Awol One/ Josh Martinez/ Moves Splitsville
© 2008 Camobear Records
Splitsville
http://cdbaby.com/cd/splitsvillemusic
Article by Richard Davis
http://www.myspace.com/richardpauld
http://richardandthepallbearers.com
This is an exceptionally clever and hook filled Album. From the introduction of the main “characters” played by the writers, all the way until the last beat collapses in “The Beast” Featuring Chicarones. I was looking for something out of the mainstream. Something that didn’t sound like Nas inspired it or Busta appeared on.
This is a quote from the Splitsville cd’s homepage, and I think it handles the description quite well.
“Awol One is an international man, famous like a planet, He has won many trophies, and has a respected reputation! He is also a two-time Rhodes Scholar and has made out with almost 30,000 robots. With his muddy humor and sharp witty observations, Awol One is relentless in many ways, and loves pizza.
Josh Martinez is made of money and charm, has 3 children from 4 mothers, is an amateur ornithologist and a semi-pro curler. A former X-games gold medalist, he has been without the use of his legs for the last three years, and as such, is bed ridden and covered in boils.
Moves has over 200 albums in his discography, speaks 13 languages, models high fashion on the catwalks of Milan and single handedly discovered the Northwest Passage. On top of being made of candy, Moves was part of pop supe rgroup Len and has broken hearts worldwide with his mastery of heartbreak music.”
“Last Train” starts with a stumbling bumbling, nearly country bass line, then builds to a ruckus before you can make sense of what’s going down.
The third track “raindance” begins with another sample, the theme of talking dirty. This album is a little bit naughty, and could push you to blush or cover the kids easrs, so be wary, but it’s done in a comical satire kind of way. They won’t make your ears hurt and it isn’t anything you haven’t heard on a DMX or even a DRE production.
The use of samples and retro beats here isn’t treading on any new ground, but it’s comfortable old ground where the song can be break danced and poppa-locked on. Thought there are some hitches in the production and some of the songs really don’t get off of the ground, there is some nice potential here. The next album may be their break through.
One of the stand out tracks was too much F. Evil and Moka only. The beat is straight out of a black-sploitation flick, and you can see Foxie Brown standing at a corner waving her finger at you. It also stands as a shout out track to all of the “crew” members, and a braggadocios statement of their machismo and self proclaimed modesty. The line in the hook “too much” may represent their overuse of samples and looped piano throughout the Cd.
Their breakdowns of the verses are well done, though the sampling of cookie cutter Caucasians is a little much for my taste.
The title track Splitsville just doesn’t take off like I would’ve expected. It laments some one else’s faulty actions, and feels a little too much like Marshall Mathers on a valium binge, just without the jaw busting exclamation. It is a solid ballad track, just not a stand out title track. That’s where you would expect the major revelations about this album that is a “Concept album”
The Artist AWOL declares himself found after his introduction and his song “shake yer Eywind.” It is a commentary on the industry itself perhaps. “Sex songs always sell” he declares in the hook, in his hyper drawl that sounds like he spent a good time enunciating in grade school.
“Thunder dying” is a fine bit of campy-ness that recalls early Insane Clown Posse. You can imagine the rapper in his mother’s living room playing his x-box dreaming up lyrics. The video game/ horror movie track carries his able lyrics. His delivery is a little choppy, but I think it’s his style. It doesn’t take off either, or explode like you’d want and starts to drag near the one fifty mark.
| Quote: |
| “This is a concept album of love songs to break up to, a beautiful, and morbid journey by two revered solo artists, who come together to share the stories of a town we all know so well, Splitsville.” (courtesy cdbaby.com page) |
“wanted and needed” is a yeaning piece of story telling. The bass line sounds like it was done on some ones copy of fruity loops or through a cheap amp. Again part of the appeal, especially if you’re wanting something different and quirky.
“The Beast” is the diamond in this ruff here. Brilliant flow and a jerky dreamy beat bounce you around and warn you against the true skills these fella’s possess.
Either these guys are brilliant satirists, or they’re on to something here. Lo-fi clothes lines and witty hooks. They could do well with a bit more production and some singing thrown in, and some diversity in their beats though. They’re clearly some gifted cats and I think this album is worth some exploration to find the story that lies within. Their story told from their home: Splitsville.
More information about this music:
Splitsville’s myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/splitsvilleoncamobear
Record company page
http://www.camobear.ca/
Josh Martinez’s Home page
http://joshmartinez.ca/ 
