For this review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on “Without Love”, the new single from Newcastle upon Tyne gothic rock / metal band Flowers for Juno and their latest release since their debut EP “Be My Bloody Valentine”. With that project, vocalist Benjó James and musician Jack Wilson created a strange, Lynchian-like mood piece that seemed to embrace the lyrical stylings of ballroom-centric pop ballads of the 1960s to 1980s – whether it’s Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (which Benjó did a delightfully creepy version of on that record) or Tears for Fears’ timeless “Head Over Heels” – and yet forcibly REJECTED their promise of true, ‘endless’ love between romantic partners. In the loose narrative of the EP, Benjó loses a romantic interest, gains another, loses her and succumbs to the fates of loneliness and, assumedly, death.
This single consists of the title track on Side A, labelled the “7” Deadly Sins Mix”, and two remixes of the EP’s second single “It’s Not My Fault” on Side B. Along with being an addendum to “Be My Bloody Valentine”, “Without Love” bears a similar tonal structure to its predecessor. It starts off with a menacing bang, tapers off into a deceptively ethereal vibe and concludes on an incredibly bleak note. Another similarity between single and EP is the use of dead air, lessened in volume at the start and end (with the exception of the track “Without Love”) of each song compared to the EP’s opening track “Dead Air” but still present in the background. A reminder that what you’re about to hear is anything but ordinary.
With the Side A solo track “Without Love” being the only ‘new’ composition in this short collection of songs, Benjó James returns to his heartbroken viewpoint on love that made “Physical Culture” off the “Be My Bloody Valentine” EP such a highlight. He describes love as this missing puzzle piece of sorts that, once attained, SHOULD make him emotionally and mentally whole. There’s an air of melancholy present throughout this song, especially in the combined instrumentation of Jack Wilson’s energetic guitar riffs and drum solo and Benjó’s warped keyboard melody, the latter of which appears during the bridge.
Side B opens with “It’s Not My Fault (In the Nightcore Eclipse Remix)” which …. you guessed it …. is a nightcore version of the original song. And while I’m not the biggest fan of nightcore (I’m more of a slowed / slowed-and-reverb type of guy), I must confess this version sounds GREAT! The simple tweaks to the instrumental’s pitch and Benjó’s vocals make this version sound livelier and – dare I say – more blissful! The original was already the most heartfelt track on “Be My Bloody Valentine” and here, this particular remix is the bright spot on this single.
And then we get to the final track “It’s Not My Fault (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)” where, similar to the “Physical Culture” remix that closed off “Be My Bloody Valentine”, Flowers for Juno gives guest producer Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil free reign to turn their original song into a soundscape lifted straight out of a horror movie! Compared to the “Physical Culture” remix, this remix to “It’s Not My Fault” is surprisingly the more accessible of the two. The reverbed vocals, kept in the same pitch and speed they were on the original version, aren’t overpowered by the production’s less abrasive but still harsh combination of crushing bass and clanking industrial noises. Even Benjó’s pitch-shifted outro vocals remain intact which, to me, adds a bit of pitch-black humor to the entire track. I truly hope that this isn’t the last collaboration between Flowers for Juno and Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil as I believe he can add more nightmarish detail to the band’s weird and ominous musical world.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Without Love”! I can see fans of “Be My Bloody Valentine” thoroughly enjoying this single and newbies into the style and sound of Flowers for Juno entertained and intrigued enough to check out that EP. With their singles and debut record, this band seems to be making a name for themselves in the goth rock and metal scene. Here’s hoping they keep that momentum going with their next release!
Flowers For Juno’s “Without Love” is now available on all popular streaming platforms
For the first rock / metal review in the history of my Fiverr gig (FINALLY!!), I’ll be sharing my thoughts on “Be My Bloody Valentine”, the debut EP from Newcastle upon Tyne gothic rock / metal band Flowers for Juno. Released on…..you guessed it…..Valentine’s Day, this project is the brainchild of band members Benjó James (vocalist) and Jack Wilson (musician).
The EP’s cover and promotional artwork for its singles “Physical Culture” and “It’s Not My Fault” involve these old portrait photos of female models with a hot pink gradient applied to them. Like the decrepit building at the center of many gothic horror stories, these photos are reminders of the past, a simpler time when relationships weren’t as complex and complicated as they usually are now. And this distinct colour gradient represents Flowers for Juno’s warped, cynical and intriguingly fatalistic perspective on love that is the literal beating heart of this project.
