That thread of music that first emerged in the late 70s South Bronx, the one that first took form as hip-hop, has evolved and been infused with so many other forms that myriad modern styles can claim some of its lineage. Take “Garden of Thorns,” the latest one from T.Halcyon. It isn’t exactly a rap or hip-hop song, but those flavors are certainly in there.
But so are so many others. A skittering, understated beat, loose R&B grooves, a wonderful girl/boy – sung/rapped vocal exchange, beguiling washes of electronica, a quiet anthemicism, and a great use of space. And it is this use of space that makes all the difference. Here, additional sonics are allowed to pool and percolate, sounds that seem to rise between the notes and in that drawing of breath as the last word of one line fades out and before the next is ushered in.
And lyrically it paints a picture of a, perhaps dystopian, future, or one not too far away, of people holding to truth to power, knowing that they are doing what they can in the face of the big machine of authoritarianism, (and so perhaps not as fictional as it might seem.)
I’m new to T Halcyon’s music, and it seems that there is a lot of different sounds and styles to check out in the back catalog, but “Garden of Thorns” has proved an intriguing place to start.
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