Aesop Rock Spirit World Field Guide
Music, Sounds

REVIEW: Aesop Rock, Spirit World Field Guide

by Darcy MacDonald

“The indie hip hop stalwart returns with his typical panache for bringing both quality and quantity of words, beats and concepts to rap’s rescue.”


Aesop Rock, Spirit World Field Guide (Rhymesayers)

Four years gone from his last solo outing, the Impossible Kid, the indie hip hop stalwart returns with his typical panache for bringing both quality and quantity of words, beats and concepts to rap’s rescue. If any single rapper can be appreciated for constantly switching the code to his signature style in rejuvenating fashion, it’s the NYC-to-L.A. transplant, now in his third decade of blending oddball notions into crisp, calculated cuts. Like the spirit world Aes Rizzle endeavours here to map, don’t mistake his friendly ghost-flow for a deficit of menace. If ever a year required a Def-Jukian reminder that it’s a cold world out there, Rock got back right on time. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Gauze”

“Gauze” from Spirit World Field Guide by Aesop Rock

For more about Aesop Rock, please visit his Rhymesayers page.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

Posted in Music, Sounds

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.