunny hop the kerbside. Really? Yup - I told em how we be busy. He's staring at his green beans being a total pussy".
Yup definate skater anthem. Expect to hear it on the next Tony Hawk game. Another solid track, but moving on. Track 13 is called Saturn and it's about... The mind state of the planet Saturn's atmosphere. A proper offkey track for both the beat, and lyrics. Very complex, but so is the whole album. So no surprise there, but as I am coming to the end now of the album, I'm just going to write a little bit about 14 & 15, and then finish up.
14 to begin with, and it's called Tetra. Another very interesting beat, and solid lyrics. enjoyable track, but I just want to get this review over with, so about track 15. It's called Gopher Guts, a very wierd title, and as for the track; It's very random, out of this world, and again off key. Not for the average, simple rap listener, and serving as a final track; well it's just as good as the rest of the album really which as an entire body has a lot of replay value. Gems all the way through, and a scores go, out of 10 - I am going to give this a 10/10.
Opinion:
It's way beyond any thing out at the moment, and it's years ahead of it's time so buy it, and don't just listen to it, study it, analyise, and if you can make sense of even half of it than you are a flippin genius.
Check out the album Stream + Amazon Link Here.
Related: Aesop Rock - Skelethon Album Stream
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