The Scribes – Quill Equipped Villainy
The Scribes - Quill Equipped Villainy
Release Date: Out Now
If you haven’t hooked in to
Westcountry Hip-Hop trio the Scribes yet then a) what have you been up to and
b) now is the time. Splitting their time between Bristol and Plymouth, the
three piece have created an outstanding new album in the shape of ‘Quill
Equipped Villainy’ and not only is it jam-packed full of infectious tunes it is
also incredibly witty and articulate. Take the opening track, for example, on
which ‘Back in Effect’ shows the band in energetic form with determined beats,
skittish samples and a real sense of confidence and lyrics like “this is not a
rap this is my inner demon stuck in text”. Track 2, ‘Get Down’, sees the outfit
draft in none-other than Akil the MC from Jurassic 5 and it makes total sense
on a laid back flow that should have crowds bouncing in euphoric unison.
‘Righteous’ welcomes Leon Rhymes
from Too Many Ts on board for an uplifting crowd pleaser before ‘Block War’ gets
dark on our asses with a spooky melody underpinning a lyrical flow about
writers block that will resonate with anyone up against a creative deadline.
Using a gorgeous Motown sample, ‘Priceless’ has a guest appearance by
Blacksmith and if you’re not bobbing your head and feeling damn cool by the end
of this then you’ve got no soul. There’s a sublime organ noodle on ‘Punch
Drunk’ that is punctured by a beat that sounds as drunk and stumbling as the
protagonist in this story but leaves me wondering what a Lack of Afro vs the
Scribes mash-up would sound like.
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| The Scribes |
‘Green Gin’ opens with the
honky-tonk vocal of “Green Gin makes my hair grow” before a steady but
malevolent beat and piano riff join in to tell a sad tale. Lifting the spirits
comes ‘Day in Chicago Cypher’ which has a real Wu-Tang Clan vibe to it before
‘Brave New World’ brings a hyper-active energy to the party with minimal
instrumentation but smooth layered vocals. Phil Jeong guests on ‘Adrenaline’
which swings between Busta Rhymes and Jurassic 5 with an ode to drinking decaf
that makes me want to dance – a first for me, I think. ‘Bad Meaning Good’
swaggers in like the Hulk in a hoodie ready for a dance-off all chugging bass
notes and Gorillaz-esque choruses.
As we approach the climax of this
party we are treated to ‘Get Live’ with Bodega Brovaz and Goose along for the
horn-fuelled fun times singing “Come on y’all get live, get down” with all the
chilled energy of Warren G. The album closes with ‘Vice Grip’ and one last
guest in the shape of TrueMendous with the opening line of “So, I’m out of
dope, I’m feeling broke” and then we’re treated to an ode to green set to jazzy
guitars. I’m genuinely baffled as to why the Scribes aren’t a bigger deal in
the UK or further afield but I would really urge you to put your phone on
silent and let this one seep in to your subconscious. Give it a couple of
listens and when I say listen I really mean listen – you won’t regret it.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/scribesmusic/
Live Dates:
30th August – Mr Wolf’s, Bristol