Daylight

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Listening to the Daylight EP is like listening to the ambient noise of the city, amplified and thrown in your face like an unexpected assault from a passer-by. Aesop Rock's city is NYC and he knows every inch and every crack - "Nickel Plated Pockets" throws out rhymes so real you can almost smell the drains or hear the rustle of change as he swerves to avoid the "horns, jackhammers and brake whistles". The title track is one of the strongest from Labor Days, Aesop Rock's critically acclaimed debut, but it's the new material here that impresses. Frantic and paranoid, "Bracket Basher" is full of disjointed down tempo beats and insomniac rhymes that dissolve into a slam poetry style delivery, while "Maintenance" with its sinister vocoder samples is crying out for a more danceable remix. "Alchemy" on the other hand has brooding piano samples and rhymes that come so thick and fast the layers of meaning need careful dissection. But one thing is clear, as Blueprint rants "I make a sad fan appreciate rap again," you won't help but agree. --Caroline Butler

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2003-04-15 rating:
probably aesop's best work
ive been a fan of aesop rock since his appleseed ep days, since then his next two albums float and labor days mesmerised everybody with an unparalleled flow, delivery and a genuine love for language. although these past two albums and the one before the Appleseed EP (...Earthworms) have been stunning, there is a sense of if you dont understand after the first few goes, then you probably wont bother, which is although blatantly unfair, true of most people trying to delve into the murky world of 'underground', 'independent' or even 'abstract' hip hop. what im saying is that for the majority of listeners, aesop rock can be a little too heavy. but this ep (as well as his previous) handles aesop at his best, both daylight and nightlight are fantastic displays of lyricism and production that are quite frankly untouched by his current hip hop peers, the same goes to nickel plated pockets and especially the secret track. but to these ears the ep's jewel is bracket basher, a gem of punchlines and fantastic production. the point is that this is an excellent ep a standard of music all should aspire to produce.


review by: date: 2002-09-29 rating:
Absolutely Astounding...
I bought this album, purely on the strength of a few tracks that I'd heard from 'Labor Days', I bought this one first because it is newest and cheapest.... now I own this, 'Labor Days' and 'Float', and I can safely say that Aesop Rock IS hip hop's most unappreciated talent.

His flow is effortlessly eccentric, often hard to decipher, but it fits the vibe of his songs perfectly. His lyrics are deep, they give a REAL insight into the streets of New York City, Aesop rarely raps about gangsters or pimps or prostitutes, he raps about the everyday working struggle, the homeless, and amoung other things, the beautiful escape of hip hop.

One of the most pleasing things about this 8-track EP (don't miss the hidden track, it's one of the best), is the stunningly refined production. Many US underground rap acts right now rely on repetitive, simplistic beats to rhyme over, but Aesop uses utterly brilliant beats, worthy of comparison to the likes of DJ Premier and Dan the Automator.

The best track on 'Daylight' had to be the title track. Good God. I have never witnessed a piece of hip hop so stunning since Common's verse on 'Respiration' by Black Star or the track 'Buggin' Out' by ATCQ. The song 'Daylight' has to be up there along side '3030' by Deltron 3030' as one of the greatest hip hop numbers of all time, it's just that good.

Aside from Daylight, every other track on this album is superb, and anyone who really craves top quality hip hop will be adding this to their Basket now.

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