STACK #145 Nov 2016

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Words Tim Lambert

D.R.A.M. Big Baby D.R.A.M.

How refreshing is it to see a hip hop artist smile? Virginian D.R.A.M.’s (Does Real Ass Music) debut album is exactly what you imagine when you look at its cover: entertaining, cheerful and not afraid to make fun of itself. Following in the footsteps of friend and tour mate Chance The Rapper, D.R.A.M.

mixes soulful R’n’B beats with gospel influences. From the slinky Erykah Badu duet WIFI  to the effortlessly sleek Sweet VA Breeze , D.R.A.M. shows a depth of musical understanding many of us didn’t know he was capable of; comparisons to Luther Vandross or Barry White shouldn’t be dismissed. The 28-year- old has a seriously smooth (and deep) voice. Alternatively, D.R.A.M. has the ability to instantly turn the vibe on its head with a party banger. That comes through the one-two punch that is Cash Machine  and the contagiously amusing lead single Broccoli , featuring Lil Yatchy. The most appealing part of Big Baby D.R.A.M.  though is its imperfections. D.R.A.M. isn’t trying to be flawless; his voice crackles and creases with buoyant optimism, and the only autotune heard is from the aforementioned Yatchy and the Young Thug- featured slow burner Misunderstood .

( Big Baby D.R.A.M.  is out now via Warner)

TINY LITTLE HOUSES Snow Globe EP

A year on from their excellent debut You Tore Out My Heart , Melbourne sad boys Tiny Little Houses have lifted their own bar even higher on sophomore EP Snow Globe .  Opening track Meditate Me ’s jangly fuzz is instant evidence of a band not resting on their laurels; their fuller sound is intensified by frontman Caleb

Karvountzis’ bleak cynicism. The sorrow doesn’t stop there – title track  Snow Globe  carries on appropriately. “I’m only a miserable man” is sighed out during lead single Song Despite Apathy , not to be lost within its tasty punk riffs.

Tucked inside the six tracks is a self-deprecating, emo-fuzz cover of Kasey Chambers’ Am I Not Pretty Enough  (just when I thought I had erased any memory of that song from my brain). Closer  Lonely People  shows a tiny glimpse of optimism, though the heavily-anchored tone set in the preceding five tracks doesn’t allow it to shine through. With their second release it seems the sky is the limit for Tiny Little Houses, even if they are staring at the ground.

( Snow Globe is out now via Ivy League)

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