Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Audacity LP by Ryan Stone & DJ The EmCee


     Growing up, my mother would always say to me, "Vinny, if you don't have time to do things right the first time, you don't have time to do it at all!" She would usually yell that to me after I'd show her a project for school I barely put any effort or time into. So, why am I telling you about how I did things quickly and poorly throughout my youth? The answer: to show that while I don't have the ability to make a great piece of art in a timely manner, Ryan Stone and DJ The EmCee do.

     The Audacity LP, Stone & DJ's debut project, was recorded and mixed in only two weeks! At first, that was a bit of a concern because two weeks doesn't sound like anywhere near-enough time to release a decent sounding project. However, it was for this New Jersey based duo, and they were able to put together a body of work worthy of everyone's ears! 

     The production of every track is credited to Ryan Stone, in addition, he also rapped on every track too. Ryan's production style proved to be very versatile, while keeping his sound within the album's theme which was a live performance at a jazz lounge. The project's thematic sound is something that may be new to a lot of listeners, and while they didn't create a scene as vivid an detailed as the smoky jazz-lounge featured on Ray's Cafe, by Ray West and OC, they still do a commendable job at putting the listener into a specific atmosphere, and that is no easy task. There are, however, various skits throughout the album, though that's simply to pull the listener more in-depth into their story. 

     In terms of the actual beats, all of them are pretty solid, especially the beat from the best track on the album, "Everything" which has this head-nod inducing boom-bap feel that will absolutely captivate anyone who listens to it! Ryan's repertoire definitely includes a boom-bap sound, but by no means is it limited to that, as he shows throughout the album.

     Lyrically, both Dj The EmCee and Ryan Stone are fairly sharp. There are some tracks that their flows seem a bit off (ShowBiz) but the lyrics are still pretty solid. These guys aren't dropping mind blowing lyrics that will change the way people look at the world, but they aren't being cliche' with their lyrics either, and that's what matters most. Both DJ and Stone have a few verses on the album that will surprise some listeners mainly because of how talented they can be. Both artists posses a large amount of lyrical skill, though, their raw flow and delivery can get in the way of those lyrics that would otherwise make listeners do a double take.

     Additionally, there are some strong features on The Audacity LP, as artists such as Uptown XO, Gone Wallace, AB The Pro, Autumn LaBella plus more make an appearance on the project! The features were well placed, and they don't seem to dilute the album by any means. The features were put on songs that fit their style, and often times artists will overload their debut project with features that just don't fit, but Stone and DJ did not have this issue by any means.

     The Audacity LP is a very entertaining project, and is a very fun listen. This is the kind of album listeners should play all the way through as they sit down and relax. This is a versatile project from the beats to the lyrics, and it honestly has a little something for everyone. The only downside to this project is the sometimes below-par flows from the two rhymers, otherwise, it's a great debut album that will hopefully be the first of many releases from the duo. All in all, I can truthfully say that this is the best album I've ever heard that was mixed and recorded in only two weeks. Check out The Audacity LP and comment what you think on the album!


     




2 comments:

  1. thanks so much man, I really appreciate you taking the time to write this up. glad you enjoyed and thanks for the constructive criticism!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for making some dope music!

    ReplyDelete

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Created in 2013, The Under-Cover Album Review strives to bring the world quality music, by quality artists. This motto will continue to be our foundation as we move forward in time.

-Vinny Sciascia, Creator & Operator