Shad & Skratch Bastid

While we wait for Shad to deliver an official follow-up to the critically-acclaimed, Polaris Prize-shortlisted TSOL, he's tiding us over with The Spring Up EP, a batch of tracks the Vancouver-based MC cooked up with one of Canada's finest DJs and turntablists, Skratch Bastid. The Spring Up was actually recorded after the sessions for Shad's upcoming Flying Colours full-length were completed, on which the duo collaborate extensively, and it finds Shad in freeform mode. On "Classic," the ever-modest Shad puffs his chest out just a little bit overtop Skratch Bastid's frenetic cuts and Jazzy Jeff's horn- and siren-fuelled beat. In marked contrast, "Outta My Head" finds Shad riding a celestial Shuggie Otis sample, struggling to get out of bed, displaying the introspective insight that draws fans to his albums. Shad's inimitable deadpan humour and understated societal critiques are also on display on the Cadence Weapon-featuring "Homie," where he alludes to being overly screened at airports due to his toothpaste and then, before you know it, he's moved on to another topic. However, don't let this give you the impression The Spring Up is a throwaway set of tracks. There's chemistry between Shad and Skratch Bastid, and this five-track EP definitely raises the anticipation for more of the same when Flying Colours eventually drops.