Opening with thematic flair, Invertebrates from genre-defying rapper and producer WickerMan commands attention from the beginning to end.
From his debut EP, Temporary People (2020) to the soon to be released sophomore offering, Invertebrates, the growth of WickerMan can be heard immediately. Whether it be the beats, the vibes, or the flow, there is an intuitive cohesiveness that flows from track to track.
No stranger to musical shapeshifting, WickerMan crosses streams of hip hop to funk to rock to metal with relative ease and he’s given a masterclass on how it should be achieved with funky basslines, groovy riffs, synths, and lyrics that cover an array of human emotions.
On discussing the lyrical inspiration of Invertebrates, WickerMan says,
“I actually wrote the EP a couple years back now and a lot of it was me still dealing with the loss of my father to Cancer. These are songs that are about doing everything you can to achieve your goals, these are songs about Love, death and everything in between.”
What I like best about Invertebrates is the unpredictability of the EP. Other than the energy and vocal stylings of WickerMan, the EP’s tracks feel as if they are a great mystery. One cannot assume based on the previous track, what the next track will be.
Invertebrates and its genre blending shouldn’t work but the flow works as smooth as a line from any rap by Eminem. The fearless attitude of taking this and that from genres allows WickerMan to arm himself with an arsenal of weapons that others may fear.
With Invertebrates, WickerMan doesn’t just offer a skewed view of his thoughts or what he sees, he offers a cornucopia of emotions that just so happens to be accompanied with great upbeat vibes, energy to power the sun, and music that would make the harden music fan melt.
Invertebrates will be out Friday, October 6th on streaming platforms.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Give it All I’ve Got”, “Bad to the Bone”, “Memories”
FAVOURITE TRACKS: “This is What it Feels Like”, “Give it All I’ve Got”
