The Grouch

Despite a faithful worldwide following, I’ve never been much of a fan of the Living Legends crew, aside from a few random tracks and the recent work of Murs. It’s not that they’re bad MCs, but their beat selection often leaves something to be desired. However, with his newest solo release, the Grouch surpasses LL’s previous lo-fi recordings with slick production that’s both catchy and creative, utilising interesting and intense samples for a big sound. "Favorite Folks” uses a high-pitched, sustained synth to add emphasis to a clubby drum and synth production; "Show You The World” mixes synth builds, drum rolls and high-pitched scratch-style effects to make a slow jam slamming; and "The Bay to LA” adds big bass, more high-pitched scratching and some vocal "ahhs” to a simple, hyphy-style track, all to good effect. Even mellower opener "Watch Watch” is a smooth head-nodder that quickly draws in the listener. The Grouch also drops knowledge when he castigates clones, redefines artsy, discusses the death throes of the indie store, uses yard work as a metaphor for music and presents ode after ode to his home turf of the Bay. Maybe the Living Legends are finally ready to receive some recognition outside of the underground.