More soul revolution than boutique soundtrack and deserving of vinyl over playlist, J*Davey is stuck in between the musical void of underground appreciation and fan obsession. Riding the hip-hop-is-dead independent artist train, J'Davey successfully crafted a sound that wasn't too 90's Baduizm, nor too 80's trance dance.
The young duo of vocalist Jack Davey and producer Brook D'Leau manage to concoct music pheromones which attract a wide range of listeners and most anyone with a discerning ear finally uniting the hip-hop heads with the hipsters, rockers with rappers and purveyors of punk with fans of funk.
Hailed by Atlanta urbanites and Williamsburgh eclectics, J'Davey has caused quite the Y2K phenomenon making the ordeal of finding an authentic Sharpie-less J'Davey compact disc similar to hunting for porn at the local Walmart. But once you find an obscure track it has a way of either soothing or inciting your emotions. Whether consumed with cream and sugar or Cream of Clapton, J'Davey fails to displease and with the help of Myspace spins and Atari fashion, the two have a stranglehold on audiophile music blogs and soul seekers alike beating the drums for their artistic coup.
Their mixtape Land of the Lost Episode is the literal takeover of backpack hip-hop transforming it from an afro-centric isolationist movement to an accessible and worldly celebration of punk influence, eighties androgyny and Electronica BPMs, traditionally hip-hop taboo or Kanye fodder. Laced with soul-synths, levitating lyrics and relaxing rhythms 'Lost' is an array of moods and modern experimentation. The Gnarles Barkley of hip hop, J'Davey creates an art happening sound on infused with semi spoken word lyrics reminiscent of Saul Williams and a tempo becoming of a Prince & The Revolution album without the jheri curl juice and velvet suits.
Smooth and sexy not only describes the flawless female countenance of Jack Davey but the aphrodisiac lyrics of her hypnotic voice while producer Brooke D'Leau does for soul music what Timbaland did for Nelly Furtado’s Loose. Not too over the top in sound experimentation and not too under-developed in vocals the two have an undeniable chemistry underneath the guest appearances, 80s odes, and witty wordplay. Soothing as it is elevating and as asexual as it is seductive, the album highlights not only the impressive tastes of J'Davey in the present but the roots of the "Lost" past. If albums had family trees, Land of the Lost EPisode's grandparents would be Sade's Love Deluxe and Prince's Lovesexy and they'd be the children of The Root's Illadelph Halflife and Erykah Badu's Live.
Even without the classic album name dropping, the duo stands on their own two feet or four legs infusing and picking up where the aforementioned left off. J'Davey took every hip hop head's favorite and fabled inspirations and turned it into an elusive musical album and genre that manages to defy ordinary labels and obvious comparisons making it more proprietary than homage, something Mr. West is incapable of producing and Kelis is incapable of reproducing.
That independence and entrepreneurial sound guides Land of the Lost EPisode into a utopia realm devoid of imitation that engenders inspiration. Let's hope other artists journey find it.
Download: "Hi Sun" "Redlight" "Just Because" "Venus to Mars"
