Flobots

It could have been nerd-hop, it had all the ingredients, but it isn’t. Upon further review, it turns out that Fight with Tools, the first major label release by Denver based Flobots, does set itself apart and is saying something. The group consist of six members, two MCs (Brer Rabbit and Jonny 5) and four backing musicians, including Mackenzie Roberts, a classically trained violist who stands out on every track she performs on. While they all cite different influences, Digable Planets and the Roots seem to have had the deepest impact on their sound, which comes across as spoken word more than rapping, infused with an eclectic array of live instrumentation. Politically conscious, the Colorado five have soaked global occurrences in these tumultuous times and spit them back with their own take, which for the most part isn’t doom and gloom but rather positive. Resurrecting names like Anne Braden, Jacobo Arbenz and Salvadore Allende is not exactly conducive to easy listening but it does encourage further research into what this band are trying to say and what they want to achieve, which seems to be their goal.