Muneshine has released five solo albums and multiple group projects and collaborations since his debut album in 2005, including Juno-nominated work with D-Sisive. Still, lacking a unique voice, delivery or gimmick can make it difficult to stand out in an over-saturated crowd, regardless of Mune's no-nonsense approach to the music, the reliable consistency of his catalogue and his constant improvement. In Transit is his best album to date, held together by a loose concept — everything was written "in transit" — and anchored by a smooth boom-bap sound with a soulful R&B vibe featuring production from heavyweights like Exile, Elaquent, Oddisee and DJ Spinna. It's a great fit for Mune's laidback delivery, his braggadocio lyrics filled with alliterations, slant rhymes and sound-alike words that reward repeat replays — just check his verse on "Life Goes On" for an example of this dense wordplay.
He takes a break from being a braggart for album highlight "Venus & Mars," a love song to his wife with a chill "rock, rock on" chorus, and "Razor's Edge," his hair acting as a metaphor for change. If that's not enough, his guest picks are also impressive, with regular collaborators like D-Sisive, Moka Only and Ghettosocks joined by Sweatshop Union's Marmalade, Toronto underground legend Adam Bomb, Backburner's Timbuktu, DJ Skratch Bastid, British rappers SonnyJim and Jehst, and others. Muneshine may not reinvent the wheel on In Transit, but it's a scenic trip that should leave lyrical hip-hop heads happy.
(Scissor/Tommy Boy)He takes a break from being a braggart for album highlight "Venus & Mars," a love song to his wife with a chill "rock, rock on" chorus, and "Razor's Edge," his hair acting as a metaphor for change. If that's not enough, his guest picks are also impressive, with regular collaborators like D-Sisive, Moka Only and Ghettosocks joined by Sweatshop Union's Marmalade, Toronto underground legend Adam Bomb, Backburner's Timbuktu, DJ Skratch Bastid, British rappers SonnyJim and Jehst, and others. Muneshine may not reinvent the wheel on In Transit, but it's a scenic trip that should leave lyrical hip-hop heads happy.
