You’ve got to be quick to catch the flow of Aesop Rock (aka Ian Mathias Bavitz), as it’s a fast delivery style. But even if you’re not following the rap attack, it’s OK as the beats of the underground hip hop are all good as he does much of his own production duties with contributions from long-time partner Blockhead, Def Jux boss El-P and label mate, Rob Sonic.

We’ve been chanting ‘None Shall Pass’ for weeks at Hectic Villas since it came out as a single, (see the full review) and it’s the real start of this album.

Perhaps it’s because ‘Keep Off The Lawn’ is too rockin’ but ‘None Shall Pass’ seems even better now the summer surf is up. Staying on the coast ‘The Harbor Is Yours’ is one for the Pirates Of The Caribbean Hood ready for a future styled Rogue’s Gallery?

Artist and illustrator R. Crumb gets a mention in the lyrics of ‘Catacomb Kids’ and the fuzz guitar is some cross of 21st Century Schizoid Man in head-nod mode of a cinematic world. ‘Bring Back Pluto’ is no cartooning either as the lyrics come thick and fast mourning the loss of Pluto’s status (the former planet, not Disney’s dog). Anyone else feel cheated by the loss of the 9th Planet?

Criminal activity on ‘Getaway Car’ and ‘39 Thieves’; the later with a great line, “bullets don’t take bribes stupid, they shoot people.” What with a Miles-type trumpet it makes a change from the harder ‘rock’ style. ‘Dark Heart News’ and Citronella’ are a good halfway with big horns and a no-love-lost guttural bass beat. Unusually for a hip hop album, there isn’t the usual swathe of guests.

Don’t turn off as there’s some more sea shanty hip hop on the not so hidden bonus track, ‘Pigs’ with some blues slide and harp.

Aasop Rock’s bleak poetic ramblings go from the psychedelic imaginary to cinematic comic book. Sanctioned by the New York Dept. of Skuldugery, this new album is at least as good as all his other work and I reckon most will be saying it’s his best yet.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘None Shall Pass’, ‘Catacomb Kids’, ‘39 Thieves’, ‘Bring Back Pluto’, ‘The Habor Is Yours’, ‘No City’, ‘Dark Heart News’, ‘Pigs’

Reviewed — Aesop Rock — None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux) Release date: 27th August 2007
Tracklisting:
1 Keep Off The Lawn (3:46)
2 None Shall Pass (4:03)
3 Catacomb Kids (4:07)
4 Bring Back Pluto (4:29)
5 Fumes (5:00)
6 Getaway Car (3:16)
7 39 Thieves (4:16)
8 The Harbor Is Yours (3:58)
9 Citronella (4:53)
10 Gun For The Whole Family (3:54)
11 Five Fingers (4:08)
12 No City (4:28)
13 Dark Heart News (3:58)
14 Coffee feat. John Darnielle (9:34)

Links:
www.myspace.com/aesoprockwins
www.definitivejux.net
Jeremy Fish/Aesop Rock — The Next Best Thing
www.themountaingoats.net
Robert Dennis Crumb (born August 30, 1943)
Gilles Peterson :: Tracklisting 29/1/06 :: El-P Special