Slanguage

by Rob TheakstonJazz runs amuck on Slanguage, and it's probably the closest fusion of free improv jazz and hip-hop that's ever been committed to disc. The lo-fi production skills and Daddy Kev's beats are rock-solid when they appear, and then somehow the tracks melt down and disappear into one another. The length of the songs teases the listener, as some of them are too short and leave room for more idea development, while AWOL's lyrics/delivery sometimes border on a slurring drunk surrealist genius thrown into a studio with free improv over the music. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Slanguage is a record that requires intense concentration and immediate attention in order for everything to make sense. Not necessarily the kind of thing you would want to play at a house party, but nothing that should be avoided for home listening either.