Review: Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too
By Sam Carroll, Contributor
[Big Dada: 2015]
Rating: 2/5
Key Tracks: “Rain or Shine,” “Old Rock N Roll”
Genre names can be so obscure that they may cause people to scratch their heads in confusion. Sometimes that scratching makes a bald spot. Scottish hip-hop trio Young Fathers falls into the shenanigans of genre labels.
White Men Are Black Men Too is considered “PBR&B” on its Wikipedia page. This makes the listener ask, “Is it supposed to emphasize the group’s hipster status?” or, “Is this just as nasty as PBR?” It doesn’t matter if PBR was used in the process of making this album or if it describes the genre. No amount consumed will make it sound any better.
“Still Running” launches the LP with a creepily whispered “Here’s another ticket” as a circus organ creates a repeating collection of puttering notes. The beat isn’t cheery, gloomy or moody--it just exists. It sounds like jogging music with elements taken from indie music.
The single “Rain or Shine” also starts with the tacky keyboard, but leads into a rhythm of thick drums and fat bass. The rough mix of the audio makes the beats sound like something that could’ve been used on early QOTSA or Desert Sessions material.
The song isn’t too unique with its lyrics. Opening with “No Jesus in my life / No demons in my life / Some say I’m shy / But I think I’m alright.” The beginning of the song has an introspective element, but shifts to criticize mindless following. “Let the tyrant right in / Feed yourself, feed your kin / There’s typhoid in the water (hysteria, hysteria) / And he’s giving out the orders.” It bounces back to the intro lyrics at the end, serving as a way to show how the trio stays true to itself. It’s nothing someone hasn’t heard before in some form or another.
“Old Rock N Roll” sounds like it was ripped from Tom Waits’ Real Gone: lo-fi and raw. The music has structure, but it sounds like a mess of noise and samples. “We living life like a bubble wrapped ape / I’m tired of blaming the white man / His indiscretion don’t betray him.” The lyrics alone show the group’s frustration about society, but doesn’t translate well into vocals. They’re nasally and words are indistinguishable, almost like mindless wailing.
Young Fathers incorporate electronica and samples of real instruments. Compared to American hip-hop, it’s a fresh take on the genre. The atmosphere assumes a darker tone than releases from Gucci Mane or Kendrick Lamar. The final product is best described as the lovechild between Portishead and Waits.
White Men Are Black Men Too takes the higher production found on 2014’s Dead and flips it upside down. It strips away the bass-heavy, downtempo beats in exchange for hip-hop with a lo-fi twist. White Men does a better job at showing its trip-hop roots, but doesn’t have the cohesiveness of Dead. The songs sound like an unorganized pile of samples recorded in a shack large enough for one person.
