The Phoenix Network:
The Phoenix
Boston
|
Portland
|
Providence
STUFF Boston
WFNX
Live Radio
|
On Demand
Tu Boston
About
|
Advertise
Adult
|
Moonsigns
|
Band Guide
|
Blogs
|
In Pictures
Music
See all in CD Reviews
EMA | Past Life Martyred Saints
CD Reviews
Sleep | Hesitation Wounds
Strange Famous (2009)
By
CHRIS FARAONE
|
June 16, 2009
Sleep | Hesitation Wounds
" alt="photo of 'Sleep | Hesitation Wounds'">
3.0
Stars
On the subterranean-rap-hustle manifesto "Get It," from his new
Hesitation Wounds
, Portland (Oregon) MC Sleep rhymes, "I'll murder a set. . . . I'm kind of a big deal, you just ain't heard of me yet." This is especially true on the East Coast, where the prominent Oldominion crew that Sleep helped found a decade ago have yet to register with many heads who don't masturbate to rare Hieroglyphics album covers. That's unfortunate — especially for fast-rap aficionados who enjoy doseone tangents and Tonedeff mechanics.
A gifted motormouth with tangible content
and
metaphors galore, Sleep doesn't rap for kids who pretend they know what El-P is talking about. He represents the melodic underground, where beats challenge but rarely overpower. There's no sugar here, but spoonfuls of organic-sounding drums and choral hooks make his medicine go down smoothly.
It took six listens before
Hesitation Wounds
activated my neurons. (Okay, I was cruising for bangers on the first few spins.) As it turns out, Sleep's melodramatically symphonic third solo outing is intended as a front-to-back, all-or-nothing experience. That said, "Orchestra of Strangers" and "Lothar" with Del tha Funkee Homosapien could stand alone and maybe even excite the most pedestrian of hip-hop palettes.
Topics
:
CD Reviews
,
Entertainment
,
Hip-Hop and Rap
,
Music
,
More
,
Entertainment
,
Hip-Hop and Rap
,
Music
,
Underground Hip-Hop
,
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
,
hip-hop
,
rap
,
Tonedeff
,
Sleep
,
Sleep
,
Less
|
More
view all
ARTICLES BY CHRIS FARAONE
DON'T TAZE US, WE'RE WITH THE MEDIA
| June 01, 2012
As the Veterans for Peace led marchers into the mayhem of last month's NATO protest in Chicago, photographers and cameramen from major media outlets rode ahead of the pack on a double-decker bus.
ON-THE-GROUND UPDATES: DISPATCHES FROM NATO-CHICAGO
| May 18, 2012
I wasn't even at Daley Plaza for two minutes when I ran into Vermin Supreme ...
MICHAEL GUGLIELMO SOLDIERS ON
| May 16, 2012
Despite his sickness and small stature, Giovanni Guglielmo was a bona fide celebrity.
ROLLING THICK WITH BEN LASHES, SCUMBAG STEVE, AND THE BAD BOYS OF ROFLCON
| May 07, 2012
There's a jovial shit-mouthed wise-ass standing in an outdoor foyer at MIT, chain-smoking Newports and hitting on every girl who walks by.
HERBAL BLISS AT YOUR DOORSTEP
| April 26, 2012
You squint through the peephole: your expected visitor appears trustworthy enough, with a tech-chic denim-and-boots look. It's not like he's up to anything too sketchy — just trying to match you with a weed vaporizer fit for your lifestyle — so you invite him in and offer a seat.
See all articles by:
CHRIS FARAONE
LATEST SLIDESHOWS
GOP runners for federal office get squirrely; Dems and independents share answers
Photos: The Kastaways, Maine’s first all-mascot band
All Slideshows
Featured Articles in CD Reviews
:
Zambri | House of Baasa
Beach House | Bloom
Santigold | Master Of My Make-Believe
Jack White | Blunderbuss
Alabama Shakes | Boys & Girls
|
Sign In
|
Register
thePhoenix.com:
Home
Listings
Editor's Picks
News
Music
Film + TV
Food + Drink
Life
Arts
Rec Room
Video
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
Boston Phoenix
Portland Phoenix
Providence Phoenix
STUFF Boston
WFNX Radio
People2People
MassWeb Printing
G8Wave
About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Advertise With Us
Work For Us
Sitemap
RSS
Mobile
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2012 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group