Monday, December 18, 2006
Album Review: Coffee Nods’ Grown
Rap music for grown ups?
Rap music for grown ups? It really exists. The Coffee Nods don't focus their rap on "gettin' some from round, curvy women." Instead, their new album, Grown, is perfect for those nights when you are aimlessly driving around alone pondering life. It's cool, calm, smooth, and surprisingly thought-provoking.
Most of the album talks about independence and facing reality, which is really refreshing. The album begins with the soft rhythms of "Grown" and "Test Me" (featuring Bavu Blakes). The latter song is very catchy, and inspirational with a theme of sitting back and enjoying life. While the album is filled with songs that are likable such as "Paycheck" and "Helpless," the best song of the album is "Surreal". This song has a different feel to the beat and chorus than the rest of the album. The change in feel is also evident in the following track, "You Are," which mixes in an R&B ambiance, making it somewhat distinct. Throughout the album, the Coffee Nods provide comic interludes between songs that include "Bigfoot's Mullet" and "Zorbot's Coaching Shorts."
Even though the album pretty much has the same feel from song to song, The Coffee Nods are really good at this style, and their messages always come across clearly. It would have been nice to hear one track that was totally different in feel, but why mess with something really good?