On the subject of gothic horror and decrepit buildings, you can picture Flowers for Juno performing their three songs (yes, I know this is a six-track EP, but more on that in a bit) within the interior of an archaic – haunted, if you will – mansion or castle. There is a ‘performance’ element to this EP, as after the intro “Dead Air” which starts with 23 seconds of…. you guessed it….DEAD AIR and concludes with a Greenwich Time Signal, we’re treated to what sounds like an underground radio broadcast of a Valentine’s Day-themed performance from the band hosted by an unnamed MC.
The band’s ‘set’ begins with the first single “Physical Culture” and I love how the song builds for a few seconds near the end of the MC’s introduction and EXPLODES with a barrage of thunderous guitars and tense synths! Utilizing some creepy vocal inflections and genuinely dark lyrics, Benjó James effectively sets the tone and themes of the EP. He states that our human desire for love and affection will inevitably lead to our demise, citing the current heartbreak he’s experiencing and inability to move on as a major example (“Broken trust fills endless graves / Deep buried by the pain”). The only solution he can come up with is to run away from that innate desire and live out the rest of his days in loneliness guised as emotional safety. And yet he seeks the meaning behind the breakup he’s pining over or at least a confirmation that some sort of reconciliation is possible, as emphasized on the song’s catchy hook.
The past and the present coalesce on the following song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” which, if you know your ballads, is exactly what you think it is. Over a moody instrumental driven by spacey, 80s retro synths, Benjó sings a brief cover of the timeless Elvis Presley song. The minor scale he uses for his vocal delivery and the slight distortion added to his voice add to the already-creepy vibe of the song. In a remarkably cynical way, this cover shows how the sentiment of that song back when it was recorded in 1961 – and to an extent, the EXCELLENT UB40 cover back in 1993 – is practically non-existent in this strange world Flowers for Juno inhabit. A part of me wishes the song could’ve continued on for a bit longer, incorporating the chorus and third verse, but I do admire how crystal clear its sardonic message is throughout its short runtime.
Segueing beautifully from “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is the second single “It’s Not My Fault”, whose soaring opening synth lead and cinematic-sounding combination of guitars and drums create this sense of hope beaming into the life of Benjó at this point on the record. On this track, the desire for love he condemned earlier is enveloping him in this warm light and though he fears the fleeting nature of this sensation, he wants to stay in that light – and in the care of this new romantic partner of his – a bit longer. The only complaint I have about this track is the filter added to Benjó’s vocals on the hook which make them sound a bit indiscernible over the rousing production. But as the EP’s most heartfelt and optimistic song, “It’s Not My Fault” ABSOLUTELY WORKS!
And just when you think everything’s going to be okay for our lovelorn anti-hero, we get the last two tracks “Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood!” and “Physical Culture (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)”. After the MC closes off Flowers for Juno’s performance at the end of “It’s Not My Fault”, the penultimate track begins with this soothing, almost heavenly instrumental which blankets the same dead air sound effect from the EP’s intro. Here, the band makes a radical switch from gothic rock to experimental and ambient music, beginning with this track’s surreal production and continuing with a repeated couplet, delivered in a forward-reverse-forward manner that should sound familiar to those who remember the classic TV series “Twin Peaks” (if not, look up the “Red Room”). It’s certainly a weird change of pace on the record and one that I imagine will polarize some listeners. But thanks to its purposefully morbid title, I came out of this track with two interpretations. The first is Benjó finally letting go of the past and embracing his desire to be with his new partner. However, there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it sound effect near the end of the track that reveals a dark and DEEPLY unsettling layer hiding in plain sight! And while I won’t reveal what that sound effect is (you’ll just have to vibe out to this track until you hear it), I will say – and this is my second interpretation – that this newfound love, or the lack given or received, leads to Benjó’s downfall on the record.
And this leads to the closing track “Physical Culture (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)” which not only hints at the FATE of Benjó’s character but returns to the EP’s thematic merging of past and present elements. Guest producer Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil delivers the polar opposite of the ethereal production of “Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood!”, with a bleak, sparse and incredibly unnerving soundscape. Through some masterful mixing, we hear the echoed vocals of “Physical Culture” faintly in the distance, constantly overpowered by the rumbling distortion of Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil’s instrumental. The ambiguity of this track is BRILLIANT as many interpretations can be pulled from it. Two came to my mind: Benjó is finally in the place where those who gave themselves completely into love, desire and lust ultimately find themselves (call it hell or purgatory) or his desire to be loved has now become a faint memory, a relic of the past, now immortalized in the recording of a Flowers for Juno performance played on an underground radio station every Valentine’s Day.
