Seth Sentry :: This Was Tomorrow :: Intertia/High Score Records
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

[This Was Tomorrow] If you're a fan of international hip-hop music, the online retail movement has been the best thing to ever happen to you. There was a time when you would have spent $20 BEFORE shipping on an album like Seth Sentry's "This Was Tomorrow" to get it all the way from Melbourne, Australia. Thankfully times have changed and it's now easy to purchase for $7.99 from Amazon.com. No currency translation, no global postage fees for the airfare, just a direct download to your PC or cloud storage. Pretty damn sweet if you ask me. Everybody who claims digital downloads have killed the music industry can take this Melbourne boot up their arse.

Back to the music though. Why should you want to check out Seth Sentry and his "This Was Tomorrow" in the first place? Well you could take the word of their publicist, who says he debuted at #6 on the charts over there, or that he was the most talked about artist at some festival cleverly (or humorously) called "Fat As Butter." They've obviously got a vested interest in his success though, so you have to take their butter with a pat of salty vegemite. It's a little more convincing to look at the list of producers involved, a who's who for the scene when it comes to the other big names. Trials has produced for Drapht and Funkoars, Matik has produced for Bliss N Eso, and so on. He's got the right crew rollin'.

More than that though, Seth's accent may be hands down the mildest Aussie you'll hear on the mic - almost like an actor from down under who comes to Hollywood and convincingly sounds like a U.S. resident. Perhaps it's an unfair edge when it comes to Yankee audiences given some harder to understand Australian rappers are doing great things, but when listening to a great song like "My Scene" it's hard to fault him for using what he's got. The song is a natural radio hit, a "Cupid's Chokehold" style track with a laid back track, where Seth talks about what every teenager has gone through at some point in their life - trying to figure out which peer group they belong with.

By the end of the song Seth comes to a simple yet profound realization - he's not a stoner, a flossy socialite, or a hipster - he doesn't really fit any of them. I hope nobody thinks the Travie McCoy comparison is made lightly here - there's something incredibly easy to relate to when Seth is flowing on the mic. He doesn't come off as self-important, full of shit, or obnoxious but he also doesn't seem meek or unsure about his vocal delivery or artistic choices. Seth walks that happy middle between cocky and vulgar, between shy and confident, and never leaves you feeling more than "Ten Paces" behind.

Seth is witty, and occasionally a little sarcastic and jaded, particularly on songs like "Thanks For Your Hospitality" when he leaves a job without giving two weeks notice because "you were always a cunt." There's no way anybody with a shitty boss or a crappy 9 to 5 can't relate, and I hate to keep hammering this home but damned if this Aussie doesn't speak to UNIVERSAL THEMES WE CAN ALL RELATE TO. Even though his press release brags how his "pop culture references" are tuned to Australian sensibilities, I've actually found "This Was Tomorrow" to be light on Lawrence Leung and Michael Schiavello references. I think ANY listener will appreciate what Seth has to say and the pleasant melodies backing him up.

Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10

Originally posted: October 30th, 2012
source: www.RapReviews.com