Strange Works EP by Zolla Root
Review by
Steve Rider – Infinite Sounds UK
I have really been keeping my eyes open for local Hip Hop
acts around the West Country where I currently make my home.
Everyone knows there is a big Hip Hop scene in Bristol and some
good acts have come out of the West Country of England, such as Dookie Squad.
But, from chatting to people at the recent Final Dookie Squad Gig in Exeter,
Including the talented Shire Roots, the Hip Hop scene in the West Country is
really taking off.
So, I had to do a bit of diggin’ to see. I happened to come
across a new EP from a guy in Falmouth, Cornwall. As I love Cornwall, that goes
back to my childhood days and my late mum’s love of Arthurian Legend, I decided
this had to be a good place to start and hopefully give this guy a bit of
exposure.
So, here are my thoughts, track by track...
Most of Them is
your intro to Zolla Root and it’s clear from this that he has a good flow with
some interesting use of words. I mean using a line about beating his cock till
it’s red, in the first track had me thinking, now that’s fucking funny and good
to see someone coming up and not afraid to just talk some shit. Production is
handled here by Funki Flavour and nice and laid back. Not a bad opener and had
me, like, OK then Bro... Let’s see what you got?
Liquor Dream is
up next and production by Blue Luc give a dope little track for Zolla to lay
down a verse hitting us with Lines about grief that hint at drawing on your
life stories will give you plenty of deep stories to give you an edge.
Toot Toot is a
funky track that could well be my favourite track on the EP. Anyone who
mentions Cheddar Cheese on a track has got some props from me. Great flow on
this with some really great lyrics that had me like, that’s funny as fuck. The
production from Ed Cox on this pulls a really solid track out the bag.
Yesterdays Destiny,
with production by Hedge, is again a nice pretty solid track nice chilled out
beat that you could easily listen to driving along in your car or kicking back
at home with a Beer or Cider.
Double L is the
only track on the EP to feature another artist. Joining Zolla is Nephz and they
both handle themselves amorally, both lyrically and in their eased back flow.
Funki Flavour is back on the track and provides a beat so chilled and laid back
I was almost asleep.
2 Sugars closes
out the EP with Funki Flavour again hitting us with a track so laid back, it
almost fell over. Zolla again kicks back
rhymes easily over such a great track.
You can tell this EP is laid back by the fact that my
writing style is more chilled and not so full on in ya face.
On the whole this EP is pretty solid for first release. Very
chilled out and something that would not be outta place to listen to while
chilling with a beer or whilst kicking back with a suspiciously long cigarette
you just rolled.
Zolla handles the lyrical duties well. Yeah, it’s a first
release and pretty raw in its lyrical content. There are the times its funny
and you think, that’s the type of crazy shit I’d be using. There are also times
when you muse over the fact that, I’m not sure about that word or that line
but, you know, what the fuck.
This guy
has plenty of time to perfect his own style and that is what Hip Hop is about.
None of us are gone like everything every artist puts out 100% of the time.
Overall, I felt production was pretty solid here and while
it’s true that I’ve not heard of these guys before I really enjoyed what I
heard and look forward to hearing more from them all and finding out a bit more
about them.
This is well worth your time to listen to. It might not be
perfection but, what is perfection? I would say Zolla Root is definitely one to
watch for in the future and I am looking forward to reviewing more from this
guy.
Look out for my Interview with him. Something that should
give you all a little more insight into who he is.
Strange Works was released on 23rd August 2017
and as available from the Bandcamp link below on a name your price basis.
Please support the artist and give what you can.
Peace out,
Steve
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