Freedom Of Speech comes with 11 tracks which sound hugely pumped up with some phat mastering. You will need a pair of decent speakers or at least some fine-sounding headphones to appreciate the work gone into them - laptop listening should not even be considered.
I have always been about the beats so that is what I check for first. While there are no out-and-out classic breaks employed on Freedom Of Speech, the beats here are solid crackers with an abundance of brassy parps littered all around to make a sturdy foundation for JD’s melodious thunk with his sing-song rhyme style patter.
Talking of an unyielding base, the rigid beats that Haynesy has produced make Jabbathekut’s job so much easier. He slides over the drums with ease making the turntables sing a song of starving styluses being fed freshly-cooked rhythms. He’s certainly not being shunned either and in fact the DJ in this instance is pushed right into the spotlight just to remind you that turntablism is indeed one of the cornerstones of hip-hop.
The best part of having listened to a new album is when certain chorus refrains continue to linger in the cranium later when you’re doing the dishes or walking the dog. The cinematic rush of ‘Mullets’, the sax (and ‘whoops’) of ‘No Matter What’ or the ATCQ-reminiscence of ‘Something To Say’ are just some examples of why the set sounds better with repeated listens.
Would it be predictable to exclaim that ‘he’s done it again!’ with this latest album? It’s the first thought that comes to mind to these ears and it will be a sad day if it doesn’t.
Freedom Of Speech is available on August 3rd from all wholesome digital platforms as well as via Qrates for the vinyl collectors. Full-colour sleeve design artwork is provided by the ever-reliable digitalDyer.
For more Haynesy visit his Bandcamp page (https://fatman.bandcamp.com/)
Tracklisting:
01 On Your Feet
02 Bass & the Treble
03 Freight Train
04 No Matter What
05 Mullets
06 Tell Em
07 Scream & Shout
08 Pedigree
09 Melody
10 Something To Say
11 Change
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