It's been a minute since we got the High & Mighty debut album "Home Field Advantage". And despite them and their name staying prominent in the game, it's still not like it used to be: Rawkus their double partner is gone, and the whole indy, 12", Lyrics Lounge type movement lost a lot of its momentum. What in a way is reflecting on this album, that's more an EP: there's less guests on here, and the whole thing is oddly enough less flashy. Instead the twosome of Mighty Mi and Mr. Eon took into account what always truly made them, they boiled their formula down to these essentials, what they then attack on eight songs and two skits.

You can say whatever you want about Mr. Eon's voice, but the craftsmanship of him putting words together works properly, despite him failing to change his flow from time to time. What then also means that you can't expect hearing new Eon world tales: he still talks about all the pleasantries, games and distractions this world has to offer. As well as continuously letting us know how cool, good, dope, grand, and whatnot he is. So he manages to still give us the rhymes that make him sounds somewhat innocent, and as if he's stumbling into all these scenarios without his true intentions. And while we can't really complain about that, it doesn't prevent the guest from taking away much of the lyrical excitement. Like when Copywrite speaks on his superiority on "Nowhere To Hide At", that at the same time then includes verses on his shifted perspective of reason. Havoc makes a surprise appearance on "You Don't Wanna Fuck Wit", that also includes the long lost R.A. the Rugged Man, with everyone talking about their own way of messing with what's considered to be a good citizen. Lastly, there's Cage who drops by on "More In Outs", that not only considering the title is a part two to the previous adventures of the Smut Peddlers, but also the beat is very similar in vibe to the first part.

And speaking of beats, this might be where the biggest improvement can be found. Although improvement might be the wrong word, because Mighty Mi is very much not abandoning what he used to do. But he has now completely fine tuned his style, what then results in the beats on here being very much Milo, but very much more banging. All the beats got the potential to get the adrenaline hyped, get you stomping and get your head nodding. And if looking for the peaks that even rise higher amongst the mountain tops, there's "Artillery", that has a wicked xylophone stabbing the back rows, there's the old school homage (more of that is explored on "Illadel Jackmove", that goes for a jackin' for legendary Philly beats and flows), as well as DJ cut "Mighty Mi In The Land Of Deadstock", where we are going through some favorite moments of the past, that is held together with a rolling piano providing the platform the sample sentences are put upon. Despite "And Then" only being a skit, there's still rhyming happening (Eon talks about food), and the minimal beat, with the singing and repetitive 'and then' voice, is giving you something soulish, with a dope taste.

So all the professional doubters will most likely still find something to complain about. But those that check this out without the ready diss almost dropping off the tongue, will have to agree, that this record is actually good. And while we shouldn't be, we still can't hide that we are quite a little bit surprised about that.