[Review] CSSk Music’s (FIRE) By. Caleb “a manic and driven energy”
At barely over two minutes long this track is over all too quickly, yet the impact is heavy – the music has an intensity, a manic and driven energy that comes through as a storm of samples and lyricism. It’s heavy because so much seems to happen within such a short space of time. The soundscape is complex and fuses a number of different styles and influences. On top of everything though, the leading voice is the driving force, the thing that delivers the song’s sentiment and core ideas.
The vocal effect and the manic or swift velocity at which the lyrics are poured out makes it difficult to catch them with just a single listen. The whole thing begins, explodes, and is over, in no time at all. However, it’s likely to affect people for precisely these reasons.
The energy of it hits you, and the expression leaves you wondering what you missed. Fans of original or intense, hyperactive hip-hop are likely to give it a second and third listen to get their heads around the concept and the overall style and sound.
The vocal effect takes a little away from the character of the lyricist, but during the verses you get a laid out connection, a raw display of what he’s about, and this is where the track really leaves it’s mark. The effect remains, but the music falls away, so you see the speed of this flow laid out and exposed, hiding behind nothing much at all.
The flow is impressive, but as things build again it all gets a little lost in the chaos. There’s something that appeals, those broken down moments create a strong contrast with those heavier ones, so twice during the mix the whole things grabs your attention intently.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
