Review: "Winterlude" EP by Weapon
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Boston based rap duo Weapon (Fantasy & DFizz45) proves to have an incredible range on the powerful and soulful flows of their new EP “Winterlude”. The songs run the gamut from stripped-down bare bones minimalism to careening groove full of such confidence. Their vocals have a great strength to them with lyrics that opt for the poetic and there is a realism to each verse, giving the whole of the audio trip a majestic sense of grandeur. The production here has a flawless quality to them for each track has a polished perfection to it with grooves that hit hard. Emotionally Weapon runs the range from pure swagger to confessional odes.
References abound throughout the whole of the collection. The dreamy jazz-like hit of the grooves reflect upon the similar vulnerability of Tyler, The Creator’s most recent works. With the flipside, there is a sense of the thoughtfulness of Kendrick Lamar in terms of how confessional the verses become, as they are offered completely unvarnished.
Production at times draws a bit from Mac Demarco’s woozy, warped rhythms. On the yearning side of things, the tracks where everything is washed in a fine yellowed yearning nostalgic glow, Weapon brings out elements of Boards of Canada’s experiments with hip-hop.
“Fire” introduces the collection and lives up to its name. Featuring some outright splendid hard-hitting basslines, the track spirals out wildly in a way that feels quite magnificent. A completely different tact emerges on the spaciousness of “Slow Down” where Weapon explores a nighttime noir atmosphere. Elegance radiates throughout the entirety of “2Hr Drive” which features some impeccable grooves that have a soulful, jazzy cadence.
Pure intensity rushes through on the energetic flows of “Who to Blame”. Such clear-eyed focus emerges throughout the piece as the delivery has a wild, freewheeling presence to it. Easily the highlight of the EP comes from the powerful closer of “No Love”. Warped guitar work comes alongside delicate keyboard melodies, as Weapon’s deliveries have a starkness to it, with the words hitting with a profound quality.
Lives lived to the absolute fullest and explored in vivid detail, Weapon’s Fantasy and DFizz45 go straight for the heart on the tenderness of the “Winterlude” EP.