Well, as I hinted at last week our good friend Th' Mole over at Weird Rap was kind enough to drop us a promo advance of this. I've been needing Estuary in my life ever since I heard Rift (which was a new take on the instrumental / acapella formula essentially, they released those ahead of the album and worked them into spoken word pieces and a beat tape. You can read my review here). Staplemouth's lyricism is IMO some of the best we have these days, and his hiatus from hip hop left a huge hole most folks weren't even aware of. 3 Sunz Eclipse with Nameless Myst was his triumphant return; Estuary is where he grabs a hold of that ring he had in his grasp in 2012 and smashes it to pieces.
I did a fairly extensive and wordy promo post for Rift. So basically I knew what to expect with this one and I was not disappointed. We have here a sort of companion piece to Ruler of Desperate Measures. Dark as hell, chock full of eschatological imagery and hidden meaning with unorthodox production that manages to be simple enough to allow Staplemouth to take center stage with his amazing vocals while also showcasing musicianship and the true ear for composition that Th' Mole's been able to claim since he first dropped out of the sky wearing a super hero outfit (although he's come a long way since that Christmas album).
If you've never heard Staplemouth let me give you a quick rundown on one of my favorite rappers. Coming up in the Oahu scene of Hawaii along with his crew ...of Proliteariots, Staplemouth boasts a voracious appetite for lore and the ability to spin it into rambling and daring looks behind the veil. Not only can he approach subsonic syllabic speed in the blink of an eye (no his recordings are not digitally sped up as everyone who I played "Hanging Gardens 2012" keeps trying to claim. If you want to watch him do it look right here) when you slow down and pick apart what he's saying a truly formidable talent and intelligence emerges. Add to that the ability to balance brute lyrical force with an almost delicate and beautiful vocal range, there is truly no one like this man dead or alive.
As far as this current release, Staplemouth has this to say:
"Estuary to me is about allowing change and learning to exist between what was and what currently is. My life went from white to black... I'm the complete opposite of who I once was. But I was able to evolve in that process. It's about being able to adapt and live in brackish water... or Estuary."
Like all true art, Staplemouth's poetry does truly lend itself to interpretation through the lens of individual experience. For me the album takes a snapshot of the world in flux, with the pandemic and the reluctant baton passing from the Boomers and the gun crisis in the USA and the war in Europe all creating a sense of uncertainty and barely manageable panic. As he says, we are now struggling with the idea of merging what the world was with what it is now in a way that allows us to thrive and feel safe again, something not easy to do in the post(ish)-Covid era.
I do have the lyrics in a beautiful promotional package, and the following passage from "Wounded Soldier" (a remake of an older song I don't believe was ever released in case it sounds familiar) is a great example of the bleakly beautiful poetry on display with Estuary, and although it is an older work it captures where we are in starkly ugly imagery.
"We make the world a sin • Now • That’s an educated guess • There isn’t like a fountain or tiny button to make it happen type of gadget • But maybe we can hatch it with just a warm thought • Covered by the torn end of a moth-eaten blanket • Don’t pose a threat to the man with a macabre smile • Run amuck in a sacred domicile where the priest dissects a child • Now what the fuck is this planet melting into?"
I really have zero complaints. But in some ways I think the Rift idea should have been released AFTER the official album, although in it's uniqueness I sense at least some courage from Weird Rap and as an indie music fan I value that a lot. But I think if I had never heard these words before, combined as they are with this beautiful music it would have had a very huge impact on me. Such as it is the familiarity was already there although it was cool to finally experience the full blown might that is Estuary.
Watch the above, and then buy Estuary on vinyl or digital or as a tape deal with Rift from Weird Rap over yonder. That's an order, let's make these dudes famous.
