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Tape Two Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

  • Summary: Rap, soul, pop, and R&B are some of the genres seen on the second release from the Scottish trio of Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole, and G. Hastings.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. You'll soon feel how all those slight musical differentials hoist the group's collective spirit, and how courageously the music's depressive candor strengthens their will to be alive.
  2. Jun 10, 2013
    90
    Everything suggests that, on the strength of this set, The Land of the Brave won’t need a referendum to prove its independence.
  3. 85
    Their tracks are short and sharp bursts for the most part, rarely cracking three minutes and crammed with ideas (sometimes to the point of disorientation) but it does mean nothing stagnates and keeping up with the stylistic shifts is an exhilarating task.
  4. Jun 10, 2013
    80
    Tape Two sees them moving further away from a classic De La Soul template into something deeper and darker.
  5. Jun 10, 2013
    80
    Young Fathers are exactly as their name suggests: firstly young, but more noteworthy, brutally honest father-figures who show the music world that, when you take musical and topical risks, you get noticed.
  6. Jun 10, 2013
    70
    Both [Tape One and Tape Two] are uniquely imaginative and scattered, and with this one, it becomes wholly apparent that Young Fathers have carved out their own distinct style.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Sep 20, 2013
    10
    Amazing new band. These are fresh sounds from a fresh direction, with a world of possibilities for their future. This is just their secondAmazing new band. These are fresh sounds from a fresh direction, with a world of possibilities for their future. This is just their second of two fairly short tapes on Anticon. Both tapes clock in at a little over an EP length, but not quite an album length. The songs are concise and the production is creatively lo-fi. There is a strong mix of hip hop and electronics, but also some more chill layed groove, and some really great vocal work. I really get a feeling, while listening, that I'm witnessing the early days of TV On The Radio as they explore and find the sound they want to pursue.

    There are just so many good ideas here. Some more refined than others, but every one of them is an adventure. Keep an eye out for these guys in the future.
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  2. Jun 15, 2013
    9
    Tracks are really short and to the point. This album is stripped down to what works...and trust me, it works. Only complaint is it feels likeTracks are really short and to the point. This album is stripped down to what works...and trust me, it works. Only complaint is it feels like sometimes these songs are so short that they pass by before they really sink in, but their short length also ensures they don't have a chance to grow stale so I suppose it's for the best. All in all a great album Expand
  3. Mar 9, 2015
    9
    The second of two tapes released on Anticon by Young Fathers in 2013, aptly-titled TAPE TWO, is an excellent piece of music driven by theThe second of two tapes released on Anticon by Young Fathers in 2013, aptly-titled TAPE TWO, is an excellent piece of music driven by the juxtaposition between pounding chants, tribal drums and a very 21st century level of production and awareness. Individuals songs are kept short and diverse, each track is kept under four minutes and generally includes several variations of the song’s theme. Between tracks there is little continuity as musical ideas are presented, used and then swept away just as soon as they came. “Come to Life” and “I Heard” are particularly notable offenders of this, as each cuts off right in the middle of the song’s climax to fit with the album’s vicious sense of movement that ultimately isn’t to its detriment or benefit. Lyrically, The tape is as jumpy as its song structures. Each member provides their voice to evoke themes imperialism, family and a grand sense of history and power. Choruses and MC-style vocals are also very common, which creates a very rich and almost improvisational backing that helps make the experience more organic between the synthesizers and heavily processed drums. Speaking of which, the production on TAPE TWO is one of the most fascinating aspects of the release as a whole. Wailing, quivering synthesizer lines that relish in every touch to the keyboard accompanied by drum patterns that are somehow tribal even while simultaneously sounding a bit like a Casio keyboard metronome makes TAPE TWO a very sonically diverse listen. “Mr. Martyr” is a successful blend of both of these elements, beginning with a emotionless kick that gets doubled by a distorted strike to a goat-skin drum and maracas. The pulse of the synthesizer central remains constant through the breakdown when layers of drums and shakers are added along with the long wail of a sine wave. This kind of contrast between the new and old is the central focus of this mixtape and Young Fathers’ work as a whole and is central to what makes it so enjoyable. While every song on the release is not perfect and a few suffer from being under-developed because of length, TAPE TWO as a whole is too interesting to pass up on. Expand
  4. Jul 12, 2013
    7
    This was a new world for me but I keep about 4 songs from these guys. This type of hip hop has to grow on you, and it is growing. This isThis was a new world for me but I keep about 4 songs from these guys. This type of hip hop has to grow on you, and it is growing. This is definitely not Nas illamatic Collapse