After a few projects scattered over the past two decades, Busdriver is a veteran in the rap game, but much like his comrades, the whole Hellfyre Club thing seems to have brought new life to his career. I was never really a fan of Driver, but after hearing him on Dorner Vs. Tookie last year I was dying of anticipation for a solo album from this guy. Driver is one of those people who don't think on the same wavelength on the rest of us. A lot of what he says may sound like senseless jibberish, but in reality, this guy is probably just a lot smarter than the rest of us. He has musical ideas, and lyrics that are just incomprehensible, but still manage to sound pretty damn good. He also comes off as a very likeable guy. And even hilarious at times with witty punchlines, and ironic themes in his music. If you haven't noticed I just really like this guy's music, and this album is no exception. This album is fucking awesome. With that said, I have to go track by track on this one. Brace yourself for a long ass review, loyal readers.
1. Retirement Ode
This is exactly the type of song I was talking about when it comes to the eccentric nature of Driver. The beat is choppy, with vocal samples and clicking noises and drums and synth, and it's absolutely all over the place. A phrase I'd use to describe this, as well as a lot of Driver's production is "controlled frenzy." He puts noises together, mashes them into a beat and somehow comes out with an awesome instrumental. Driver takes this time to introduce himself with the verses, and rather than a hook, there are intermissions in which he lists all of the expenses on the album. Some of the numbers sound absolutely ridiculous, but with as big as the production is, I wouldn't be surprised if this album did cost a lot of fucking money.
2. Bliss Point
Another Driver produced song that just works. I don't know how to explain it, but it works. On here, our host showcases his wacky, fast paced, eccentric flow, as well as his subtle sense of humor. We are also introduced to his singing voice, which has a very polarizing affect on fans, but I really love it. There is something that warms my heart about a rapper who insists on singing off key. The second verse of this song is what I find really interesting, because instead of the vocals being the center of attention over the beat, it's like his voice is a part of the beat. Almost like he was playing a game with the drummer to see if they could keep up with one another. This isn't necessarily a song that you can throw on in front of a group of people, but if you're actually taking the time to listen to this, it's actually a terrific song.
3. Ego Death (ft. Danny Brown & Aesop Rock)
Jeremiah Jae brings forth the first outside production this album has gotten, and you can immediately tell the difference. The beat is heavy, but it is obviously more traditional hip hop style, which was probably necessary given there are two guest rappers featured on this track. When I saw this song was released, I absolutely flipped my shit. Aesop is an all time great lyricist and for up and coming rappers, I'd have to say Danny Brown is my favorite. The first two verses, both of which are excellent, delivered by Driver and Aesop, make almost no sense. I have to give these two men the benefit of the doubt, because they are two of the only modern day geniuses in music, but I can't make heads or tales of what is going on. There may be a consistent theme, but I sure as hell don't what what it is. That brings us to Danny Brown who is equally intriguing, but in a much different way. He is in your face, violent, and vulgar. And it's fucking great! This song works on all accounts, and I'd love for these three to work together more in the future. The contrast in all of their very distinct voices makes this writer happy.
4. Upsweep
This right here is the absolute far end of the spectrum for Driver. He is singing his face off, and this will garner one of two reactions. Either you will love it. Love it so much that you simply can't get enough of it in your life. Or you will hate it. Hate it like the Cowboys hate the Redskins, hate it like Chief Keef hates being sober. For me personally, this is one of my favorite songs in the album. There is emotion in Driver's voice, and it makes for a very deep and compelling listen, but I can't blame you if you want to skip this track. After all, Driver isn't the best singer in the world, but it's his odd sing/rap style that really makes him stand out as an artist. Even amongst a group of rappers as strange as those who form the Hellfyre Club.
5. When The Tooth-lined Horizon Blinks ( ft. Open Mike Eagle )
This beat, courtesy of Great Dane, is far more snare heavy, and mainstream trap influenced than most of the beats on the album. That isn't a bad thing at all, given that it is a change of pace, and often it's cool to hear more experimental rappers over traditional beats. It works well here as we get one of the most Mike Eagle verses ever to open the track. Yes I used his name as an adjective, but anyone who hears this will surely understand. Busdriver also delivers a solid verse, and this comes out as a pretty good song. My biggest gripe is the hook. For some reason the seemingly endless repetition of the word "blink" really pisses me off. Maybe it's just me, though.
