1. Kommunicator
2. Fugg That
3. Let The People Know
4. Black Rushmore
5. When The Silence Is Gone
6. So Good
7. Fifth Degree
8. BMW
9. From Sorrow
10. Sapphire
11. Last Time
This is the third album from the multi-influenced Cincinnati four hander Five Deez and Kommunicator sees them elaborating on what they do best: intellectual hip hop blended with laidback chill out.
Kommunicator pulses with smart considered lyrics that sees this group churn up the clichés of gangsta rap to deliver an album that is complex, consistently strong and, because of this, much, much richer.
With a self assigned mission to push out the boundaries of the hip-hop continuum the album's title track Kommunicator, kicks things off nicely and is a good acoustic opener. Next up is Fugg That (F**K that), which has a really dirty drum and bass trip to it coupled with fast flowing lyrics that will convulse out of your stereo.
Let The People Know is a true crowd pleaser and has a flavour of Will Smith's Summer Time to it, but just not a co-opted or commercialised version. It's a bouncy, breezy, catchy tune with its infectious "check it out y'all, in the house y'all" refrain.
When The Silence Is Gone has an eerie intro that ebbs in and out of being audible, but builds into a glistening tune that really grows on you.
So Good is fast and furious and made to played at full volume and has some wicked cheering crowd samples on it. But after this track, the album turns away from hip hop and out come the electronica based tracks and the finger clicking, Latin inspired ambient chill out. This creates something really awesome on Fifth Degree , a beautiful free flowing number with rippling piano, soaring flutes and uplifting salsa rhythms.
Next up is an ode to that most ostentatious of status symbols, the BMW. This is a funky, sexy song with some wicked rhyming-check puella with fella - and a gorgeous, seductive female vocal courtesy of Amleset Solomon, plus that unnerving ability of a good song to still be playing in your head long after its finished.
From Sorrow and Sapphire, two tracks that come at the tail end of the album are the most unremarkable tracks and don't make a big impact.
On the whole Kommunicator is refreshing and enlightening, the only criticism I have is one of style - none of the tracks are mixed together and the silence between songs, weighs heavy. But if you like your hip-hop intelligent and considered Kommunicator is a confident, passionate album that makes for essential listening.
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