Why? - Elephant Eyelash
[Anticon]

Anticon's eccentric MC, poet and multi-instrumentalist Why? unveils his second full length solo LP, after the dizzying spectacle that was debut album Oaklandazulasylum.

With Elephant Eyelash, Why? has developed his solo work into a live band scenario intead of the sketchy samples and rustic hip hop of its predecessor. Tracks are now composed of acoustic guitars, live drums and layers of rhythmic percussion, which at times lead into the similar paths as used by Piano Magic.

Influences are more than evident, but are all tweaked with Why?'s unique wit and wide-eyed view on composing. Beck's Spanish rhythms and slacker country guitars make Rubber Traits the perfect Summer tinged soundtrack, Waterfalls is the psych-folk oddity of the Animal Collective and elsewhere, Pavement, Radiohead, hip hop, country, post rock and blues all make appearances.

The most striking factor is the ease of listening and accessibility of every song. There's no difficult experimentation or thought-provoking avante-garde hip hop which you would usually associate with Anticon, but plenty of chorus, catchy melody and a uplifting atmosphere shines throughout the whole album.

One thing can be heard during Elephant Eyelash, which is Why? reinventing himself as some sort of psychedelic hip-hop future-folk star and it's simply jaw-dropping. One of Anticon's best releases and one which may see this eccentric genius hit the commercial big time.