Steve 'Flash' JuonI’m sure you can imagine a more unlikely pairing than a Canadian and a Floridian working together on an instrumental rap album, but whether you can or not that’s what we have here with The Kount & Kaelin Ellis on “Vignette.” Their album is already two years old by the time you are reading this so we’re in “Back to the Lab” territory on this one, but like the old saying goes “If I’ve never heard it before it’s new to me.” I suspect this one will be new to you too. The song “FOOLS” started out in a way that made me laugh out loud — it appeared to be a Rickroll but actually wasn’t.
Well done gentlemen! If you’re trying to get the attention of random listeners “FOOLS” is a highly effective tool. Thankfully they are not one trick ponies. Each song evokes a different mood and reminds me of something from rap history that I enjoy. “CIRCUS” evokes an underground 90’s rap aesthetic but then changes it up with some Bay Area bass and a 9th Wonder layer of instrumentation. “ASMR” isn’t nearly as quiet as the title implies but it’s definitely as chill as a J Dilla beat tape snippet (yet much longer at 2:25). “STAR” immediately makes me think of some throwback 70’s Quincy Jones funk. If the late Michael Jackson had started singing on it I wouldn’t have been surprised.
As collaborators Kount & Ellis clearly have a natural chemistry. If they didn’t gel they wouldn’t be able to weave their way through so many different styles with so few bumps in the road. In under a half hour they were able to take me through a wide variety of moods that never left me feeling like they tried to master it all and wound up mastering none. Instead “SUNDAY STROLL” left me wanting more. Much like “ASMR” it’s not as chill as the title implies — in fact it’s very upbeat and energetic. If it was on a longer loop it’s the kind of song you could work out to. My only complaint is it stops too abruptly.
In fact that’s my only major complaint about “Vignette.” The Kount & Kaelin Ellis left me wanting more and what I heard here wasn’t enough. I have no idea if they plan to produce for rappers or keep jamming on their own, but I’m down for what they do after this either way.