Kissing Cuzzins – We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Come To It (2008)

junkheadv1tmbKissing Cuzzins – We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Come To It

2008 was a long time ago, and unfortunately for Kissing Cuzzins, hip hop beats has a short expiration date.

While definitely a product of it’s time, listening to the backing now makes it feel lazy and uncreative. The first couple tracks take a pastiche approach where tons of styles are cut and pasted, but this is only true sometimes. The parts that cook like the IDM-influenced close to “I’m Like The Following” are too short, and too much time is spent on hooks and simple beats that never really dig into the listener. The worst is “God Mode”, which repeats it’s flaccid chorus (You think you’re in God mode/You think you’re in God mode/You think you’re in God mode/IDDQD) so many times to a repetitive drum and bass blurp that they must have really thought it was clever. By the end, your eyes will roll into the back of your head as “Secret Track” manages to steal the drum beat from both JJ Fadd’s “Super Sonic” and 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny” without adding in any cool bassline to back it up.

Stale beats aside, the boys lyrics and style are really fun, and the overall tone of the album is light and cool. Whether they’re putting “the dick back in diction” or “dropping audible bombs like your grandmother’s cooter“, it’s impossible to not have fun listening to these guys. While most of the rhymes are snotty wit, there’s a strong self-loathing charm to some of the lyrics: “Demeaning job, car on loan/24 years old and still living at home” accurately summarizes post-adolescence in a recession-ridden 2008 wasteland.

Still, I think it’s cooler to rhyme Tardis with retarded, and that’s about 80% of the album. My personal favorite line: “I’m just Hudson and Hawking for the diamond motherfucker”.

Music: C-
Rapping: A-
Overall: B-

Listen to the album herehttps://splattercatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/kissing-cuzzins-well-burn-that-bridge-when-we-come-to-it