I’ve always found it refreshing when an artist decides to take a new direction that demonstrates growth while building on what they’ve already accomplished. Abandoning the warm blanket of what is comfortable and expected, this latest effort from San Francisco-based BLVD departs from their previous work with the addition of MC Souleye taking the mic. Spawned from an impromptu 2007 performance, the collaboration has yielded some interesting work.
In the past, BLVD has provided a steady stream of live instrumental electronica. Their previous albums are a marriage of the acoustic and electronic featuring deep grooves and clever composition reminiscent of the decidedly more electronic Crystal Method.
With Music For People, BLVD has taken their digital and analog alchemy to a new place with the addition rap vocals. What began as pure freestyle has evolved into written words that at their best meld seamlessly with the music.
The album eases the listener in with “108 Rose Petals” before really picking up intensity on “Music is a Medicine”. The band returns to their sans vocal form with “LIT”, laying a down a relaxed groove and then exploring. “Come Along” provides the listener with some of the most well defined hooks on the album without crossing the line into pop-sillyness. In fact the whole album is remarkable with its infectious grooves and general catchiness without ever really losing its hip quality. Music For People ends in strong fashion with the up-tempo “Alignment” and the appropriately named closing track “Time’s Up”.
On this album BLVD has infused organic energy into an electronic world. That’s no easy feat considering the frequently barren wasteland of disposable electronic music a listener can walk through on any given day. If you’ve never heard BLVD before, Music For People is a great place to start. At the same time, established fans of BLVD will be satisfied as the band has added a compelling element but remained true to what has made their music work in the past.
Noah Small - MuzikReviews.com Contributor
September 17, 2008
