“If you want clean and perfect studio masters, go listen to Westlife”. Plain and simple. Albeit a little rough around the edges, “NAM KYO” is an invitation into the mind of Kojak Brothers and Brewdem affiliate Humble Pious. Weighing in at 9 tracks, Pious manage to delivers an impressive body of work in a short space of time.
After a brief intro, the heavy drums and verbal barrages of “Stranded” instantly make you stand up and take note. I dare you to fight bobbing your head to it (I’m pretty sure that’d be a losing battle). “We’re Still The Same” is a throwback to days gone by. Over Tipps’ laidback production and featuring some impressive guestspots from Reminisce and the man like Wordsmith; the trio take turns to take the listener on a trip down memory lane. The retrospective continues on “Gone Not Forgot”. Pious takes J. Billa’s sombre instrumentation to openly address the loss of friends and family and the effects it had upon him. It’s a heartfelt track that adds a great deal of depth to the project.
Admittedly, I hadn’t heard about this guy before but I’ve got to say I’m feeling it. It’s always good to stumble into unchartered territory and whilst it’s not as polished as some other independent releases, the rawness definitely adds to the charm. “NAM KYO” is available as a free download HERE on Pious’ bandcamp page alongside more solo material and links to projects with his various collectives. Make sure you go check that ish out…
Review By Mike Pattemore
