Altsounds - Awol One & Factor - Owl Hours [Album]

Awol One has been an MC for 15 years. He broke in on what was called Underground Hip Hop. That really just means he wasn’t signed to a major label, but he was able to build a loyal fan base via Internet distribution and touring both as a solo act and as a member of The Shapeshifters. His early work featured sparse tracks with little polished production but bottomless flow. In 2007, he attempted to grow up musically by collaborating with producer Factor on the release of “Only Death Can Kill You.” Reviews were mixed, the main complaint being that the album was inconsistent.

They are back this year with their second collaboration, “Owl Hours.” I’ve been through the entire album about 3 times now and I have to say consistency remains elusive for the duo.

'Darkness' is a perfect example of what is good and bad about this album. The production is excellent. The groove Factor constructs from a wide variety of samples is cool. The vocal sample works well with the keyboard riff that is dropped at the end of each 16 measures. The rhythm of the raps is cool. The flow bobs along right in the pocket as they trade off stanzas. The problem comes in if you listen closely to what they’re saying. The verses I just talked up do alright, but occasionally they drop some silly rhyme – often in pursuit of a laugh – that ruins the vibe. Then they bust into the hackneyed, melodramatic chorus that informs us “Darkness reveals the light.”

This happens time and again on this album on tracks like 'Destination,' 'Glamorous Drunk,' and 'Up Downtown.' Good groove, occasionally melodramatic lyrics, corny chorus.

There are several songs on this disc where their formula does work. In some cases, like 'Brains Out' and 'Back Then,' it’s because the music is well constructed and their attempts at humor succeed. On others, like 'Celebrate' and 'Stand Up,' the groove is hot and the raps are fresh. By and large, though, this is a spotty effort. Rather than picking up the whole disc, I would recommend you give a listen to what you can find off “Owl Hours,” and cherry pick the tracks you like.