Al Dobson Jr. -­ Rye Lane Volume II & III

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  • Al Dobson Jr.'s full-length debuts—two records that landed in June 2014, one of which inaugurated the Rhythm Section International label—were stuffed with scruffy and scrappy rhythms that distilled hip-hop, Detroit beatdown, house and beyond into bite-sized chunks. They flew by in a scorched summer haze, and because they were so brief, withstood—practically demanded—repeat listening. On Dobson Jr.'s third album, Rye Lane Volume II & III, the tracks are once again short. But, with 28 tunes stacked together, the record blends into one muddled mass of tumbling toms, grubby kicks and muttered vocal musings. It might all sound like a day spent with the producer, hanging out in his neighborhood's collage of cultures, influences and ideas. But that collage can be overwhelming. Had a third of Dobson Jr.'s similar sketches been cut, Rye Lane would have been a more manageable trip. The South London resident is a master percussionist, a sample-digging hound and deft with an MPC, and his music skips effortlessly through heartbroken house, Afro blues and sun-drenched soul. It's authentic, richly layered stuff that's endearingly earthy and ramshackle. Each style is as well executed as the next, which is why tracks like the Eglo-influenced "Step Off" and "After Carnival," with its rubbery bass plucks and zoned-out bird calls, feel all too brief. There are countless examples of inventive little grooves and noteworthy chords that, with further exploration, could have made a bigger impression. Dobson Jr. excels in small doses, but Rye Lane's endlessly jumbled aesthetic and penchant for brevity can obscure his abilities.
  • Tracklist
      01. Live At Makeover 02. Guyana Special 03. Xingu 04. Commerce 05. Overseas, Lebanese 06. Move It Up 07. Many Schools 08. Sweet Critics pt.2 09. Vibrations 10. What It Is - Shake Down 11. Malfuf Nebetia 12. In The World 13. Love Talk 14. Church Cafe (Introduction) 15. Drum Sounds pt.4 African Salon 16. After Carnival 17. Step Off 18. It's You 19. GuadeloupÇ Meditaáao 20. Yellow Peppers 21. Bey Line 22. Peru Timing pt.2 23. Time Is Now 24. Tracy 36 27 36 25. In The Lobby 26. What It Is pt.2 27. White Rum 28. Mercy
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