Lushlife's Latest Album, Compelling and Sincere

Lushlife

Plateau Vision

(Western Vinyl)

Grade: B

The second release from Philadelphia hip-hop artist Lushlife is one of the strongest albums to come out of the city this decade. The 11 tracks on Plateau Vision feature live instrumentals and a variety of electronic melodies, topped with Lushlife's quick enunciation, aggressive delivery and compelling rhymes. Although a few songs are less memorable than the remainder of the album, Lushlife's ability to codify various influences into bona fide hip-hop tunes is commendable. From the smooth R&B of "She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist" to the classic soul cuts featured on "Glistening," to the Baltimore club and trip-hop on "Hale-Bopp Was the Bedouins," the album is cohesive and inventive. Lushlife's sincerity and earnestness are perhaps the tie that binds: Shout-outs to Point Breeze and Camden, along with musical homages to hometown heroes the Roots and the city's many jazz legends, intertwine the music and the community.