Waveriders. Real
quick. Have you listened to the song
"Whales" off of Hail Mary
Mallon's latest album Bestiary? Or better yet, have you seen the official
music video for "Whales"?
No? Well then it's time to
rectify that unfortunate oversight! The
aforementioned video is embedded at the bottom of this article so scroll down, watch
the greatness unfurl before your very eyes, and then resume reading in two
minutes and fifteen seconds once the video is over. Go ahead.
Enjoy yourselves.
Fantastic, right!? I
know! Everything about this song works
for me. The lyrics are absurd and
absurdly entertaining. The beat is
incredibly simple, allowing the vocalists to dominate the listener's
attention. Speaking of attention, thanks
to it's two minute run time the song doesn't have the chance to wear out it's
welcome. In my mind it's nearly
perfect! Also, the video is ridiculous. So what about the rest of the album? I'm glad you asked.
A little background information first. Hail
Mary Mallon is a hip-hop power trio made up of Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic,
and DJ Big Wiz. Besides delivering the vocals Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic also handle all production duties. DJ Big
Wiz is responsible for the turntablism.
Bestiary is their second album.
From the first moments of Bestiary the listener knows they're in for something very different
than anything they might have come across on the radio/tv. The lyrical delivery does not follow
standardized patterns on several occasions.
Different rhythms to complement all sorts of different rhymes. Also the production is borderline
ominous. The way the bass lines and
beats percolate through the speakers keeps the listener on edge from start to
finish.
Bestiary is an
incredibly cohesive album. The songs,
while distinct, readily flow into one another.
"Whales" is definitely my favorite track but I am also
incredibly partial to "Dollywood", "King Cone", and album
opener "Jonathan". Bottom line
waveriders? Click on the second embedded
video, listen to the entire album of musical goodness while watching someone
who is far better at playing Donkey Kong than anyone has any right to be, and
then buy your own copy of Bestiary. Hail Hail
Mary Mallon! We (or at least I)
thank you for making music more interesting.
-Penfold
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