Album Of The Week: Nevermen

Music collaborations seem like they’ve become a yearly thing. Last year pop star maniac Miley Cyrus worked with psychedelic acid punk weirdos The Flaming Lips to put out Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, an album that definitely raised a few eyebrows. This time around we have three different types of artists colliding to create something that experiments and solidifies. Nevermen consists of the soulful Tunde Adebimpe from Brooklyn art rock act TV On The Radio, the crazed genius of Mike Patton who you might know from his work as the frontman of Faith No More, Fantomas and numerous other projects and independent hip-hop innovator Doseone. This little project has their self-titled debut coming out this week and it fires on multiple cylinders.

An album that’s been seven years in the making, Nevermen‘s fusion of hip-hop, trip-hop, avant-garde, synth-punk, soul and triumphant choruses makes it worth the wait. By incorporating so many dimensions, this album is absolutely refreshing; each note takes you to a different place. There’s nothing watered down and nothing bland. All of the colliding styles add a lot of flavor. For example, Adebimpe’s knack for contagious melody and Patton’s aggressive vocal delivery feed off each other. The end result of those two flowing between each other is exciting and invigorating.

With its originality, it’s hard to figure out which tracks stand out on Nevermen’s debut. From front to back each track stands out on its own. It’s a flurry of tough decisions before me, but I think I’ll be alright. Check out my top tracks and encompass yourself in the pristine sounds.

Going out to the downtrodden, “Treat Em Right” has thunderous beats and sly rhymes conveying the feeling of being used and objectified. The beginning in “Mr. Mistake” has a slightly demented festive tone that sounds like it would be part of the soundtrack for a messed up version of a Disney children’s film, but don’t let that fool you. The track’s melodies are catchy and it’s bound to get you grooving. “Hate On” pays homage to the early experimental stages of TV On The Radio by starting a cappella and then a cinematic sound sets in to take you on a rhythmic voyage.

Adebimpe, Patton and Doseone are due to go out on tour in February in support of the Nevermen album, but there haven’t been any dates announced as of yet. Let’s hope they bring this brand spankin’ new project to New England so we can check it out live. Until then, grab Nevermen’s exemplary self-titled debut when it’s released on Friday, January 29.

Stream “Mr. Mistake” here: https://soundcloud.com/nevermenmusic/nevermen-mr-mistake

Nevermen’s Website: http://nevermen.com