Nobody - Soulmates

West Coast-based Nobody works firmly in the Dublab vein of sample-based hip-hop, and on his debut, SOULMATES, shows his delicacy and moody grace. “For Those Who Never Dream” drifts along in a thick miasma of sound. The sonic density and layering of tracks like “Outbreak” or “Sixth Sense” present a complex beauty, reminiscent of DJ Shadow’s work. And though I’m not a fan of MCs, the poetic “Fiend of the Fix” and the outer space funk of “Planets Ain’t Aligned” aren’t too bad (though “Faces of the Deep” isn’t too good, either). The bass-driven “Syde Tryps” traverse jazzier territory with some Middle Eastern-tinged woodwinds. A beguiling debut.

This album was ahead of its time. Those who are soon to cop the style of David Holmes (think Ocean's 11) with the "new sound of cool" should take notes from this album. David Holmes's problem is repitition. It is the same problem that plagued DJ Shadow--it will not be listened to by successive generations for any sort of creative genius. Shadow layed ground work for a style that has since been perfected. Holme's style (the new cool) is on pace to be the same type of figure in a genre that's new to us. Nobody on the other hand, is very creative in another sense. He is a creative perfector. Hopefully that gives you an idea of where this album stands. If dissonance isn't your thing then stray away from this album. It is however, very beautifully used--i say give it a shot. This album is flawed, namely the last track on the record. He should have left it off. I say buy it and before you listen to it make a copy minus the last track. The ending would be perfect. All of the rap is good minus 1 stanza of 1 song, which i hate (Friend or Fix 3:00-3:30). Delete that also. So, if you're diggin those Ocean's 11 bass lines, you're a fan of downtempo, you want something creative/hip hoppish/and jazzy--then check this out; it's phat.