Winter & the Wolves

by Grieves

Overview

On Winter & the Wolves, Seattle-based indie rapper Grieves displays significant, even startling, growth from his previous releases, and in the process shakes off any possible accusations that he's an Atmosphere clone. If anything, this vibrant, alive, and diversified release could draw Macklemore or Mac Miller comparisons when it comes to the music and the slick production, but regular visitors to the Rhymesayers label still get their fill of emo and introverted, although this time, it comes with a delicious grain of salt. Key cut "Whoa Is Me" paints Grieves as a sensitive guy who's up for some call-and-response comedy when it comes to his soft heart ("My dog died [When you were six!]" and "My truck broke [You ride the bus!]"). There's the opening number, "Rain Damage," a forceful, "guess who's back"-type track where the man triumphantly and convincingly spits that he's the "gapped-tooth rapper" with "a bag full of I-don't-give-a-f*cks for that ass," and don't forget "Rhymesayers, put that logo on the back," and suddenly these emo outsiders seem entirely "in." Blame his new cohort, producer B. Lewis, for most of the attractive musical flash on multiple tracks; then there's expert knob-twiddler Sapient giving "Recluse" an accordion-based beat that's somehow both sinister and street. Grieves also does fine on his own, claiming a solo production credit on "Long One," where soul and restraint build a solid foundation for lyrics like "got dumped, she don't need an unemployed punk running round life like the pile of blues records in his trunk." If Grieves is getting closer to the world of Macklemore, it's a Macklemore world where the ceiling really can hold us, and often does. Still, Grieves has stretched the possibilities of Rhymesayers-type rap with Winter & the Wolves, so kick the mopes to the curb with this one, since it understands and overcomes with extra helpings of clever and cool. ~ David Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	03/25/2014
Label:	RHYMESAYERS
UPC:	0826257017727

Tracks

1. Rain Damage
2. Whoa Is Me
3. Over You
4. Serpents
5. Breath of Air
6. Astronauts
7. Autumn
8. How's It Gonna Go
9. Recluse
10. Like Child
11. Long One
12. Kidding Me
13. Shreds
14. Smoke in the Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Grieves   Primary Artist
Slug   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
B. Lewis   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Featured Artist
DJ Flipflop   Scratching
Slug of Atmosphere   Featured Artist
Andrew Joslyn   Strings
Jacob Shaw   Piano,Guitar,Keyboards
Jeff Tune   Vocals
Jonathan Olivares   Guitar
Connr Fychan   Guitar
Rachel Gavaletz   Vocals

Technical Credits

Ryan Clark   Illustrations,Art Direction,Design
Bruce Templeton   Mastering
Sapient   Producer
S. Daley   Executive Producer
Grieves   Composer,Producer
Isaac Meek   Mixing,Engineer