Dusty

On the Mello Music Group-issued 2019 full-length Dusty, Homeboy Sandman reunites with producer Mono en Stereo (previously known as RTNC), who provided beats for some of the rappers earlier releases for Stones Throw, such as First of a Living Breed and Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent. Constructed from laid-back, ambling jazz and funk grooves, the tracks provide warm, lived-in backdrops for Sandmans distinctive brand of conversational, matter-of-fact rhymes. As ever, the Queens native is particularly gifted at delivering deep, articulate thoughts as well as seemingly tossed-off non sequiturs at a rapid pace, but more often than not he keeps a calm-headed demeanor, and he never sounds scatter-brained or unfocused. Far Out darts from a chorus invoking interstellar travel to a reminiscence about childhood Halloween, yet Sandman seems parked in his easy chair. In the spirit of A Tribe Called Quests What?, Wondering Why proposes a sequence of eternal questions such as Why do men have nipples?, while Noteworthy similarly ponders why people consider apples and oranges to be so different. A few tracks at the albums center focus on sexuality, with Picture on the Wall being a witty, compassionate ode to a healthy relationship, and Pussy detailing his carnal appetite, but in a respectful, consensual way. The more unhinged Lookout boasts guest freestyles from Quelle Chris and Your Old Droog over winding synth-funk, and the three emcees display enough energy and charisma that the track seems like an extended posse cut, when it actually wraps up in less than three minutes. Dusty is another winning set of pointed observations from Sandman, who effortlessly unloads his thoughts without seeming like a burden on the listener. ~ Paul Simpson

ストーンズ・スロウで活躍したクイーンズの実力派MCが、最近好調なメロー・ミュージックに移籍。新拠での初カット"West Coast"はエイソップ・ロックの制作だったが、そちらを含まぬ本作は全曲をモノ・エン・ステレオがプロデュースしている。24カラット・ブラック使いの"Name"など多彩なネタと芯の太いラップの織り成す濃さは6B級。アラン・ホークショウのライブラリー音源に乗って浮遊する"Far Out"が最高だ。
bounce (C)出嶌孝次