6. Motion Lines
We get a look into a deeper song by Driver, or at least I think. The hook, and many of the lyrics, would lead you to believe that this is a song about a woman, or a perilous romantic situation of any sort, but the eccentricity of Driver's rhymes makes it really hard to pin down, or follow any real story. That being said, this song is pretty damn good. The verses are all delivered with Driver's classic fast paced start and stop flow, and the hook, also sung by Driver, is very catchy, and delivers well. The hook on this one will be another case of whether or not you like the man's singing voice, which I have already stated I love, but the verses are fairly undeniable. This manages to give off a love song vibe without being too cheesy or corny, because I have no idea what he's talking about half the time.
7. Eat The Rich
This song is quite the anomaly. The beat is made up of clicking, and other noises that come together decently well before the drums kick in. The first verse is pretty standard for the rest of the album. The hook is very repetitive, but serviceable. The second verse, well isn't really a verse, but a fun little phrase repeated a few times. Given all that it would sound like a pretty good, normal Busdriver song. The thing is, it doesn't belong here. I don't know if it's poor sequencing, or if the song really just isn't that good, but it sounds ridiculously out of place. Only adding on to that is the fact that tracks six and eight really transition well with one another. You can skip this song, do whatever the hell you want with it. I hate to sound this apathetic, because the song truly doesn't lack a tremendous amount of quality, but you couldn't pay me to give a fuck about this one.
8. King Cookie Faced (For Her)
This song, like I said before, is a great follow up to "Motion Lines". It has the same overall feel to it, and this time, Driver actually has more comprehensible thoughts that all come together to make this song one of my favorites on the whole album. Now, once again I'd be lying if I understood why Driver included all of the lines that he did, but individually, every verse makes sense. The slower pace of this song continues to wind down the album after the turbulent first half. Very good track and if you're anything like me, you will find yourself replaying this one for a while.
9. Can't You Tell I'm A Sociopath (ft. VerBS)
The first question that springs to mind is obvious: why did the guest feature on this track choose to spell his name like a pretentious douche bag? Unfortunately, I do not have to answer to that question. What I do know is that these two have pretty good chemistry, and on probably the most commercial-friendly beat on the entire album, they sound pretty damn good. It's a pretty short song that consists of two Driver verses, and one from VerBS, and it's basically a song about how weird they are. I've never seen this VerBS character, but according to his rhymes he dresses very strangely. I'm too lazy to Google this guy, so I'll take his word for it.
10. Colonize The Moon (ft. Pegasus Warning)
This is just about the most out-there song on the entire album, and how fitting that it brings us to a close. The hook says that Driver is going to Colonize the moon. An interesting idea (doesn't Driver know that there isn't water on the moon? Or oxygen for that matter?) that isn't touched on whatsoever throughout the verses. Instead, Driver addresses some lies he apparently told on a song and how they weren't true. I am not familiar with the song he is referring to, but I still really enjoy the verses, as they are well performed, and entertaining. This song really takes a turn when after four and a half minutes it goes completely silent. You look at your music device and notice that the track goes for well over nine minutes, and then we get a hell of a hidden track to close this thing out. The hook, performed by Mike Eage, is incredibly catchy, and this is the most focused performance from Driver on the whole album. He tells us that he is going to tell us a story of how he got here, and then he actually does. He details a story of his upbringing, and does it all with an incredibly entertaining flow. Great way to close out the album.
Rating: 4/5
I hate to sound like a music snob, but you have to have a higher appreciation for the creation of music to enjoy this album. The creativity put into this album by Driver is nothing short of astounding. There are very few people who can engage an audience in such a way, while at times saying absolutely nothing in his lyrics. Driver finds a perfect mix of his eclectic rap style, and his off pitch singing, and manages to blend them in to nearly every song. Busdriver will never be a huge deal, but he will continue to keep wowing his fans, and continue to push the envelope as far as he can, along with the rest of the Hellfyre club. As far as the Hellfyre club goes, I have to say, that despite how much I loved the Mike Eagle albun, this was the best project they put out this year. If you think you might like this, go check it out, it's a great listen.