Review Summary: Once again, Aesop's laid back drawl is the perfect fuel to take his mind-bending lyricism to new heights.
When you think of a New Yorker with a soulful baritone that twists words into phrases so hard to keep pace with that your ears are left wallowing in the dust as his speedy lines ramble on, Ian Matthias Bavitz probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind . Aesop Rock, on the other hand, should fit that description a little better. Alas, the two are one in the the same. Bavitz, the man so easily mistaken for an African-American due to his attitude and rhymes, has been near the top of the indie hip-hop movement for years; whether it be in the form of producing, rapping, or simply maintaining a formidable presence.
None Shall Pass is the epitome of an Aesop Rock album, and his fifth LP finds him with the same flow, the same brutal lyricism, albeit a tad more consistent and polished than usual.
Aesop’s unorthodox style is a product of his stringing together line after line of free-flowing intricacies. This is perhaps best embodied in his song “Daylight,” a rap of epic proportions. But I digress, while “Daylight” doesn’t make an appearance on
None Shall Pass, it's these types of laid-back deliveries and convoluted, winding lines that Aesop delivers in consistent fashion here. The title track “None Shall Pass” couldn’t feel like anything
but a spot-on reincarnation of Aesop’s past successes. With a moody beat and a smooth delivery to match, Aesop weaves and flows to create a politically charged song that makes you dizzy even looking at it on paper. Here lies Aesop’s true claim to fame- his unique ability to stick so many syllabyles into so little space and have them come out comprehensible and smooth on the other end. Aesop’s delivery is at its peak here on
None Shall Pass, and while the title track is certainly a highlight, the other 13 songs stand their ground as well.
About half produced by Blockhead, and the other half by Aesop himself,
None Shall Pass reveals itself to be startlingly smooth in its transition from song to song, not much unlike Aesop’s voice. This can partially be attributed to the limited amount of guests on
None Shall Pass, an Aesop tradition. Even then, the features are El-P and Cage, on “Getaway Car” and “39 Thieves,” respectively, and the two rappers manage to complement Aesop’s style well, rather than impede upon it or overshadow it. The whole of
None Shall Pass is entirely the Aesop we know and love from
Labor Days, albeit without a bit of the grit. Polished away with shiny new production,
None Shall Pass stands as a much cleaner testament to Aesop. Yet, instead of this being a qualm - a detraction from his earlier style, some may complain - the cleanness of
None Shall Pass only helps Aesop Rock. With more placid production, line after line of Aesop’s wizardry, often directed toward the missteps of the American government, is much clearer and more comprehensible. All the while, Aesop perfectly maintains the stoic attitude (well, he lets loose on a few tracks, most notably “Coffee”) along with the grit and determination that seems to flow so sincerely from his intricate rhymes.
None Shall Pass is another trip down the well into Aesop’s psyche, similar to
Labor Days in this sense. Engrossing and captivating throughout, Bavitz’s bait is his clever wordplay and velvety enunciation, and damn is it hard not to take- especially right around the time the glorious trifecta of “None Shall Pass,” “Catacomb Kids,” and “Bring Back Pluto” hit... three of the best to grace Aesop’s arsenal. Take the bait, I urge you. As exhibited by
this reviewer’s normal listening habits, Aesop Rock is hardly an artist strictly for the hip-hop aficionados with their large chains and larger egos. After completing
None Shall Pass and being struck by Aesop’s unique style, it’ll be hard
not to associate the name Ian Matthias Bavitz with mind-convoluting, ear-twisting rhyme-upon-rhyme.
