Jus Frais

Despite the title, these stories aren't lullabies to help one transition to sleep, but are instead dirty ditties designed to heat things up in the bedroom. There's a lot of sex talk throughout this eight-track EP, with further emphasis on getting high and bragging about rap skills. The EP opens with "On and On," a song that, as its name impolies, tends to go on and on, for more than five minutes. The bass and synth, which make up the self-produced sounds found herein, are funky, while Jus Frais's liberal use of "boy" pulls the song together with a cool little technique, but the vocals are wedged between long intro and outro instrumental sections ― two minutes could have easily been shaved. "Only Tried" follows; it's another five-minute track, and the singing on the hook and chill vibe of the instrumental would make it the most accessible song on the album, except the hi-hat sounds like a bottle being smashed; it's an interesting sample choice that's at first grating but quickly grows on you. These are the only two solo tracks ― the rest of the album features appearances from a bunch of Halifax up-and-comers mostly. But it's the Dirty South double-time raps of Mr Wellz on "Like This" that stand out most, while "Beat That," with Heartz and the Ecliptic, sounds like a Bay Area jam, in the vein of Too Short and Ant Banks. Sure, a few songs could have been edited down to more manageable lengths (including the instrumental outro), but Jus Frais's Lullabies & Other Bedtime Stories is still a dope little EP for those who dig sex and weed raps.