Rating: NNNN
Ask 12 people what their favourite track is on Grand Analog’s third album and you’ll get 12 different answers. That’s because each has its own distinct flavour. Take the Latin brass on Lion Head, the reggae vibes on Unbearable Lightness, the rap-battle-worthy verses on The Great Rhyme Dropper featuring Shad, the summerlicious warm groove of Sly & the Family Stone-esque Howl (Like Wolves), the stunning female vocals on retro synth-poppy Heart The Lonely Hunter. Yet there’s a thread that holds it very much together. Warren Bray’s ever-present funky bass? Yes. And certainly frontman Odario Williams’s rhymes, which make him both modern-day Toronto sociologist and bigger-life-question navel-gazer.
Organic, funk-laden rap ‘n’ roll. Does it diminish the album to say that everyone will like it – hip-hop heads, vinyl junkies and current pop radio fans alike? It shouldn’t. The album doesn’t blend and water down influences, it sharpens each flavour with delicate execution, making for a very satisfying meal.
Top track: Heart The Lonely Hunter feat. Amanda Balsys
Grand Analog play the Drake Hotel Tuesday (August 20).
