Review: Plain's aPlainEP mixtape.

Plain-aPlainEP mixtape

So, I got a new group for yall and they have a new mixtape out! NC duo, Plain, has recently released their mixtape titled, aPlainEP. It's mixtape, not a EP according to the group. The group consists of emcee, Kweku Kente and producer The Atomospheric. According to Kente, Plain's sound is "somewhere in the midst of hip hop, electronica, and psychedelic rock", but they do not limit themselves to any specific genre. That's a little on the group, now on to the mixtape.


Since I never encountered any of Plain's music, I honestly pressed played on their Bandcamp with no expectations. I listened to the whole EP straight through. If I had expectations of how their music was suppose to be, I would have been wayyyy off! The 'tape has it's good and it's bad.


Let's start with the good. For one, this 'tape is unique. Not many projects are coming out nowadays that sound like this. Secondly, Kweku Kente is a pretty damn good emcee. His lyrics tended to "mindfuck" me as in I was utterly confused but yet I still enjoyed the lyrics. Third, I could totally hear the electronica and psychedelic rock influence in the production throughout the mixtape. It was obvious but not overwhelming. Like they didn't literally sample a Jimi Hendrix track and Kente just rapped over it. You can tell that The Atomospheric can produce. The talent is definitely there when it comes to Plain.


Now for the bad. Some moments in some of the songs seemed over done, unnecessary and just straight corny. Like the track, Re-Up, I could have done without the singing. It just wasn't working. There was too much "extra" on this mixtape. All the TV clips and random skit like talking/screaming wer way too much and took away from the beauty of the lyrics and production. Less is definitely more. I like the production but I just think it could be a little more refined. I see the potential in it to be really dope and epic but it just needs more revision. Again, less is more. 


Overall, the mixtape was bit overwhelming. I don't think it's something I would listen to when listening to music for enjoyment. If there was less TV clips, weird screaming and "skits", and the production was a little more refined, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Even with all that said, I think that Plain as a group has A LOT of potential. I could totally see them being a group that I would support and enjoy their music in the future. I'm sure by the second and third project from this one, they will be epic. They have the talent to do so. 


Thanks Kweku for checking the blog out and hitting me up. Please keep sending me anything new from the group!


For more Plain, check out:
http://plain.bandcamp.com/
http://twitter.com/KwekuKente
http://twitter.com/TheAtmospheric

'Always More, Never Less'-Es