Javelin - No Mas
Release Date: April 6th, 2010
Label: Luaka Bop
BRANDON RAE:This musically capricious couple has quite the fitting title for their debut album. George Langford and Tom van Buskirk have the creative capability to drag you down a long stretch of terrain that resembles the polar opposite of a straight and narrow path. You know what? Nevermind this path nonsense. Ignorant imagery. It's more of a warp. A path implies some sort of transition. There are no branches on this album; you're thrown around like a damn rag-doll and you'll probably enjoy most of the ride. Funk, psych, boom-bap hip-hop, 80's pop. No Mas. No More.
You'll find vocals crammed into the mix here and there, though they're beyond easy to dismiss. Apart from an obnoxiously chipmunked "Oh! Centra", Javelin's adventure is sonically focused to keep the voices at a generally drowning level. "Moscow 1980" is what you think it is; a neon-inspired flashback to those electrifying times; the high self-esteem, the laserdiscs, the constant erections. You know, fun stuff I missed out on. It's a forced stereotype of a track, and it succeeds with delicious layers of synth. "The Merkin Jerk" is an energetic piece that kicks around a diverse, animated drum set. "Off My Mind" has keys that would be more than welcome to cameo in the upcoming Sonic video game. "Dep" is a funky, orchestral, accoustic slow jam that'd make Dâm-Funk a happy camper. There's really so much on Javelin's plate, all listeners can hold at least a portion of it dear to their hearts.
While a chunk of No Mas is composed of polished Jamz n Jemz material that felt much better in its' raw form, this LP is without a doubt a more welcoming approach to Javelin's introduction. It's mas diverse, mas creative, and mas brilliant than most of the 2010 albums out there.
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