Vast Aire

Regardless of how transient his career may be, it’s hard to forget the anguished voice of Vast Aire. Although his solo efforts were never embraced like his group work with Cannibal Ox, Vast has the persona and artistry to hold his own. Dueces Wild is his most boastful work to date, his confidence at an all-time-high on the Pete Rock produced Can Ox reunion "Mecca and the Ox.” A master of similes, Vast Aire compares himself to everything under the sun with conviction. Utilising cultural references, Vast makes trivia interactive, nowhere demonstrated better than on "TV Land.” But the album’s playfulness and ease also prevent it from resonating the way Cold Vein did. Only "God of Air” offers fans the poetics Vast is capable of. If you ask Vast, he’ll tell you this is "the best music I've ever made,” but it’s not clear why.