CRYM - "Axioms"

Artist: CRYM
Album: Axioms
Genre: Rap
Country: IL, USA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CRYM/224737154283000

1. Day In, Day Out
2. Fire In A Crowded Theatre
3. Great < Greater
4. Conquer The City
5. Live Young, Die Fast
6. Perpetual Creation
7. Stupid Dumb
8. Searchlights
9. Pressure
10. Fables
11. The Rest

LOCAL MUSIC TIME.

So this rapper CRYM is my buddy Collin, and he asked if I'd review his first album, "Axioms". While I expected some good times in this album, I was fairly shocked at the musical competence. Not to be a knock at Collin, but I wouldn't expect a shorter, Jewish guy to be a great rapper.

There are quite a few things that CRYM does very, very well. The first for me would be his flow. From start to finish, this album is a smooth roller coaster of wordplay. Next, the lyrics. Drifting from smart to stupid, from serious to silly, CRYM has finds a great balance in his lyrics. Atmospheres are defined pretty quickly and effectively through the lyrical content, an ability most rappers seem to lack. This also helps to keep the album feeling varied throughout. Delivering witty satire of the world and its problems is an old trick, but CRYM manages to keep it fresh. Something about his lyric writing screams to be extra witty and gritty.

The music is where I can sometimes get lost a little bit. Some weird production choices are a little odd for my brain to process(Such as a guitar solo in the song "Stupid Dumb", or distortion and feedback purposely added in to a section that really did nothing to deserve it), and the producer(Max Loebman of Treeman, whom I've spoken so fondly of before) obviously has a palette of drum and synth sounds that he likes to retreat back to. There's nothing wrong with this, but songs start to drag on after a while, which could really be fixed by a simple synth change. That said, the instrumentals are still pretty great. Much better than a lot of what I've heard. There are just some moments where I really wish I could turn a knob or dial or something to alter the drum or synth sounds.

Overall, this is a very solid and engaging album. Surprisingly so. The lyrics craft atmospheres of many different moods, and CRYM's flow and delivery are much better than most other rappers I can think of. The album's weakest link would be the repetitive nature of the synths and drums, but the instrumentals are still completely solid for most of the album. With some better production, I really think that CRYM could get somewhere. Songs like "Searchlights"and "Fire In A Crowded Theatre" really show that this guy's got some mad talent. If you're a fan of intelligent, gritty rap that isn't afraid to have a sense of humor, this is for you.

Bandcamp: http://crym.bandcamp.com/album/axioms (If you buy an album, the proceeds go to the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education charity, CAPE)