Postcards from the
Edge
By
Qred
Album Review
Now most people might not immediately think Hip Hop when you
mention Wales but trust me when I say that Wales has that Hip Hop spirit
running deep with Artists like Junior Disprol, Unity and, of course, Qred, the
mention just a few.
It is producer Qred who we look to here with latest offering
Postcards from the Edge. A producer led album which features a host of top
emcee from both sides of the pond and when you names like Micall Parknsun,
Junior Disprol, Cappo, Ruste Juxx and Ray Vendetta, you have to sit up and take
notice.
So, let’s not hang around and dive right into a track by
track breakdown…
First up is What Will It Bring (Intro) which
perfectly sets the tone with etheric piano vibes that carry us through the
verbal intro before a further soulful sample floats into followed by a pounding
boom bap beat has you nodding your head along before the track ends with
further musings on mental visions - that sets it up nicely for us as we are
about to experience a number of musical visions from the mind of Qred and his
assembled guests.
The first of those visions is From The Edge which
features Shaz Illyork and Rome Streetz. A dark gritty track with heavy beats
and cuts over some nerve tweaking electronic vibes. Both emcees handle
themselves admirably using their wordplay to take you to the edge of sanity and
back again. After pulling yourself back from the edge you are treated to the
first single to be pulled from the album, Ready For Whatever. The track
features the verbal skills of Ruste Juxx and Micall Parknsun over a funky beat
with a soulful vibe, even the cuts are sublime. Juxx and Parky are on point
here as they detail that no matter what the world throws at them, they are
always ready for it. From the soulful we transition to the dark melodic piano
vibe of Chalked Formulas. Here Ray Vendetta takes us on a stroll through
a tempest as he schools us on being a verbal wizard with chalk stick in hand.
A deep guitar vibe has us sliding into the pounding Dead
Soldiers. There are no prisoners taken here as Junior Disprol joins the
ranks and takes aim at all those who deserve it, keeping his finger on the
trigger, only pausing to reload for another verbal onslaught with no fucks
given, this is the 500 Magnum of wordplay. Time for a short aural breather with
the funked out guitar of Trying to Stall Time (Interlude) giving you a
bit of time before dropping you into the Shark Infested Waters where
Shaz Illyork reappears taking aim at you suckas like his name was G Rap. The
beat here is pure 90’s bomb bap and will have you nodding your head whatever
you’re doing.
We’re now tipped into the second half of the album with Lashout,
an instant head nod vibe with a dark guitar undertone and frantic cuts that
will also have you punching the air as Dirt Platoon pick up the mics, systematically
hitting punks between the eyes with fists or bullets, it makes no difference as
the result is the same, grimy right here. The storm clouds gather overhead for Last
Omen. A dark moody beat with some eerie piano floating through as Tesla’s
Ghost provides a tortuous narrative to have you looking over your shoulder at
every step. Next up we have Shaz Illyork making his penultimate appearance on The
Decadence. The heavy strings under a boom bap beat that will have you
moving to its laid-back vibe as Shaz takes you on what feels like a more
personal ride.
With the end of the
album within earshot, it’s time to have one last breather with the Cocktail
Party (Interlude),a funky little instrumental with some sublime Piano,
Jazzy guitar and synth elements to help you kick back for just a few moments. From
there its into the penultimate track Glimmerman, which sees the final
appearance of Shaz Illyork. A heavy pounding track that has the vibe of a movie
soundtrack, which fits perfectly with visions created by Shaz’s lyrical
storyline. It’s now time to hit the End of the Line with Cappo. The
pounding beat and freaky orchestral track creates a surreal vision as Cappo
finishes off the opposition by raining down lyrical fire and brimstone and we
are left with a vision of the album cover as it reaches its climax.
Overall Postcards from the Edge is the perfect encapsulation
of that 90’s Hip Hop Boom Bap vibe. But, more than that it is a boom Bap vibe
mixed with visionary sounds to bring you the kind of musical sound scape that
puts you instantly in mind of floating on the seas in a rowing boat as you
navigate a storm that could be a physical one or just as easily be a mental
image created by the listener. Either way the experience keeps you captivated
from start to finish, be it bouncing around or floating aimlessly.
Qred has produced the kind of album that would be at home
even if it had no guest emcees at all. Even then it would be an awesome
listening experience but, add to that the slick cuts from DTM and that
collection of guests and this album most definitely knocks the bar up a few
notches and with 2020 slowly drawing to a close, this album has to be up there
with the best of them and not just in terms of it being a production driven
album but, also simply as a straight up Hip Hop album.
The choice of guest emcees for the album highlights some
talent from the new and the more well-established names and from both sides of
the pond. All the emcees handle themselves well and compliment the beats
provided by Qred. The more I hear these production driven albums the more it
highlights, to me, that not only is Hip Hop alive and well but, it is universal
and brings people together as one.
I would be misplaced if I did not mention the amazing cover
artwork from the one and only Junior Disprol who captured the essence of the
album perfectly.
All in all, this is one for your collection and there are
some pretty wicked packages put together too so, go cop one.
Postcards From The Edge is released by Boom Bap
Professionals (BBP69) and is available from today. Be sure to check the Ready
For Whatever Single (BBP67) and the Mixtape from the Edge (BBP68) as well,
links below.
Huge thanks to Qred for sending this to me and to Junior
Disprol for linking me with Qred.
Peace Out,
Steve.
LINKS
Will open in a new window
Buy Postcards From The Edge Here:
https://boombappro.com/album/postcards-from-the-edge-bbp69
Get the Mixtape From The Edge Here:
https://boombappro.com/album/mixtape-from-the-edge-bbp68
Get Ready For Whatever single Here:
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