Passage

Number one, this is an Anticon record. You should expect: rappers that sound like your next door neighbour, younger cousin, or librarian, but practiced; lyrics with very loose links from line to line; and beats and melodies made from what sounds like childhood electronics and other oddities. Check, check, check for Passage (aka David Bryant), the 24-year-old singer/ rapper/ programmer that is also part of another Anticon trio called Restiform Bodies. In some contexts, Passage’s nasal singing and rapping voices would be considered flat out bad, but in this context both are honed weapons of independent rap — designed to strike do-it-yourself inspiration into the hearts of bedroom rapper-programmers everywhere. Notably, Passage strays from the formula by incorporating some nice guitar-based tracks to the electronic basics, and it’s on these guitar tracks that his singing voice gets the indie rock connotations it needs to bracket it properly. Bottom line: there’s a lot going on, which can make the album seem disorganised and uninspired, but after a few listens it becomes clear that Passage does alright in his organised mess.