Uncle Travelling Matt

Apparently, Uncle Travelling Matt wants to make hip-hop fun again. At least that's what he says repeatedly on "It's Time," the third track on Postcards from the Edge. The problem is that Matt's brand of fun is the hip-hop equivalent of wearing a really loud Hawaiian shirt and an outlandish hat to a house party. He knows how "fun" he is and he wants to make sure you know too. The result is an album ankle-deep in weird, bouncy beats, TV and movie samples and far-too-cute personal anecdotes about being a film geek ("Film School"), how little Matt likes dance music ("House and Hip-Hop") and an awkward personal injury ("Scars"). Postcards isn't without bright spots. "Banyen Books" is an absolutely hilarious rip on his hippie former employers and "De La Soul is Alive" is a solid tribute to one of his favourite albums. Postcards is proof that Uncle Travelling Matt is still trying to find the line between fun and novelty act.