Experimental, genre-defying rap group Young Fathers have chosen 2023 to come back with their latest project Heavy Heavy, and they're back with a bang. The group haven't released since their third record Cocoa Sugar back in 2018 which feels like forever and a lifetime ago at this point.
Young Fathers have always had a somewhat playful tone in their music. Whilst dealing with a plethora of different subject matters with all manner of tones they always push the boundaries with their deliveries and cadence, forever evolving and never becoming stale. Heavy Heavy is no different. Fusing elements of Art-Pop, Experimental Hip-Hop and Gospel (yes... Gospel) this record is one of the most beautifully unclassifiable records I've heard in a long time. The merging of genres is clean and natural, sounding as if this is a mashup that my ears may have been graced with before, which I'm almost positive they have not. From bouncy opener "Rice" to lyrically dense piano-laden closer "Be Your Lady" the group never sit still with one style with innumerable intriguing sonic ideas being passed around across the tight 10 tracks and 32-minute run time.
I want to call special attention to their excellent changing of cadence and vocal delivery to emphasise feelings and create different energies from track to track. It's near impossible to tell which member is on the mic at any one time, not through the use of effects, but through their wild vocal performances. In an era of rap music where grating baby voices and monotone deliveries are all too common Young Fathers are showing what passion looks like. This applies to every part of the album, from the drums to the keys everything is incredibly dynamic, textured and generally unique. Multiple tracks here use drums very sparingly but when drums are used you certainly won't fine them in the form of any tropey trap high hats or swung boom-bap grooves. They are consistently distinctive grooves and sounds that perfectly service the song. What I'm trying to say here is the sound play displayed on this record is phenomenally dense and interesting and like nothing that's been released in the last few years.
Some personal highlights are "Holy Moly" with its uplifting chorus and driving bassline and the feelgood boogie of "Drum". I've been unable to stop listening to this album front to back which is a testament to the band's ability to make a mashup of genres this wild and boundary-pushing so cohesive and streamlined.
These tracks are going to go down amazingly live with the general upbeat motivational feeling the album brings. Young Fathers continue to be a group like no other, up there with names like Injury Reserve and Jpegmafia pushing the hip-hop genre to the furthest reaches with incredible sound play. Without a doubt, this is my favourite project from the group thus far and I won't be surprised if it ends up on my favourites of the year list.
Not one to miss.
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