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Sivion
Mood Enhancement
2005, Illect Recordings
This is the first nationally-distributed release from Houston MC Sivion, and it‘s a bit of a sketchy affair; a little long on filler and random bits and pieces, balanced with some truly inspired joints and jazzy interludes. Sivion has been blessed with an easy, elastic flow, butter-smooth, and when the beat is right, he‘s on top of his game; ‘Flood Gates‘ starts out a banger for a minute and a half or so before closing out on the laid-back vibe, while ‘The Name Game‘ encapsulates the jazz-inflected, free-form style the entire album brings. When he‘s not rapping, Sivion‘s also an accomplished beatmaker and producer, and demonstrates here that he ain‘t afraid to mix in horns, Hammonds and anything in between, but while ‘Right There In Left Field‘ is a gem of a jazzy break, this record, for all its experimentation, shines brightest when the straight dope is brought – look no further than ‘Down But Never Out‘, featuring Sivion‘s Deepspace5 crew, the best cut on the album for its ridiculous beat and the infallible Ds5 magic.
Mood Enhancement straddles a nice line between songs poised for radio success – ‘Father Time‘ is a decent song and could easily become a single – and the underground tip while remaining absolutely, uncompromisingly Christian in the lyrical attack. Some female spoken-word drops at the end of ‘Lyrical Combat‘, sounding almost identical to the woman who‘s appeared on a few of The Roots‘ albums in years past, while a few cuts here and there have some street conversation from strangers who have apparently been asked "what makes you happy?" An interesting concept, I suppose, but unnecessary, and while we‘re picking bones, the flow of the album is interrupted in several places by sudden stops and songs ending after ninety seconds, while others roll on past the five-minute mark. A little more consistency, please!
This cat Sivion can rhyme like he was born to it, and hopefully his next solo material will feature more of his flow and less in the way of distractions. Recommended if you‘re down with hiphop that maintains a chameleonic sense of change.
[Sivion on the Web] [Illect Recordings]
- Mike Postma
Copyright ©2005