Despite the few flaws I mentioned, I really enjoyed this EP! In addition to being a highly entertaining showcase of the multi-talented Flowers for Juno, it presents themes and concepts that I imagine will be explored even further in their future discography. For one, I would love to see that radio show/station concept expanded upon as it was such a great foundation for this EP to build itself from. And even though Valentine’s Day 2024 has already ended, that doesn’t mean you can’t dive into this record when the need for dark, twisted musical examinations of love and heartbreak arises. In short, open your heart – literally and/or figuratively – to “Be My Bloody Valentine”.
Now you’re probably watching the title of this EP and name of this group and asking yourself – to quote the recently-completed animated TV series “Archer” – “WHAT THE SHIT?!” But yes folks, this is an actual musical recording from an actual music group. Dookie Bros consists of Canadian rappers Franchise and Shy The Beatyoda, the latter of whom produced this record.
Prior to my deep-dive into the Dookie Bros discography, which consists of their debut album “When the Shit Hits the Fan”, maxi-single “The Slapper” featuring Keith Murray and EPs “Manure Music Vols. 1 & 2”, I wasn’t familiar with Franchise at all. But I did know of Shy’s work, thanks to his collaborative record with North Carolina singer/rapper E Smitty (as the Soul Powers) called “The Beginning Of” which was MY top favorite album of 2021. And I also took note of how undeniable his chemistry is with other artists, whether it’s Toronto rapper LeZeppo on the Guillotine Shark debut “Merky Waters” or E Smitty, LeZeppo and a handful of other rappers on the 2022 record “Shy The Beatyoda Presents: Rebel Embassy”.
On paper, “Merry Shitmas” is pretty self-explanatory: a rap duo doing a Christmas rap album which, in the world of hip hop, is nothing new. I’d make the argument that the reason why there aren’t any memorable examples of a major label rap album release dedicated to Christmas is the over-reliance on traditional and generic tropes associated with the holiday for creative inspiration. Yes, there’s a number of noteworthy hip hop singles about Christmas, but not an album unfortunately. There are, however, independent releases like Cookin Soul’s “XMAS” mash-up mixtapes and quite recently, Amerigo Gazaway’s “Another Christmas Album” and Funky DL’s “A Vintage Soulful Boom Bap Christmas”, all of which are solid projects in their own right! But occasionally, you’d get an ‘experiment’ like “Jim Jones Presents: 12 Days of Xmas” where…..I’ll put it this way….the last track off “Manure Music Vol. 2” pretty much sums up the way I felt when I listened to that record last year!
So as you can tell, YES, I know my shit when it comes to “Christmas rap”. And that’s why I can safely say that “Merry Shitmas” is one of, if not the best, Christmas rap projects I’ve ever heard! And no, I’m not saying this because I’m obligated to or whatever. It’s a really, REALLY solid record! If you’re not familiar with Dookie Bros’ output over the past couple years, you should know going into this record that their rap styles hearken back to the good ol’ days of mid 90s to early 2000s hardcore hip hop, with crass, over-the-top and downright hilarious bars that remind me so much of what Method Man and Redman were doing when they linked up on a record!
And you get that on the opening / title track “Merry Shitmas”, with these raunchy and wickedly clever rhymes from Franchise and Shy and a witty reworking of the “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” hymn on the hook over a delightful mix of head-nodding boom-bap drums and Christmas carol-based melodies. The production on this record is consistently top-notch, in the sense that it doesn’t simply borrow all-too familiar bits of instrumentation or vocal samples and loop them in a lazy, half-assed attempt to evoke nostalgia. There’s genuine effort put into crafting memorable boom bap beats here, to the point that you can take out the Yuletide samples and they still sound great!
Shy’s sample choices are on-point on this record, and like on “The Beginning Of”, you really get the sense of his DJ Premier-like, encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to recorded vocals. Take the following track “Do You Hear what I Hear” where, over a moody, string-assisted instrumental, he incorporates a vocal sample from a rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, a popular De La Soul sample and, much to my surprise, an ONYX sample! And somehow, the latter sample FITS within in the context of the song which, also to my surprise, is a heartfelt expression from both Shy and Franchise of the mood-changing and life-altering power of their music and lyrics.
