Do not judge a book by the cover. Same goes for an album. However, if we, for one moment, allow us to just do that, this would be considered a very good album. A thoughtful, well executed, surprisingly fresh and different album. Listening to the album, on the one hand, not much changes, and the impression the cover gives us, can be upheld by much of the album. But the cover of course is not appealing to some of you guys. The high school theme can bring back some horrible memories. And this album will not please everybody as well. There are people that didn't like the Visionaries first long player "Galleries", and they will most likely not like this one too.

Okay, okay. The Vis' are not doing anything remotely close to the norm and that's not something to complain about. Nevertheless it will be like the high school teacher, who praised unconformity by a renown writer, but denounced yours. These cats, while being renown in the backpack circle, will just as unrightfully be denounced by those that have to widen their horizon.

Quite sarcastically, the Visionaries call their new album "Sophomore Jinx". Even more sarcastically, some tracks really seemed to be jinxed. However, there's little to criticize about a track like "Making Things Right". A bluesy, funky beat hops along with the emcees flowing, bragging, explaining, rapping. And a barbecue could be a much friendlier place if "L.A. Fresh" is played, may it be left or right of the Rocky Mountains. Luckily the vibe of the track is taking away much of the attention from the emcees, that seem to be rather chilling near the grill too, hence they are not really saying much, though kicking "as time flies friendly skies / Visionaries take the red out your eyes".

The album becomes melancholy on "Tipping The Scales", one of the obligatory 'I'm staying independent' cuts, that does take it one step further, with asking questions, raising spiritual words and imagining to "be on God's guestlist". Borrowing the structure of N.W.A.'s "Gangsta Gangsta", "Self Sufficient" is another track that renews the argument of staying independent. While "Come One Come All", unfortunately, has some confusing rhyme styles over a rather weak beat, that easily could be considered a Freestyle Fellowship rip off. And as the album advances to "Together Or Separate", an Italian harmonica is combined with a choir from the middle ages, that seems to be a strange combination, but works in an odd way. "Who?!" hides a nice bubble sound effect, that is somewhat dragging behind, but actually intends to sound like that. Another proud self manifestation can be found on "Thicken Up". And while "Reach" and "Somersault Suicide" succeed, "Top Choice" stops somewhere in the middle of being atmospheric or dark, without committing to neither of both.

And this can be considered the biggest mistake of this album, that it tried to be different, but its feet strongly remain on the organic side of the spectrum. While it's not evein on the spaced out cosmic side, it sometimes faces a hard time to come with some mind blowing elevation. And the emcees here and there fall prey to struggling to find that next dope line, what doesn't help much also. And so the Visionaries unfortunately are too often corrupting what they are good at, while trying to do something separateble.

What are harsh words for an album that is not really bad, although it's not thorougly good either. It has it's own distinctive style, that does not lack a pleasing charm. But as the listeners has a bunch of other styles to chose from, that are all coming from the same school of thought, that even sound more matured, this fails in being a dope progression of the first album. But it succeeds as a reinvention, that then will hopefully be fine-tuned on the next album.