Review Summary: Unified Fun
Nowadays, it’s quite uncommon to find a large crew working behind indie hip-hop projects. Sure, you’ll have your smaller groups with a rapper, a producer, and someone who works on making those beats and grooves. But, you don’t often find a huge collaborative effort going into each aspect of a project. Yet this is exactly how
Sequoia was crafted. With an umbrella of 6 members and collaborating producers, SVMMERCAMP is a group that allows each individual member to shine while cohesively working together.
Throughout
Sequoia, there’s a sense of airiness that exudes throughout each track with beats and grooves that remain subtle yet impactful. From the beginning of “Prelude,” the instrumentation feels natural, with simple drums laying the foundation for a melodic progression of strings. This pattern of simplistic grooves mixed with catchy melodies is prevalent through the entirety of the project, varying in tonality and style. “HumDiaDo” utilizes acoustic harmonies to accentuate the ebb and flow of the melodic synths progressing the track along. “Do-Si-Do ‘N Dip” emphasizes a more “vibey” approach, injecting infectious bass lines that give a funky feel to the rhythm of the track. The highlight “Man in the City” establishes itself as a groovy, bass-driven song with driving drum chops that subtly maintains a high energy atmosphere. With the closer, SVMMERCAMP focuses more on the deep bass synths to provide the foundation for “Take Me Home,” amplified by the contrasting piano melodies that add to the atmosphere. However, despite
Sequoia’s entertaining songwriting and musicianship, what truly defines the project lies in the vocal performances.
Similar to crews like Brockhampton, SVMMERCAMP showcases a diverse variety of vocal styles and performances throughout
Sequoia. Between the alternating verse efforts and collaborative choruses, each vocalist/rapper brings forth their own strengths to create a unified vocal front. With each voice, something new is brought to the table which amplifies SVMMERCAMP’s versatile performance because it allows
Sequoia to embrace multiple genres. While this idea of shifting vocal performances may not appeal to some, this multi-faceted approach is one that can be greatly appreciated for its ambition.
SVMMERCAMP’s debut EP is one full of promise and potential. Although
Sequoia is an ambitious project, it shows the crew pulling from all of their influences to explore their ability as a collective unit. Most importantly, it’s a project that doesn’t take itself too seriously, injecting humorous moments that reflect SVMMERCAMP’s joyful chemistry and amusing cohesion. It’s a vibe that reflects what the crew intended: togetherness
