Ruthless
Chant, 2020
8/10
A New York outfit spearheaded by guitarist, producer and record label honcho Jon Madof, and rapper, poet and performance artist Eden Pearlstein, this debut from Ruthless Cosmopolitans brings us a diatribe about the last 4 years of political/social injustice set to the sounds of punk, jazz and hip-hop.
“Make America Hate Again” starts the listen with strong group vocals before Frank London’s exceptional trumpet prowess explodes in the playful rock’n’roll climate that’s also hip-hop friendly, and “The Screen Age” follows with insightful commentary about the status quo as the music shifts from harder rock to a more restrained approach where Manny Laine’s drumming is highlighted well.
The back half of the listen offers the clever “Gawd Hates Flags”, where punk rock ideas enter the energetic setting, while “Faux King Crazy” delivers a burst of exciting jazz fusion amid wordplay that dissects all the social issues plaguing us today. “Nothing In A Good Way” then exits the listen with a brief execution of ominous ambience that’s instrumental and might just be the sound of the death knell of 2020.
If this were 1994, you could easily picture Ruthless Cosmopolitans opening for Rage Against The Machine and stealing the show with their keen observations on life in modern society, and blistering, unpredictable song craft. An excellent starting point, it will exciting to see what comes next from the Ruthless Cosmopolitans camp.
Travels well with: Prophets Of Rage- Prophets Of Rage; Public Enemy- The Evil Empire Of Everything