Looptroop Rockers - Good Things [Album]

Bad Taste Records

September 29, 2009, 01:44 PM

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As the title suggests; "Good Things" is about just that. The Swedish hip-hop group takes us through how they find the "Good Things" in life, even the things that look bad on the surface can have positive outcomes. From having stained clothes and not being able to afford to buy any more, to running away from the police. Looptop Rockers are a group of 'silver lining' types and the music is inspiring and endearing. Instead of writing about how terrible life is and how everyone's plotting against you, Looptop Rockers are saying 'Hey, it's not all bad. There are some things that are a bit crap, but it could be much worse' and the tone of the music and the style of the rapping slots snugly into this mindset.

While most hip-hop that tries to take a positive view of the world, focuses solely on the size of your rims or the shine on your bling, Looptroop Rockers look a lot closer to home and are a lot more realistic with their positive action. The comradeship of good friends, being able to let off steam at the weekend, they're not breaking any boundaries with the topics they broach but the fashion in which they do it is very laid back and accepting. They're not talking about extremes, they're talking about normal life and the regularity of these "Good Things." Having said that, we don't need lots of money, or a whole load of people in your posse, or be running about beating people up being the hardest man in the hood. This doesn't detract from any of the interest in the songs, in fact, I feel that it enhances my interest in their music, as they're not just filling stereotypes of the genre. Saying the things that people expect them to say, to sell records, like some people in the genre do. They're talking about the things that matter to them. In the booklet that comes with the album, there's not only the lyrics, but a little description of how the song came about and what the lyrics relate to. I think that this is a lovely touch and gives an extra dimension to the songs. Like when someone you know writes a song, and you know what specifically they're talking about, it adds to your enjoyment of the song.


A number of Looptroop Rockers songs address the topic of their relationship with the police. 'Blood and Urine' talks about how they got taken to the police station, as they thought that they were driving while high. Looptroop Rockers claim that this assumption was based on their appearance and claim that the police are discriminating them based on their looks (never heard that before, in hip-hop, although, this claim seems to be not one of race, but because Promoe has a great big bushy beard and dreadlocks). Instead of getting angry, the song is more sarcastic in it's tone, asking "am I pure enough?". It's like he's wearing a Saturday night Armistice style Satire Hat which causes him to vent his frustration through satire, ultimately causing the police whom he disagreed with ultimately looking the fool.

The style of each song is very similar to the previous, and this may get tedious for people who aren't hip-hop fans. I feel that Looptroop Rockers have an interesting enough sound to hold strong for most people. They use a number of similar, but slightly different instruments across the album, glockenspiel, piano, synths, violins, which all add some musical niceties to the quite basic beats. The rhythm of most of the tracks is high, with tight vocals and a light, fast moving tempo that moves the tracks quickly along, without being exhausting or leaving the articulation behind.


The main anomaly on the album, is a cover of Bon Jovi's classic, 'Livin' on a Prayer.' In the notes, they say that this song was performed when they were having trouble writing/recording, so they played it to warm themselves up and it was never meant to be released. It's a straight cover of the original and seems like a strange choice of song, although there's naturally a definite hip-hop feel to the song. Although the lyrics do tie in to the theme of the band, and it's a very enjoyable cover that I would enjoy very much had I heard it as a single song, in the context of the full album it just seems plonked in.

I'm very happy with "Good Things," it's well produced, well performed, and while there's nothing ground breaking in the themes that are studied, the vigour and humour in the songs make them refreshing enough to be interesting.

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