On the subject of lyrics, I really appreciated the diverse subject matter Dookie Bros brought to the table….or should I say, toilet (HA!)… on “Merry Shitmas”! Like their previous records, a recurring theme on this EP is their underdog status. They’re better than the average rapper and producer, and yet they feel like they’re being shitted on by them, so obviously their best course of action is to throw that shit back at them!
Even on the single “Charlie Brown”, they draw inspiration from one of my go-to Christmas TV specials “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to inform their haters of how incredibly dope they are on the mic and behind the boards. With a smartly selected sample from Vince Guaraldi’s TIMELESS piano-driven score from that special, Franchise and Shy craft this fun and delightfully jazzy dance song, whilst telling the audience that this is the DOPEST rap song centered on Charlie Brown and Christmas….EVER!
Like “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Dookie Bros also touch on the disappointment one feels around the holiday season, particularly when you’re young and constantly told of all the wonder and magic to look forward to. On “Holy Shit”, which features the EP’s catchiest and FUNNIEST hook, Shy and Franchise each regale the listener with a story about that significant moment in their childhood when they realized that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
In both a cynical and non-cynical way, you can understand why Franchise and Shy approach the holiday season – and the album as a whole – the way they do. There’s a sly irony to “Merry Shitmas” as it shows Christmas from the perspective of two rappers who’re clearly annoyed by the regurgitated topics and themes of many Christmas songs and their many, MANY cover versions.
So it’s only right that they take one of the most beloved and meme-worthy Christmas songs of all time – Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” – and rework it into a sex jam WITH THE SAME TITLE and a modified version of the now-iconic chorus! The dreamy, doo-wop-inspired beat is an absolute mood-setter and lyrically, Franchise delivers these smooth, sensual bars to his sexual partner, while Shy does some salacious sexcapade storytelling akin to his song “Family Matters” off the “When The Shit Hits the Fan” album.
But it’s not all shit-talking and freaky shit on “Merry Shitmas”. There’s the penultimate track “There’s Always Tomorrow” which, the more I think about it, is my top favorite song on this EP! The production is so lavish and lovely, driven by a heartwarming vocal sample from the classic Christmas TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Franchise and Shy are at their most sincere and thoughtful as they assure the listener not to be overwhelmed and stressed out over the time allotted to us to achieve our goals.
Failures will occur and we won’t achieve everything we work towards in a short space of time, but we should learn to reassess, recharge and continue moving forward. The beauty of this song is how it relates to our everyday lives and not a specific holiday or season. And even with its Christmas-based instrumentation, the song itself is so relatable and meaningful, you can literally listen to it any time of the year, especially when you find yourself feeling depressed, disappointed and stuck in some stage in your life.
Dookie Bros keep their hearts on their sleeves on the final track “Misfits” which, if you’re familiar with the soundtrack to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, you’ll truly admire the placement of this track after “There’s Always Tomorrow”. Set to a rousing, big-band and boom-bap beat driven by a sample from the Lou Rawls song “Christmas Will Really Be Christmas”, Shy and Franchise re-affirm their misfit statuses, staying true to their styles and sounds without conforming to current, flash-in-the-pan musical trends. Both emcees are appropriately bold and unapologetic on their verses and shared hook, but it’s Shy’s verse that steals the show, particularly in the way he defends his production style and the self-aware bar he uses to close the song.
As a whole, I absolutely enjoyed the near-22 minutes of “Merry Shitmas”! It features some of Dookie Bros’ best performances and Shy’s best production to date, and it delivers on the Christmas / anti-Christmas vibes I expected from both its title and album cover. And like the great Christmas and anti-Christmas movies of yesteryear, I can see myself revisiting “Merry Shitmas” on an annual basis. If you’re looking for a Christmas rap album to vibe to for the holidays, definitely seek this one out!
For this review, I’ll be covering the 2021 album “Vybz” and 2023 EP “Fall Into Vybz” from Trinidad-born, Houston-raised rapper, singer and songwriter Shabriz. In distinguishing the genre these projects belong to, Shabriz himself stated that it’s “considered World Music, but I like to think of it as OutKast meets Vybz Kartel”. And with the more spins I gave these records, the more I understood and respected his creative, X-meets-Y high concept pitch.
