polaroids of androids

On this record's opening track, Uplift, lyricist Solo touches on Horrorshow's place in the local hip-hop community. He explains one of the meanings behind the album's title as well, insisting that their sound exists in 'the grey area' of the genre - somewhere between the cool indie kids, the backpack-wearing b-boys and the toughies. The group aren't overly politically focused, don't have enough up-tempo bop to create breakdancing accompaniments and have no want to be wanna-be gangstas. Grey is a very appropriate label and the middle ground which the group playfully exist in is one of the key ingredients that makes this one of the most interesting and enjoyable local hip-hop releases in some time.

The level of detail in the production from the musical half of the group, Adit, is exceptional. The horns on the semi-Bloc Party inspired standout Waiting For The 504 are a small addition but give the song it's life, providing the any-day storytelling lyrics with a fitting inner-city backdrop. The stark, minimal nature of the piano loop of Dire Straits Pt 1 intertwines with a crackling tape hiss to create a dark down-tempo mood and act as the perfect framework to support much more meaning in the heart-felt, spoken word vocals. Across the majority of the record the complimentary production masterfully walks the line between being well structured and detailed, yet not over-powering the lyrics which, as is the case with all hip-hop records, are the undeniable focus.

The varied subject matter of the lyrical content (ranging from recreational drugs to young love) and the fact the songs do more than just trace the cliched template of chest thumping bragging, retract a lot of attention from the fact that Solo doesn't change his flow dramatically across the twelve tracks. Even with his somewhat stagnant delivery, Solo's lyrical abilities are on par with Australia's finest MC's and there is an endless series of quotable lines scattered across the release that forcefully demand the listener's attention. That said, if the Aussie accent hip-hop 'twang' annoys you (and I know a lot of people struggle to get past it) then you probably won't be able to get to the quality of this record, as Solo's voice doesn't sound too dissimilar to that of The Tongue, Ozi Batla, Urthboy, MC Suffa and the majority of other local rappers currently doing the rounds.

The group only falter when they try to drag their sound into territory it's not suited for, as is the case with the 'summer party jam' All Summer Long. This song and it's follow-up, Put It To Your Head, sound painfully forced and almost completely railroad what is - up to that point - a highly enjoyable album. The group do successfully end the record on a strong note, however, with the prog-rap, guitar solo laced closer Note To Self (No. 81) and it's spoken word 'hidden' add-on playing a lot more to the duo's strengths of dark production and believable, introspective rhymes.

For those like me, who have almost completely given up on mainstream local hip-hop and it's continual rehashing of ideas and formulas - then this record will go along way to restoring your faith. The highlights heavily outweigh the down moments and while this still feels like it's a few steps behind it's international competitors in both creativity and originality it is definitely a move in the right direction.