Busdriver "Roadkill Overcoat" (Anti-)
By Peter A. Holden
Tuesday. Jan 23, 1:21 PM
Aphex Twin vs. The Flaming Lips.

This one is all over the spectrum. This Busdriver fella ramps right up from the get-go. Straight out of the gate, he broadcasts talent. His absolute uniqueness is evident immediately. Fresh and clean, he’s idiosyncratically tasty. Beats that would make even the most seasoned of hip-hop producers drool. Aphex Twin vs. The Flaming Lips. But what is the most prevalent aspect of Busdriver? Well, after drawing you in with oddly catchy beats, he capitalizes on the quintessential idea that no two rhymes can be the same. He comes at us with rhythmic rhymes that bounce up and off the musical perimeter. As with most hip-hop, it’s social commentary. Only, for this emcee it’s as if you are first to recognize the word choice and its usage of media headlines, buzzwords, pop culture references, and indiscriminate verbiage. Second, you see how they are intricately woven into a fabric of well-placed patterns. And finally, when you step back one more time and repeat the lines in your head, you see there is a deep message that isn’t just random spliced phrases. It’s insanely easy to spit forth great sounding lines: what makes it an art form is the marriage of those patterns and word choices with the hidden spinal chord that works under the surface controlling the beast. It’s fluid mastery of intelligent hip-hop and melodic symmetry. So much more than just hip-hop, though, Roadkill Overcoat is a collection of genres pressed together like playdough. It’s a challenge to the norm and a dig at the soul. For those of us who want their music to immediately satisfy and yet still challenge our sensibilities, it’s like an early birthday present we weren’t expecting.

From what I understand, up until recently Busdriver had been far more abstract and less catchy or receivable in the broader sense. Keeping that in mind, Roadkill Overcoat is even more remarkable as it is incredibly catchy. Years of perfecting one’s craft often yields some remarkable results when coupled with the right collaboration. For this Anti- debut, he teamed up with some brilliant fellows DJ Nobody and Boom-Bip to make something on a different level. I think, in this respect, Busdriver becomes more of a band than just a man on this venture. If I had to recommend two tracks to stun you, I’d gladly offer up the coolly soothing and melodic “Sun Shower” as well as the bombastic “Casting Agents and Cowgirls.”
www.busdriversite.com
www.anti.com

Listen to a song from this album in our Radio section!

Peter A. Holden

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