It’s crazy how Sewaside II gives the impression that Mike Shabb has gained ten years in maturity. Moving away from the trap, synthetic, but melodious sounds of his previous projects (including the albums northwave2018, and Life Is Short2020), the Montreal artist himself composed a soundtrack based on soul, funk and R&B samples, in a stripped-down style similar to that of producer Nicholas Craven, who, by the way, signs the music of one of the songs (Island Boy). And it’s tasty, the chosen musical direction pushing Shabb to stick more to the rhymes of his texts, denser, rawer, better felt. Even the MC’s prosody is decidedly more athletic than before, as he claims the influence of New Jersey veteran Redman — throughout the album, and specifically on the song. Reggie Noble. In concert on March 26 at Ausgang Plaza in Montreal, then on March 31 at the Imperial in Quebec.
To see in video