Thirsty Fish

Spawned from the mighty Project Blowed, aquatically-themed rap group Thirsty Fish combine the nerdy subject matter and smooth flows of videogame designer/rapper Psychosiz and art rap/party rapper Open Mike Eagle with the oddball humour of Grindtime Now battle rapper Dumbfoundead, all members of the larger Swim Team, as well as expert freestyle MCs with progressive rap styles. Their debut release was well received, and their sophomore album comes courtesy of freak-friendly label Mush. And, yeah, Watergate contains battle raps, and lots of punch lines, but Thirsty Fish also mock hipsters on "Ducks Fail," give the women of their lives, "from the innocent and bright to the independent type," respect on "Girls... Or... Like" and "avoid messiness" (and the use of the word "love") with "The Like Song." Also, despite a fairly varied selection of producers, Watergate is a surprisingly unified album that successfully combines experimental and accessible sounds. Loden's sparse, up-tempo synth beat for "Sounds Like Rap" helps start the album out with a bang, but other standouts include Exile's Hawaiian-waltz splice for "Director's Cut," Tokimonsta's speakeasy jazz for "Grind It Out," Awkward's busy, drum-dominated "Initiation" and Daedelus's merging of Robotron, '80s pop and honky-tonk for "Ducks Fail." Watergate is a fun, artsy album filled with humorous, witty lyrics, demonstrations of vocal prowess and catchy but unique beats. Plus, at only ten songs, it'll leave listeners looking for more.