:Brownstudy - Life Well Lived

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  • What is the correct way a person should act? It's a question that's been asked since we started debating rather than simply clubbing each other over the head. There have been countless books and essays from ethicists across the millennia on the topic, which makes it an ambitious theme for a hip-hop album. Nevertheless, it's what multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Jason Hogans, AKA :Brownstudy, chose to explore on his second album, Life Well Lived. For at least the first few tracks, this moral investigation feels like a successful endeavour. Hogans' production is simple and effective: the main hooks consist of woozy chords, while simple hand-clap rhythms form the pulse. As you might expect from an album with such lofty ambitions, vocals are the main focus. Hogans' guidelines are delivered with a unique patter that can feel more like spoken word than rap, with specific mantras often repeated to stand out—on the record's opening number, "In A Better Way," we're reminded to "continue to practice empathy" no fewer than five times. But this repetition doesn't feel pointless—in fact, with the hazy beat and woozy ambience of the vocals, it offers something to grab hold of. On the following track, "Towards Improvement," the ethical ideal is sketched out even further, taking on an Aristotelian tone. It's clear that Hogans wants us to live a balanced life (to "show appropriate aggression when called for / show appropriate tolerance when called for") and there's a heavy emphasis on community (singing, dancing and eating together). But around the halfway mark, Hogans' attempt at drawing a moral blueprint is seemingly abandoned. On "Glorious Future" he proclaims himself "misanthropic and full of hate." As for "Bitchslapping Motherfuckers To Hell," the themes of that one are clear from the title. Life Well Lived has never been sold as a concept album as such, so to dismiss it on such ground might be unfair. But there's no denying that what felt like a pivotal theme suddenly disappears. Musically, Life Well Lived is damn solid. The beats are original, as is Hogans' increasingly melodic vocal delivery. And the album generally flows well, despite a couple of instrumentals that, though impressive on their own, feel harsh and out place compared to the other songs on the album (the broken chiptune of "Wax Suckas (Decline)," the mutant sleaze of "Dead Doldrums"). :Brownstudy has an undoubtedly unique style and is a talented musician, but I'm left with the impression this album could have been something much more coherent.
  • Tracklist
      01. In A Better Way 02. Towards Improvement 03. Wax Suckas 04. Life Well 05. Stupid Dummy Dance 06. Bitchslappin Motherfuckas to Hell 07. Dead Doldrums 08. Glorious Future 09. Pissing in the Casket 10. Dying Every Moment 11. Red Dreaded Stepchild
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