Review: "Blunderfish" Album by underfish and Léthargie
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The “Blunderfish” album is exactly what your quarantine has been missing. It’s a wakeup call to rap and electronica - it’s all the musicality of a Chance the Rapper track, with all the weirdness and sense of humor from an Adult Swim show. Created by Canadian producer and rapper duo underfish and Léthargie, “Blunderfish” sounds like the grown-up version of your favorite Soundcloud rapper in the best way possible.
Léthargie, otherwise known as Michaël Landry, fits into a niche that the DCWS team hasn’t really encountered in our reviews before - his style harkens back to producers like AraabMuzik, focusing on sample-based trap and hip-hop beats. It greatly cheers up our #quarantinemood to hear dope instrumentals from someone with proper producer chops. Léthargie’s background is mostly in Electronica, but inspirations are hip hop heavy, ranging from Just blaze and J Dilla to 9th Wonder and Kenny Beats. The beats on this album aren’t just a canvas - they’re a piece of art in their own, and we can’t wait to see what big name MCs discover this under-the-radar gem soon.
The duo consciously worked on “Blunderfish” with a DIY sound in mind, along with early 2000s underground rap. We have to say, they pretty much nailed it with precisely chosen samples and unexpected vocal timbre.
A surprising standout beat we were obsessed with appeared as a casual interlude titled “Flopstyle”, “Sunlight” starts off as a soothing guitar-laden track that embodies how you feel standing under some warm ways, before it speeds up into something more exciting, and proves our golden friend a double edged sword; specifically warning us not to look directly into the sun. Underfish expands on problems of deception within the music industry and warns others as a cautionary tale while confessing his own inevitable involvement.
Underfish sells us a good performance in “Playin a Game”, but those Barry White samples steal the show, giving us a more complex peek into Léthargie and his process. The album is dotted with confident horns in this track and the cinematic “Mask Electric.” “Cloud Nein” is just as the title suggests, reminding listeners that every day is a chance to turn over a new leaf, all against a dreamy wave of a super-stoned beat.
Even if we’re stuck inside this summer, we’ll be playing “Blunderfish” as we soak in the sun or smoke that balcony spliff. We expect to see more hot drops from underfish, and hope that this duo eventually expand their portfolio to work with vocalists and branch out to additional collaborations.