Categorizing “Vybz” and “Fall into Vybz” as world music or afro-fusion (the latter of which the majority of beats presented on these records fall under) makes sense. But lyrically and vocally, it’s pretty difficult to fit these projects into those boxes. And that’s where we get to the undeniable talent Shabriz brings to the table. He’ll start a song off in one genre and then, at the drop of a dime, switch into another! The album and EP contain elements of hip hop, dancehall, reggae and R&B, all of which Shabriz adjusts to by selecting the right flow and cadence and performing them with American, Jamaican and Trinidadian accents. Of course, this isn’t entirely new in the world of urban music but very rarely have I heard an artist who can switch tones and flows so effortlessly on the same track (not in an overblown way, mind you), especially on beats where the vibe is so consistent, there’s no real need to do any vocal switch-ups.
But the idea behind these projects is not to overthink things like flows and accents. At 24 minutes and 5 minutes respectively, “Vybz” and “Fall into Vybz” are meant to….well…..vibe to. The production consists of smooth, mid-tempo instrumentals designed to make your head nod and, for the most part, get your hips moving. And it’s this production that drives Shabriz to tap into the right vibes each song brings and enhance them vocally to the listener.
I’ll start with the longer project first, which boasts a strong opener and closer. The title track “Vybz” sets the tone of the record brilliantly, with a hazy, irresistibly laid-back instrumental and a truly impressive performance from Shabriz. Off his first verse alone, I get the sense that this song and album are meant to act as both an introduction and re-introduction to his music (Think of Ludacris’ “Back for the First Time” as an example, which was both his second studio album and major label debut). Adopting his American accent in the first half, he sounds rejuvenated as he raps about how his life experiences at that point shaped him into the artist we’re hearing on this track. There’s a great moment where the beat stops and resumes a few seconds later, giving Shabriz the opportunity to show off his lyrical dexterity through a Trini-accented dancehall flow. I will LOVE to see this song performed on-stage, and I can picture the audience losing their collective shits during that second verse! The response would be even greater if it were a Trinbagonian audience, as Shabriz spends the entirety of that verse repping his country of birth.
On the closing track “Intro (Flowers for Lukhanoo)”, Shabriz selects the mellowest beat out of the album’s bag of instrumentals and uses that to drop the most introspective bars I’ve heard in this two-project lineup. Sticking with a rap vocal style, he pays tribute to his Trinidadian friend Lukhanoo who held him down through his ups and downs, and continues to support him even though he doesn’t permanently reside in Trinidad. There’s a genuinely heartfelt moment where after the first verse, Shabriz recalls a phone call where Lukhanoo encouraged him to push his music and Caribbean roots forward. A part of me wishes that we had more introspective moments like this on “Vybz”. They would’ve fleshed out Shabriz’s character and personality on this record even more.
With the exception of the opening, penultimate and closing tracks, the vibe of the other five songs is primarily party-oriented. And the songs themselves are all designed to get bodies moving on dimly-lit dancefloors and brightly-lit strip club stages (more on that in a bit) – which is actually a good thing!
The quintet of party jams begins with “Steel Drum” which you might assume is all about Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument. But alas, no! For you conservatives reading this, it’s really about the title of rapper Foxy Brown’s debut album! Anyway, this song features a relaxed, afro-fusion beat driven by a spacey keyboard chord progression, a lyrical blend of hip hop and dancehall, a CATCHY-ASS hook and tons of braggadocio and sexuality oozing out of its lyrics! Shabriz sticks to his Trinbagonian roots on this track by centering it on the attraction he feels for a Trinidadian woman he spotted at a Carnival festivity.
Things get steamy on the following tracks “Bruk Out” and “Sugar Cane”, both of which are NOT based on the respective 1998 and 2010 dancehall riddims of the same name. The former is an undeniable mood-setter of a bedroom song, complete with a sensual, nocturnal instrumental, a deft lyrical mix of dancehall and R&B, and some of Shabriz’s most sexually-charged bars. “Fuck fi spite, don’t fuck fi war, fuck fi life” is one of those lines you’ll remember long after you’ve heard it on this track! On “Sugar Cane”, Shabriz moves the party out of the bedroom and back onto the dancefloor, where he proceeds to tell this girl he just hooked up with that she can get more of his “sweet sugar cane”. And if you know a thing or two about soca music and sugar (I mean, Patrice Roberts sung TWO songs about sugar in her career, one about a sugar boy and the other about a sugar cane!), then you should know exactly what he’s talking about. Though it would have benefited from a second verse instead of the one verse and two instances of chorus we get here, “Sugar Cane” is still a salaciously satisfying track!
