Rjd2, Deadringer (Def Jux) 9+
As the first instrumental hip-hop album to be released on Def Jux, there was much anticipation and hype built up about Rjd2's Deadringer, the flames fanned by label honcho El-P who claimed it'll change the world. Based on the grimy, dissonant worlds of Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox and El-P, one might expect a frightening beast of an album to perhaps rival Amon Tobin. Not quite. In fact, the unfulfilled expectations may be a blessing, as much of the Def Jux roster is sometimes more easily admired than enjoyed. Deadringer begins menacingly enough with "The Horror," recalling both the horror-funk of Gravediggaz and the underrated Never Is Now by DJ Swamp, though the cheesy synth evokes Dr. Who more than The Exorcist. Its use of spoken vocal clips is as ingenious as last year's "Frontier Psychologist" by the Avalanches. "Smoke & Mirrors" sets the general tone for the rest of the album, which is heavily influenced by DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, and surprisingly, the more downbeat, melancholy moments of Moby's Play. This isn't a bad thing once you remember how good that album sounded before its soul was sold to score every commercial aired in 2000-01. What sets Rjd2 apart from DJ Shadow and Moby are his wisely chosen vocal samples, which are never repeated too often, like the enigmatic "Who knows what tomorrow will bring/Maybe sunshine, maybe rain/Maybe it'll bring my love to me." Samples of acoustic guitars, pianos, and big brassy horns provide a warm, soulful, bluesy tone to cuts like the standout "Ghostwriter," with "mmm hmms" and "aaahs" seemingly coming from the ghosts of a gospel choir from the turn of the century, but with a funky James Brown "Mother Popcorn"snare beat. Three MCs - Blueprint, Jakki and Copywrite - each guest on a cut. All three are strong, but Copywrite's "June" comes out on top. It starts with some fairly ordinary rapping, but quickly slips into a sublime reverie with gorgeous classical acoustic guitar. "Work" ends the album on another peak, with a haunting piano loop and expertly integrated jazz guitar and a gritty soul vocal that sounds like an amazing hybrid of Ray Charles and Otis Redding, singing "Something you got babe/Make me work all day…make me bring you all of my things." Yet there's more -- a bonus track with another jewel of a vocal that this time recalls Sam Cooke, repeating a phrase of haiku-like simplicity about yearning for his missing lover over strings, horns and the subtle psychedelic touch of a sitar. More nudging things forward than blazing trails, Deadringer may not be the revolutionary album Def Jux heads hoped for, but it's by far the most satisfying, offering far more satisfying poetic magic than the latest by Prefuse 73, Mr. Scruff, Boom Bip, and even DJ Shadow.
