Sicko-Fancy
label: two syllables, sounds like

producers: two syllables, sounds like

guests: linda rodriguez, chas & pat.
year of release: 2002
 
You can be excited that I am going to review your record. And I can be flattered that you are excited. However, that doesn't make a record better, only the relationship a little more friendly 'wassup', until the review appears. As I can't write too many good words about this record, that is called "Sicko-Fancy" from the group Two Syllables, Sounds Like, who are James Everett on Guitar and Bass, Greg Maurer on Bass and Guitar, Aaron Hauser on Keyboard and Beatbox, Marty Benson on words and Matt Greene on drums, percussion and the whatnot (to copy the credits). And that's exactly what's mainly wrong with this record: live instruments. They rarely, or never with exceptions, work. And we're not talking about the odd keys and vibes here and there, but about doing everything with live instruments. That just too often sounds wrong. It does so for the big part on here.

tracklisting
1. Open Your Face
2. Reverse Song
3. Self-Portrait
4. The Book Sale
5. A Hip-Hop Song
6. Have Sex To This Track
7. Summer Song
8. An Angry Song
9. Color Contrast Contracted
10. Boob Spoons
11. All's Well That Bends Well
12. Do It Yourself
13. Baboon Gorilla Funk
14. I Suck And What Do I Mean
With a notable few exceptions, like "Reverse Song", where the guitar gives this a certain "Ill Communication" quality. There's also "The Book Sale", where the music is kept to a minimum, and exchanged with a beat box. This minimalist approach is unfortunately sounding better than the musicianship. However, not counting the notable exceptions like "Summer Song", where Two Syllables actually does what should be done with live instruments: you do something smooth and grooving, something that goes with the words, and that doesn't want to force itself upon the song with a complex composed background. Cause on "Summer Song" we are transformed into this season, and especially in the winter times this song sounds very good. Now if only the mixing could have been a little less live performance and a little more studio enhanced. Nevertheless, this is, musically, the best song on here.
"Color Contrast Contracted" has drive and a remote Caribbean riddim, what we appreciate. The vibes are also nicely fitting, as are the off to the left sounds of "All's Well That Bends Well", that pair nicely with the guitar. And when then the chorus rises up, the music is excellent, but more in a pop context than a hip hop context. And it would make more sense to hear someone singing over this nevertheless good song. The album then is wrapped up with "I Suck And What Do I Mean" where the beatbox is offering the sole background for Marty's rhyming.
That is also giving us a hard time. Because he's one of those poetic emcees that slurs the words and that asks a lot from us to follow his every single letter. And that's more than we are oftentimes willing to spend. Hence most of his rhetoric is somewhere lost in the murk, while the meaning is somewhere lost in the never changing flow's style. With the one exception of "A Hip-Hop Song" that is catching us with something we enjoy, as Marty speaks about how he was made to write a battle rhyme. This little tale of challenge is nicely told and thus lyrically our favourite. Because even on the best songs, like "Summer Song", Marty fails to speak on summer issues, but he continues this poetic verseing.
You can't argue away that it's interesting to listen to this record. As a project, a way of expression it's not lacking quality. That's however like a study case. But for the listener, who also asks to find a certain degree of enjoyment in the music he listens to in his free time, this fails to offer that.
review: tadah
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