THUNDAMENTALS – FOREVERLUTION

After only a few years in the Aussie hip-hop consciousness, and still relatively green in the scheme of things, Thundamentals have apparently already hit their stride with Foreverlution. They bring it in with Holla, a brooding and spacious, fog-horn based groove that sets the tone for innovation and exploration on this generous second LP from the Sydney trio. MCs Tuka and Jeswon hit that sweet spot between a technically functional rapping accent and the kind of embarrassing bogan overtones that turned so many potential fans off the Hilltop Hoods. The muscular, distinctly Aussie (and possibly slightly hung-over) throwdowns of the Blue Mountains crew paint a tough picture, but a closer look reveals that these guys care more about what they’re doing than they let on. The soulful lope and dusty sunset production of How You Been floats this Jeswon gem: “often friendship drifts in the opposite direction to positive unless you acknowledge it…”, while Tuka’s playful but casually spot-on French/English mash-ups on Check My Fresh hint at some scholastic clout. Guest appearances from Jase Excell, Vida-Sunshyne and Ray Mann add some welcome sweetness to the calm bravado that underpins the Tuka/Jeswon dynamic, while producer DJ Morgs shows us why Aussie beat makers are increasingly being head-hunted by seasoned U.S. MCs. This guy is no doubt next in line, as his soulful, nuanced sampling and tasteful blending of live instrumentation are frankly flawless. A stellar release from some talented local lads… Thundamentals are go!

****1/2