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Album Details

• Artist: Face Candy
• Album: Waste Age Teen Land
• Label: Rhymesayers
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2011-05-24

  I've been writing reviews for a good portion of my adult life, and there's been very few that come with such an emotional baggage prior to even spinning the tunes. Despite not having heard their first release, 2006's "This Is Where We Were", it's clear Michael "Eyedea" Larsen was at full throttle during his Face Candy times, rapping till his lungs collapsed in his usual style of repetitive calamity with an emotive delivery.

Every track here is entertainingly stripped. For instance, track six which mirrors a Blood Hound Gang like symphony, spit instrumentals and an associating house ware sound. Track eight is a refreshing percussion-like session that builds tempo and mood for the following track riddled with random samplings creating a path that Eyedea takes to a much slower vibe and flow.

 Of course what kind of recording with Eyedea wouldn't be filled with self-defamation?  One track in particular, "15" has that repetitive hook with a negative vibe.  But just like he always has, Eyedea finds a way to pound at the subject with a variety of delivery styles and fashions. Kristoff Krane shows a hellacious freestyle presence, especially in track two, rhyming at a blistering pace or his even his vocal performance live at Black Dog Café during track six. Quite a few times throughout the release, Krane adds that random humor always present on E&A tracks.

Overall, Eyedea's last release with Face Candy is a stripped down, raw moment of truth that underscores his unique ability to rhyme off verbal momentum.  As for his accompanying instrumentalists,  bassist Casey O'Brien and drummer JT Bates, this seems to have been a perfect match. Perhaps the Indie Hip Hop scene will come together and record an album with these two in tribute to the since passed lyricist.

For those looking for beats molded to radio airwaves, look elsewhere.  This is more like a group of guys with varying talents feeding off each other's freestyle talent and collective beat. R.I.P to a great Rapper...Michael "Eyedea" Larsen

From the press release...

"Recorded during two days at Winterland Studios by Brian Johnson (Prince, Eyedea & Abilites) and one night in front of an audience at St. Paul's Black Dog Café (engineered by No Bird Sing's Graham O'Brien), the album showcases the band's full spectrum of talents-from contemplative instrumentals to auto-tuned joke rapping, and every shade in between. The record, and indeed the entire philosophy behind Face Candy requires sharp awareness in the moment."

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