Spring Break Tropicaledonia Review

I have stumbled upon the musical equivalent of Krush Groove. This is rap without aggression or ego; this is old school hip-hop revived. Spring Break with their debut “Tropicaledonia” have stripped it all back to what made hip-hop one of the voices of youth culture in the 80s. Songs like “Won’t Go Away” is a Latin dance mixed with Scottish dance; it’s like if Santana’s “Supernatural” was Scottish. “Rodeo Railroad” is blues mixed with Native American melodies. Live this track should exude power, with the earthy hypnotic beat combined with the rusted harmonica. There is a lot of fun on the record; on “Captain Chaos,” I can imagine Deadpool rapping to this freestyle. “The Velvet” is elevator music for the non-beige in society. The happily violent track “Dolphin Puncher” is a highlight; “So mad you could punch a dolphin” should be on a T-shirt. “Did it Matter” with its positive vibe but undercurrent indignation about the end of friendship. It could be a single from the album. “Alone to the Metronome” with its late 80s club beats but with existentialist lyrics. “Tropicaledonia” is the type of album you can listen to on a loop and be hypnotised by its simplicity. It’s a good starting point for a group with lots of potential. Spring Break don’t use samples, they don’t need no stinkin’ samples.

                                                              

Stuart Ritchie