Bringing some Southern flavor into the mix is the aptly-titled strip club anthem “Slide”. Over some R&B / hip hop production (the guitar solo in particular has this 90s-styled bedroom music vibe to it), Shabriz channels his inner T-Pain and expresses his love – oops, I meant to say sexual attraction – towards a certain stripper doing her thing right in front of him. The truly impressive thing about this track is how he plays with the listener’s expectations on this song, giving us rap on the first verse, R&B on the hook and out of the blue, dancehall on the second verse! You won’t associate the latter lyrical style with a beat like this and yet, somehow, it WORKS!
Shabriz changes the order of those three lyrical styles on the following, and dare I say, BEST track on the record: “Uno”. Here, we’re treated to this hypnotic, afro-fusion beat with a backing drum pattern that interestingly sounds very 90s dancehall-inspired. Shabriz drops his wittiest, eyebrow-raising double entendres, with standouts like “You have de coldest waist like Toronto / Leg and thigh, I want de 2-piece combo” and “Kinda wine turn meh sister into ah auntie / Fi de food, gyal, I willing to raid yuh pantry”. The hook, or should I say the execution of it after the first verse, is FANTASTIC as the line “You may be the one for me” is delivered in a slower fashion after the first instance. The third and final instance helps segue the song into a hi hat-driven beat that beautifully maintains the previous instrumental’s hazy and hypnotic tone. Of course, with a beat switch like this, Shabriz has no choice but to rap, and he uses his cocky bars and laid-back delivery to literally GLIDE his way to the end of the track! And speaking of ‘end’, is that a Sampha sample playing through the song’s final seconds? I would love to know!
Closing off the “Vybz” section of this review is the penultimate track “I Know”. The production on this track is the most textured on the album, with its downbeat R&B/hip hop grooves, shimmering keyboard chords, bluesy electric guitars and soulful organs. Shabriz capitalizes on this hip hop and R&B fusion with a brilliantly-sung hook and a first verse where he adds a little poetry to his sexual suggestiveness (“And I know your shrubbery’s sweeter than bowls of potpourri / I’m a Hardy boy, but baby, this ain’t no mystery / Had to save me from witches trying to kill the Cedric Digg (dick)-ory”). On the second verse, however, he starts off with dancehall for a bit (four lines to be exact), then reverts to rap. Thematically, while this song follows the same throughline as the previous four songs where Shabriz sees a girl and is determined to win her heart, I’d make the argument that it relates the most to the opening track, where it seems as if he had to ‘find himself’ first before making this life-changing commitment to stay with his current love interest. The song’s closing line “I bet you wonder where I’ve been” alludes to that as well.
The “Fall into Vybz” EP serves as a continuation of the “Vybz” album with only two tracks to keep the…well….vibes going. The first in this duo is “Anything” which features a seductive, head-nodding beat and a lyrical structure similar to the aforementioned track “Vybz” where Shabriz starts with rap and ends with dancehall. This song also shares tonal resemblances with “I Know” as it involves Shabriz assuring his partner that he’ll always be there for her, and includes a mix of poetry and sexual innuendo on the first verse and direct, unapologetic requests for intimacy on the second verse.
By comparison, “Pum Pum” is a fun, raunchy dancehall song clearly inspired by the many dancehall songs of the 90s and 2000s that got away with revealing their ‘findings’ on that particular topic over the airwaves. Over a groovy afro-fusion instrumental laced with harp-like strings, Shabriz spits a series of raw, sex-fueled dancehall bars sprinkled with witty one-liners (“Now yuh slide down de vine like Tarzan did to Jane”), the second verse of which is cut short by a brief rap segment set to some dramatic piano keys in the background.
As a showcase of Shabriz’s songwriting and genre-specific vocal skills, “Vybz” and “Fall into Vybz” delivers the goods and more! His ear for mood-inducing beats and lyrical ability to make the absolute use of those beats are on full-display on both projects. And overall, they left me excited for the next “Vybz” session Shabriz will hopefully bless our ears with the near-future. But in the meantime, if you like your urban music with the genre-fusing bravery of a group like OutKast and the lyrical brashness and bravura of an artist like Vybz Karel, “Vybz” and “Fall into Vybz” are definitely worth checking out!
‘VYBZ’ RATING: 8 out of 10
‘FALL INTO VYBZ’ RATING: 6 out of 10
“Vybz” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal.
BBB RADIO 