Artist: Injury Reserve
When you think of progressive music it automatically conjures up mental images of kaftan wearing rockers or people using way too many keyboard instruments.
Truth be told progressive can apply to any part of the music spectrum and here hip hop maestros Injury Reserve richly deserve the description. This their first self-titled full album blends classic sound with astonishing inventiveness, so much so it’s hard to know where to begin.
What Injury Reserve have done is taken something familiar and then twisted it into something that can only be theirs. The infusion of jazz is impressive and adds depth and class, while the rapping keeps everything grounded.
Some may find the tempo changes a little disconcerting but they help to make sure your interest is held. It’s not often you get a record with such a high level of experimentation that hits the spot so well but this one does.
The move from mix tape to EP and then on to full album hasn’t been entirely seamless but now they’ve reached this peak the trio could go on to be a world leading act. Morphing music isn’t easy but here Injury Reserve show they are masters at it.
> Gary Trueman
Injury Reserve
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