Last Stand

Dudley Perkins aka Declaimes The Last Stand is a reflection of a lifelong quest for self-acceptance and enlightenment, and an expression of hope for a brighter future. For much of the album, his lyrics sound freestyled, and theres a similar off-the-cuff quality to the productions, which include warm, friendly boom-bap tracks as well as left-field jazzy excursions. On Bugg Juice, Perkins and life partner Georgia Anne Muldrow call out politicians and warn the listeners not to fall for their lies, and urge listeners to be true to themselves. Saxophonist Braxton Cook appears throughout, adding some wispy threads of tonal color to the sonic landscape, but he stays in his place and never steals the show. Still, his presence makes an impact, and he aids the flow of tracks like Chewin, a ten-minute jam with an almost comically long fade-out. Smooth but upbeat soul samples guide the rhythms of more straightforward tracks like Bully Tactics and Lying in the Desert, while others are much more abstract and exploratory. Casual from Hieroglyphics begins Past Due with a short, head-spinning guest verse, then the beat switches up to a stuttering drum pattern and a lovely harpsichord sample, as Perkins delivers a typically motivated yet unforced set of rhymes. Fonkinhabitform is one of the records most spaced-out, dreamlike selections, slowly unfolding over a sparse, ticking drum machine, with Perkins, Muldrow, and special guest Jamila Woods sharing a little love with the world. The more concise In the Image of Dr. Stokley is a proud fathers heartfelt letter of appreciation to his son. After Eyes Wide Shut, a lyrically heavy tune about breaking free from the oppression in the world by seeking God to find the truth, the album ends with the much more joyous Sundown, a jazzy, Afrobeat-inspired ode to dancing the whole night through. ~ Paul Simpson