Backxwash/Soft Plastics
Backxwash
God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It // Grimalkin
The sophomore album from Backxwash was on the Cups N Cakes review list weeks before it was released on May 28th, 2020. All the team members shied away from taking the review, I believe it was simply because it’s an intimidating prospect; doing a decent job of reviewing a record of this magnitude is a serious undertaking. Am I the right person to do it... HELL NO! But as the founder of this Canadian music source, I believe it is vital to showcase an album that will go down in the books as one of the best of its kind.
Backxwash is the moniker of Ashanti Mutinta, a Zambia born, Montreal based, transgender female. She has exploded into the Montreal hip-hop scene, earning respect performing at Le Cypher jam nights before releasing two EPs and her debut album, Deviancy. Those efforts showed extreme talent but lacked the cohesion found on God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It. For this release, she took over the production and created the beats for all but two of the tracks. The music is vicious, it bangs harder than anything you could imagine which is necessary to provide the emotional backdrop for a narrative of anger, frustration, confusion, and abuse that ultimately leads to forgiveness. This record is meant to be felt, Mutinta serves up her heart and soul as she details her pain from having loved ones that are unable to embrace her queerness, her struggle with a God unwilling to accept her as a person, and her attempt to cope through substance abuse. It’s all laid out for us to hear, and the move to produce the songs herself is necessary because only she could ever create a backdrop that would, so perfectly, compliment the immediacy of the lyrics and the fierceness in their delivery. The album, perfectly presents intense emotions that are amplified with devastating beats. You don’t just listen to music of this caliber, you feel it.
Watching Backxwash’ rise to the top of the Canadian hip-hop scene is exciting. We are witnessing the birth of an artistic genius and this record is only the beginning. Already added to the long list for the Polaris Music Prize, don’t be surprised to see it make the short-list cut and eventually win. It’s sure to pick up multiple other accolades to go along with the unanimous praise it has already received from the Canadian music industry. The praise isn’t simply indicating, “this is a great album,” what it’s actually saying is: “We are listening. We may have never experienced your struggle, but we are listening... Please keep speaking.”
- Jeff MacCallum
Soft Plastics
5 Dreams // Paper Bag
There is something about the early morning hours that I like. It’s so peaceful and quiet. It’s when I do most of my writing. It’s a creative time where I find the words seem to flow onto paper like magic. When I was reading about Soft Plastics new album 5 Dreams, I read that’s how this album was written. In the those golden hours the magic happens.
Soft Plastics comes to us from beautiful Vancouver, British Colombia. Their new album 5 Dreams was released on June 5th, 2020. It’s Intriguing and experimental and your ears are longing to hear it! I was immediately drawn in by the passionate and poetic vocals. Reminiscent of David Bowie. Carey Mercer delivers a smooth and velvety sound akin to Bowie on Hunky Dory, but with experimental undertones reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn. There’s pedal steel guitar that reminds me of Twin Peaks, lovely trumpets, and the great use of synthesizer adds serious depth.
Enough about those legends... Soft Plastics has the material to be legend of its own!!! They clearly aren’t afraid to try new things and it shows as brilliant in my opinion.
”Andre” has a labyrinth feel. Rich story telling through this one. Dream like wonder of it all. “The Party’s Still On” has a late night feel that makes me think of a dark smokey jazz club. I love the trumpet and drums on this one! “Rope of the Tigers” was a favourite for me! It’s has some groovy guitars and that sweet trumpet is back again. It’s mysterious and dark and sexy.
5 Dreams by Soft Plastics was so intriguing and ever so creative. Experimental and emotional. It’s poetry put to music! This band is a work of art all it’s own. The record… piece of art you can enjoy again and again!
Take a listen...your ears will thank you!
Green Noreen
