| It takes all of about two seconds listening before you realize that Whispermoon is not your average hip-hop project. However, it may take listening steadily for the rest of the year before you realize how special this release actually is. Listener sums it up nicely when he says "Heads sleep on me like I'm the softest of pillows" in "You're So Underground." See, it takes a while to settle in and many will simply saunter by, casually listening and not hearing. They will miss out. Whispermoon hits you like a robust cup of coffee, rich, black and steamy, on a cold winter morning. Intricately designed to engage your thoughts and mind, this is the CD you need, you just might not know it yet. "CAR YOU CAY, COW MOW... HEEE!" Or something else that doesn't make sense. That's how it starts. Inspired from pre-game rally cries by opposing rugby teams, "The Moon Cries Out" sets the tone for an album brimming with fresh, somewhat quirky music. The intro bleeds into "FYI," a Deepspace5 collaboration, and we begin. Dust (from Mars Ill) handles a lot of the beats on this CD, giving Whispermoon a solid underground feel, though a number of contributors, including Listener himself add to the diversity of tunes from track to track. From the driving "Decadence" (Dust), to the mellow "Train Song" (Elected Official), to the Star Trek-esque strangeness of "Ways of the Wind" (Dust), the songs enhance the overall experience that is Whispermoon. "I seem to be sprinkling chocolate gem-drop jewels over gold fronted fools." Whispermoon is packed with potent lyrics, jewels if you will. Some are horse pills, difficult to swallow, some are hard to follow, some are pretty straight-forward, but they're all pretty weighty and nothing is wasted. That is, if you listen. Listener attacks themes ranging from seeking and finding direction, being honest, even suicide. Though, the first few times through you'll probably be thinking, "Did he say something about tiny rhinoceros bull elephants? or maggot sheets and worm blankets? or sweating puddles of catalyst?" Yes, he did, keep listening. Lyrically, this CD is one of the more substantial releases of the year. Whispermoon simply asks you to dig deep and uncover the classic lines just waiting to be discovered. Signing to Mush Records, Listener hoped to get a solid push into your living room and mine. He did. Whispermoon is readily available online, and in hip-hop havens. The packaging is really sweet. Loaded with imagery of the ear canal the booklet includes all the lyrics and some raw comments directly from Listener on each song. There are moments in music when it seems time stands still and as you listen you hear history changing. When John Coltrane played the sax, when Miles blew the trumpet, when the Beatles invaded the States. Whispermoon is kind of like that. Listener stretches any and all boundaries that are defined by the standard rules of beats and rhythm. He raps in a fashion that is uncommon and captivating. Rhyming using complex meter and redefining the beat with his patterns of speech, Listener has taken hip-hop to a new height. That coupled with incredibly well contrived and honest lyrics sets this album apart from the rest. - Tru Dat |
2XLP/Out Of Print