Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

In an ideal world, the talented artists and producers of the Syntax Records stead would get the chance to step up to the big leagues and give the major labels a run for their money.  In the meantime, the discs below represent a smattering of some of the more impressive projects from the Syntax musical library.

Future Shock - The Art of Xenos: Entertaining Aliens
A nice mixture of styles.  The stellar lead-off track, "Best Believe," gets things moving underneath its tense, start-stop rhythms, and things progress nicely from there.  The infectiously smooth "Foreshadowing" gains a light, bouncy '70s dance-pop vibe by virtue of Kaitlyn Casels' (Sackcloth Fashion) transcendently ethereal vocals.  Several songs feature live bass, guitar and keyboards. 

Locke - Relevance
Eschewing flash and eccentricity for consistency and an impressive pop sensibility, Locke's thought-provoking raps and rock-solid musical backing keep things flowing in fine fashion from start to finish.  The soft jazz-tinged "Only a Moment Away," featuring guest raps from Braille, is the perfect soundtrack for a spring afternoon cruise with the top down.  An ideal entry point for those who still approach the hip-hop genre with some skepticism.

ADeeM - Sweet Talking Your Brain
Leans towards the slightly more experimental side of the hip-hop equation.  While a certain level of accessiblity is inevitably lost, the album's best tracks, such as "Broken Right Wing" and "Maker Mine," are among the most impressive singles from any of the Syntax artists.

Acts 29 - Underexposed
A fine album with more than a few worthy cuts.  The shimmering "Confessions" sprinkles sparkling female chorus voices, a la, say, Out of Eden, atop an exceedingly smooth and mellow groove.  The gripping, best-of-album "Blank Mind," by comparisons, sports a dark, almost alt-rock feel.    One of the more consistent efforts of the bunch.

Lojique - Language Arts
An impressively pop-friendly offering.  Although dobros and hammered dulcimers can hardly be considered go-to instrumental choices for most hip-hop artists, "Feisen Blue Yowd" and the likewise first-rate "Swallow Crow," respectively, are each much the better for their inclusion.  Elsewhere, the group tackles Celtic and classical music with equal proficiency.

Pigeon John -  ... Is Clueless
If well-done, self-deprecating humor was money in the bank, the LA Symphony's Pigeon John would be a millionaire.  From the tongue-in-cheek boasts of packing 20-seat houses to being in his "mid-20's and still dating cheerleaders," PJ may very well be, as he claims, "the new James Bond"  ... if only in his own mind.  The endearingly offbeat live last cut, "B," sums up the idiosyncratic rapper's life and philosophy with an engaging, if near-unhinged, verve.  Quirky, lightning-fast raps and topnotch instrumental accompaniment put this record in the must-have category.

The Night Owls compilation CDs, 2001's Nocturnal Doctrine and Sleep Therapy from 2003, are, as one might expect, a bit spottier than the single-artist releases above.  Nonetheless, the two discs lay claim to a hefty 38 tracks between them, and offer a fine way to sample the Syntax family of artists and find a few rough diamonds from as-yet unsigned artists in the process.

Bert Gangl 4/30/2003