M-Phaze's new compilation 'Good Gracious' starts off very low-key. The current go-to producer in the Oz Hip hop landscape, Phaze's has crafted stellar Boom-Bap based joints for a slew of local and international names, including Bliss N Eso, CL Smooth and Skyzoo. With his impressive back catalogue ringing in my ears, I jumped on this new album with high expectations and much respect.
That first track slips quietly through the front door, rather than busting it down. It does a great job of introducing us to M-Phrazes, quietly and calmly and without the fanfare. This dude is a workhorse, not a showpony and wants us to know he's more than a few bells and whistles. Where this works on the first track, it falls flat on the second. Crazy Westralian Drapht rides Where's Elvis with flow a not seen since Eminem was asking people what his name was. Unfortunately, Drpaht has little of Slim Shady's raw power, and the title of the track tells you all you need to know about the lyrical content.
The FreakShow and Goodbye Gravity show off more of M-Phraze's signature sounds, and the artists (Mantra, Muph/Plutonic) seem grateful for the chance to drop science on to them. Home lets veteran Delta blast off, whilst Pegz feels at home on Blind Man and Spit Syndicate rip up the Superfly-sounding Long winding Road.
It comes apart a little from there. Music Box is an Electro-inspired club banger that probably should be seen as a building block for something better in the future, whilst The Club Song runs through a tired 'Night in the life of' lyrical routine.
NFA gets us back on track with the pacy Running, while Triumph sounds the good, but is a little flat lyrically. Bliss N Eso turn in a typically high octane effort on Walk On Clouds, and fittingly M-Phazes finds a beat that perfectly matches their gusto.
The last three tracks are also solid and diverse, with Phazes pulling out everything in his portfolio. Commend M-Phazes for the variety and quality of production on this joint, and be impressed by the all-star coterie he cajoled into rhyming on this record. Though there a few missteps on this release, M-Phazes shows how he's yet another Aussie achiever punching successfully above his weight, and hopefully he gets the chance to knock out a few more overseas impresario's and blow up like he deserves.
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