Reviews
Jermiside and Brickbeats
The Red Giants
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2007-04-20
One thing that I don't hate hearing is hip hop. Even bad hip hop I get sent I still get excited about even for a moment -- at least before I find out how tired it is. What I really meant was that I'm happy to be reviewing a hip hop album because I like it so damned much, and because really my only source of new untapped hip hop is whatever Dan sends my way.
When I acquired a mitt full of CDs on one visit, I came into contact with Jermiside & Brickbeats. I immediately liked the name, and since I was going on a roadtrip eventually I knew the exact CD that I was going to queue up in the car. I have to be honest, it’s not your typical CD for the car, but it worked for me. I think more and more these days I have been enjoying hip hop CDs based on their artistic merit and not so much their ability to make me fall in love with the beat, which I think is a flaw that I have had in the past.
"Intro" is just that though, an intro. There’s not much going on, just sounds like I'm skipping through a forest and then some voice kicks in. It’s whatever, dude is talking, but it’s totally chill. I fear nothing.
"Magnificent" is tight. As always, I need you to pay attention to the bassline in this, but that’s because it’s just booming, and it loops so it always seems to begin this loop that I'm totally in love with it. This makes this one of my favourite songs, but the vocals are pretty wicked too.
Jermiside has some sicke rhymes in the first verse of this song, so I advise you to download this one and check it out if you like hip hop at all. They refer to their name as being “Magnificent” which I think is pretty hilarious because they ask a question and it’s answered with magnificent. That'd be a sicke name.
“F.P.” starts with some nice melodic guitar and then that fades out so the real beat can start. I like this beat -- I think it coulda rocked a little harder if needed, but for the type of track that “F.P.” is you need a beat like this. I don't mind the song despite its pace. The chorus is semi catchy, like it wouldn't be the first song that gets stuck in my head but it could totally get stuck in there.
"They Say" reaches into the bag of old hip hop tricks and mixes in some kids into the beat ala Jay-Z, except probably better than he did it. This song is pretty good, and the chorus is trippy. Brickbeats is singing "alright" over and over in the background while Jermiside is singing over top of that. To be honest, these vocals aren't bad. I thought after the first few tracks that they were going to do a very simple album in terms of lyrics but they have far surpassed my expectations.
"Good Morning America" is sad, it sounds sad, it’s supposed to be sad. It starts with this violin beat that is totally distant sounding, and you would want to listen to this song when you were upset and it’s raining outside -- suits that mood. The first thing that Jermiside raps about on this track is a pedophile priest, so most of the subject matter is pretty upsetting. He raps about black people that are stereotyped as the 5'11" African American that are seen at the crime, the Republican party's love for black people (sarcasm), and a whole bunch of stuff in the similar vein as above.
With this being 4/20, you might be in the mood for something chill, the type of hip-hop you could fill a room with bong smoke to and lose yourself in the beat. Well, if that is what you need, “Pair-A-Dice Island” is the elixir you crave. It’s chill in a way that I continue to want to listen to it, so you know that is a good thing. Most chill stuff doesn't always work, though for some reason Sublime has supremely perfected this art. The rapping is disgustingly good; it goes right with the beat but at quite an expedited pace, so it surprises me that the beat is like the chillest. I don't know what to tell you, but I think that I have found my favourite song on the album. Who doesn't like the spelling of the name of the track? I dare you to hate it.
In another tried and true hip-hop move, Jermiside and Brickbeats break out the violin in “Jealousy.” I mean, let’s face it: without a hard back beat I would not like this violin on its own, I bet. But with a bunch of layered production on top of it, I totally dig the song. The vocals are well done; they flow well with this beat despite the fact that the violin makes the song almost float by, so it’s hard to really find the spots that transition from verse to chorus. This is a good track, and I think you should listen to it if you want to truly get what Jermiside & Brickbeats are about.
This isn't the kind of hip hop album that everyone would enjoy. I like it because it’s talented, there’s a lot of range on the album and it’s better than I thought it would be after my initial listen. If you like gangster rap then don't bother with this, because the slim chance that you like it isn't worth your time.
Tracks to Hear: "Jealousy", "Pair-A-Dice Island", "Good Morning America", "They Say", "Magnificent", "Cowards Course", "F.P."
What was my virgin experience like with Jermiside & Brickbeats?
Was their unique style of rap enough to score high or low?
Score: 8.5
- Brandon