ACEYALONE & THE LONELY ONES - self titled

ACEYALONE & THE LONELY ONES — “s/t”

Aceyalone has been a mainstay on the underground hip-hop scene for many years, putting out releases notable for both their intelligence and diversity. However, his latest album, Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones,” ups the ante considerably. The entire disc is conceived as a sort of “sixties hip-hop soul revue,” complete with a Master of Ceremonies and numerous guest appearances, and it works a treat. The disc starts with a rocking, funky band playing behind the M.C.’s clever introduction, couched in terms that suggests most of the listeners should already know these songs and can join along if they want (i.e., as if the songs have already been hits). The album proper then starts with “Lonely Ones,” it’s tight, funky guitar chording and up-front drums framing some excellent rapping verses that yield to transcendent doo-wop choruses. ”Can’t Hold Back” follows with rapid-fire James Brown-like horns (remember, this is a soul revue) and a very funky seventies beat. “What It Was” recalls the heyday of Motown, while “On The One” is an uptempo stomper with a fast flowing rap and great saxophone breaks. “Step Up” is a hook-filled charmer that neatly combines girl-group sweetness with hip-hop goodness. A Bo Diddley beat sets up “2 The Top,” while “Power To The People” recalls Edwin Starr’s “War” with its pounding beat. The album concludes with what sounds like an “impromptu” acapella gathering of the performers (actually similar in feel to the closing of the recently re-issued sixties disc, Saturday Night At The Apollo). Incorporating all these musical elements from the fifties up to the present might suggest a schizophrenic mish-mash of an album, but the result is anything but. The album flows smoothly from beginning to end (as a soul revue should!), flawless in its consistency and high-quality songwriting. This is, simply put, one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.

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