CYNE
Pretty Dark Things

[Hometapes; 2008]

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Styles: indie hip-hop
Others: Daedelus, Nujabes, The Roots, EL-P
Links: CYNE - Hometapes

“Just Say No” opens Pretty Dark Things with insistence and passion, the emcees and producers performing with urgency. Before a minute has elapsed, however, everything comes to a halt as an angry voice shouts that the underground is stagnant while an admonition against listening to Nelly is leveled at “little girls.” If these guys seriously want change, they should realize that pious self-aggrandizement (in the manner of a mainstream hip-hop artist, no less) isn’t the best way to encourage it.

Both Akin and Cise Star have strong delivery and presence, complementing each other well. Adversity and the African-American experience will always be fecund ground from which to glean material in hip-hop, and these emcees harvest a lot of their lyricism from that field; "The Dance," "Opera," and "Never Forget Pluto" all feel genuinely passionate and inspired. Their lyrics mostly eschew narrative, opting instead to focus in detail on scenes filled with loose associations and lyrical abstractions in an almost stream-of-consciousness style.

The most intriguing songs are the ones built on spacious, amorphous synth pads and floating guitar loops. "The Dance," "Opera," and "Prototypes" bring to mind a less-ominous Dälek, their subtlety and restraint heightening the emcees’ intensity. And while the MPC-supplied beats aren’t terribly innovative, the implementation of live instrumentation bolsters the musicality greatly. Clean, tasteful guitar riffs abound, and unconventional elements (such as the percolating xylophone on "Calor") give the songs momentum and focus.

Unfortunately, the compelling moments don’t outweigh the trite ones. After the disappointing intro, the group introduces exhausted subject matter in familiar ways. On “Calor,” the emcees use a kitchen as an analogue to the world’s terror-heightened climate. And despite the emotionally effective sampling of a Bill Evans interview interspersed throughout, "Money Parade" is the most cliché-ridden track on Pretty Dark Things.

CYNE definitely have talent (particularly in the production department), and their wide array of influences shows on this album. But Akin and Cise Star are simply too ambitious in their assault on the evils in the world. There’s an awful lot of questioning, frustration, and ruminations born from tired topics on Pretty Dark Things, but few (if any) answers. It’s a mediocre album, not very original, and not as galvanizing as the group had probably intended it to be.

1. Just Say No 2. The Runaway 3. Calor 4. Escape 5. Money Parade 6. Pretty Black Future 7. Elephant Rome 8. The Dance 9. Opera 10. Prototypes 11. Fuzzy Logic 12. Never Forget Pluto 13. Pianos On Fire 14. Radiant Cool Boy 15. Excite Me 16. Scattered