Sound Bites

RJD2 “Dead Ringer” Definitive
Jux

DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing”¦” gave the
hip-hop world a much needed jolt when it was released in 1996, but
the genre it pioneered, “instrumental hip-hop,” will
keep losing its luster if artists like RJD2 can’t go beyond
using that seminal album’s technique to advance their own
musical visions. Sharing a futuristic, apocalyptic bent, similar to
his Def Jux labelmates, RJD2 creates his musical palette with a
barrage of diverse samples. In the traditional style of
instrumental hip-hop, the album emphasizes what would normally be
the background effects, letting even the occasional guest MC take a
backseat to D2’s own aural concoctions. Dynamics often change
within the confines of a single song, like on the masterful
“Smoke and Mirrors,” which builds upon the eerie
interplay between a wafting steel guitar, understated piano and
bluesy vocal sample, then fades out like the soundtrack to a lost
film noir. RJD2’s sense of craft is often just enough to
overlook the occasional misstep, like on “Ghostwriter,”
which features pedestrian horn samples that contribute to a
faux-exuberance typical in underground hip hop. But in a genre
where self-indulgence knows no bounds, the album’s dynamics
are too diverse and fickle to maintain a unified feel, thus
blurring the lines between instrumental hip-hop and a glorified DJ
set. While Shadow used his vinyl collection to lay his own
masterstroke onto the hip-hop canvas, RJD2 settles for this
summer’s hottest mix tape. It’s fun, but ultimately
disposable. -Andrew Lee

Pseudopod “Pseudopod”
Interscope

Creatively, that major label jump can be a big step back. The
members have technical efficiency, the result of three years of
relentless touring, but with producer Paul Ebersold (3 Doors Down,
Sister Hazel) on board, the band loses that sense of spontaneity
that they may have conjured in the live setting. Song ideas are
glossed over with a studio sheen and don’t sound fully
fleshed out, seemingly in order to keep the tracks under
radio’s Attention Deficit Disorder guidelines. Next time out,
hopefully they’ll have the confidence to take more risks.
-Andrew Lee

Quix*o*tic “Mortal Mirror” Kill Rock
Stars

For a lo-fi group, Washington D.C.’s Quix*o*tic really know
how to make their songs breathe. Pairing the detached yet soulful
vocals of Christina and Mira Billotte with a touch of reverb, the
songs off “Mortal Mirror” bear a distinct gothic
flavor, providing a sophisticated atmosphere that separates the
group from similar bands that might be considered garage rock.
Stripping the songs down to their bare essentials, the band creates
a haunted house of sorts, with gritty guitar riffs that only find
company in the airy vocals that occasionally drop in to the fore,
without warning. It’s shameless horror movie material, but by
the final track, a lo-fi Black Sabbath cover, the group shows that
it can create the mood and have a bit of fun doing it. -Andrew
Lee

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