Faust – SMFH

The debut from Faust is eight tracks of hip-hop but something about it feels decidedly un-hip-hop. Much like the early works of WHY? there’s lots of beats and samples fueling the music but there’s a talk-sing nature to the vocal delivery that draws it out of being the standard fair.

The label of “un-hip-hop” is not meant to be disparaging but rather a heads up that something more interesting is happening here than what you’d expect. A lot of rudimentary hip-hop establishes a beat and seldomly variates from that, giving focus to the lyrical delivery. These songs travese a lot of changes, some horn solos and even the occasional field recording style interludes.

Start with “Power Struggle Interlude” and let it carry you into “Cake Faced Criminal” for the best introductory experience.