Hymie's Basement - Hymie's Basement
[Lex Records]

Any collaboration with Anticon supremo Why? should surely result in a warped, spaced out hip-hop classic. Instead, along with Fog under the alias of Hymie's Basement (the studio where this was recorded), they've produced the finest slacker album since Beck's 'Odelay'. Without all the irony though, obviously.

Thankfully, there's elements of each other's work mixed together, namely Why's? twisted lyrics and sniffs of his recent solo LP 'Oaklandazulasylum'. But it's the overall live, analogue feel which is the key to their success, with only occasional hints of studio trickery such as cut up vocals.

The most notable point to make is these are 'proper' songs with hardly any experimentation, just simple ace tunes with real melodies and arrangements. What exactly is sampled and what is played is baffling, there's a fair amount of live instrumentation present but these days it means nothing - especially with such quality producers involved.

Tracks like the opening '21st Century Pop Song' will linger in your head for weeks and true to its word, it's a fantastic catchy pop offering with the best chorus ever. It's numbers like 'Suite Of The Fearless Tall Dude Killers' which will get the pretentious cult fanbase drooling, with a sinister piano drenched in echo, it could be an old melancholic theme to an obscure French love film.

With influences ranging from downbeat hip-hop breaks, country, folk and rock, it's certainly an album full of surprises. A remarkable down to Earth and heartfelt release, something both artists should be incredibly proud of.