Adventures In Freestyle (Parental Advisory) [PA] - Freestylers > Reviews > A sure adventure

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	A fun mixxed bag of genre blurring tunes
Disadvantages:	Still not quite brilliant

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

As with all freestylers work, its hard to put a genre on it. This album is exactly the same as this. Mixxing heavy guitars, dance influenced samples, heavy beats of hip hop and the computery oddness of industrial, this album will surely have a track for everyone.

Coming in at just over an hour long (1:02.59) its a good long one in a market place flooded by an ever increasing amount of 40 minute albums that almost seem over before they've started.

So lets get down to it

TRACKS: (15)

IN THE BEGINNING (2:23)

A mix of samples and build up, this tune opens the album really well. At first I just skipped passed it feeling that nothing really happened, however then one day it was on and I was too far away from a skip button and realised this tune has a really good beat to it once it gets in, it kickc in at 1:23 of the song and can't help but get a bounce out of anyone. Its dirty hip hop at its best, which is odd as its leads up to...

SECURITY (4:56)

A fast paced little song with speed drums working through it. Gravelly vocals and muffled but fuzzed up guitar work. This song, if not for its obvious dance influence wouldn't be lost in a dark wave or industrial club. Hints of dark drum n bass never really make it to the forefront of the song due to its heavy lyrical content but it wouldn't be out of place alongside many songs recently featured in films such as the Blade trilogy.

COULD I BE DREAMING (4:24)

This is song is part pop, part hip hop. It starts of with a typical pop rock vocals. Sounding very much like a Filter song, it is turned on its head with some very accomplished rapping over it. A good beat, some great fuzzed guitar work again and good rapping. This song has not got faults.

FAST LIFE (4:35)

Now I've listened to this song a lot and for the life of me I can't decide what genre it is. Its very mid 90's dance, it could be prodigy except the vocals are all wrong, it could be dead prez but the music is completely wrong. So its love child of Prodigy and the Dead Prez.... I dunno. Whatever it is, its fast, its catchy and its great. Lyrically you may think its not the best (Fast cars, faster women) but listening further its not as bad as it sounds.

IN LOVE WITH YOU (4:02)

Not one of my favourite tunes of all time. You could go into any cheesey club and hear this tune. Its not that its terrible, its just that it could have been done by anyone at anytime. If this were to come on, it would be time to go to the bar and get the drinks in.

JUMP N TWIST (5:13)

Where as with the previous track you could go into any cheesey club and hear it. With JnT you could probably go into any good club and hear it. Again its gonna make you bounce, its a good little tune. Nothing really ever happens in it but thats not the point. You'd not leave the dance floor, you'd not request it. Generic as they come.

POCKETFUL OF SADNESS (4:01)

There is something about this song I just love. Its soulful, very soulful. You want jackson 5 style vocals over a song that has more groove and soul than every cliched 70's cop show, then this is for you. This one will have everyone singing along and strutting as if they were Huggy Bear

ELECTRIFIED (3:42)

A bit of a funk intro which then leads into some good british rapping then back into scratched up funk and THEN back into rapping. Its alright, but nothing really happens. Its good to tap your foot along to whilst chatting.

HARD TO STAY (4:14)

Another soulful song, except this one just hasn't got it like Pocketful of Sadness. Its nice, good female vocals over this one. This would probably chart well if it were a Christina Aguilera tune because thats basically what it is. Its nice.

PAINKILLER (4:26)

Again, this is genre's gone crazy. Drum n Bass, Crunk, Hip Hop, Rock.....its all there. Its vaguely like the transplants vs pendulum. Its fast, its furious. This is like doing shots at the bar with your mates. You're enjoying it, you're trying to win, you don't quite know whats going on and everyones definately having fun when its over.

TURN TO DUST (5:07)

The album does not slow down at all here. The hip hop lyrics fall away for a few shouted lyrics over a lovely little grinder. A song that would mix in well with anything in a good dance club. Its got the, now expected, mix of guitars with frenzied drums. A great break in the middle allows for bouncing and smiles all round on a dance floor or some great air drumming along with a CD at home. Nothing to fault this song but it just always seems a bit lacking in some places, no guts no glory. Give it a sub though and you will have the walls shaking.

OLD SKOOL FOOL (2:32)

Does exactly what it says on the tin. This is old skool rapping with old skool beats. If you like you broken down rap tunes, simple beat with good rapping then you'll like this one. This is right out of the 80s.

SO FINE (4:35)

70's funk, complete and utter 70's funk, oh and a little bit of 80's Michael Jackson (you'll hear it, Thriller is in there). There is something about this song you think you shouldn't like but you will like it. Oh you'll like it! This song is a cheesey masterpiece.

BEAT IT DOWN (4:53)

This sounds like a lot of UK Garage. Garage seems to have lost its identity recently. This is what Garage once was, great dance tunes with some brilliant hip hop overlaid on it. You won't often hear tunes like this played in clubs that much this days but this is definately a great tune to have on your headphones.

INFERNOS (3:50)

A nice little slow one to finish the album off. Some nice female vocals over the top of what is close to a backing that would sound great on any Dub album. This song has nice written all over it. There is no way you won't like it. You may be indifferent to it but there is nothing at all wrong with it. A lovely end to the album

VERDICT:

I like this album, I like it a lot. Its got some great fast parts to it. Some nice slow parts. Its got heavy guitars and brilliant hip hop moments. Yet somehow I feel somethings missing. I'm very glad I bought this album and I listen to it a lot but its not up there with the greats. It tries to mix just a little too much.

People buy albums these days after hearing certain tunes and this album has the ability to turn off many people that may love it because its tracks differ so much.

Saying that, its still very strong throughout with only a few songs that I'd skip passed.