While we imagine it’s become pretty apparent that we’ve no qualms about music sharing, this is a disk that’s definitely worth a trip to the brick and mortars. Aesop Rock’s (born Ian Bavitz) latest None Shall Pass has been a revelatory re listening exercise this past week. Worlds more focused and decisive than Bazooka Tooth or the breakthrough Labor Days, yet frosted with a wistful reminiscence lacking from the more recent (and downright angry) Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives, we’ve been haunted by this disk for days. Sure, we’d given it a cursory listen upon first purchase, but there’s nothing like a little lack of color to confirm unmistakable urban ennui, something Rock has been nailing since his debut.
On the LP’s more narrative nature, Rock has waxed “(I) Turned 30. Moved from New York to San Francisco. Stopped smoking cigarettes. A bunch of stuff happened and it influenced the writing. The writing on this album is more reflective, for lack of a better word. I didn’t want to do any braggadocio, no first person stuff, and get more into stories. Vivid descriptions of a snapshot of a moment in high school, first job, etc. and how all those snapshots add to who I am now at 30 years old.” He continues, of the album’s chilling opening track, “‘Catacumb Kids’ was kind of the key record that sparked it for None Shall Pass in terms of it being a snapshot of an era without resorting to the cliche ‘back in the day’ stuff.”
Featuring The Mountain Goat’s John Darnielle on the standout “Coffee”, give the album a listen. (Oh, and this copy isn’t all watermarked by the Def Jux people either. Thweet.)
Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass (.zip)
And, in case anybody has missed the torrential blog coverage that mashup collective The Hood Internet has received these past couple of months, they’re assuredly quite dope. (Wow, our very own CMJ showcase? Thanks, Girl Talk!)