Sy ShacklefordLetters are the “building blocks” of language, just like toy blocks are the building blocks of childhood learning. With their fourteenth album, “Jestures”, this is Atmosphere in one of their playful states. The Southside Minneapolis duo of Slug and Ant have respectively evolved their lyrics and sound over the years: From finding their own rhythm to comfortable experimentation. The album cover also signals that aforementioned state of play: The cover, resembling children’s alphabet blocks or modular cubes, mirrors Atmosphere “constructing” an album piece-by-piece, letter-by-letter.
The album has 26 tracks, alphabetically arranged from A to Z, with guest rappers matched to their letter. While “Jestures” is a concept album, it’s not a rigid one. Here, Slug and Ant are toying with form. Given the time Atmosphere has spent in the game, there’s a certain dichotomy with this album: Blocks are childlike, but “Jestures” often deals with adult themes — mortality, family, and perseverance. This juxtaposition suggests Atmosphere are reflecting on the building blocks of their own careers and lives — returning to basics (like ABCs), but with decades of perspective. In a broad sense, the cover art is a metaphor, showing that even at this stage, they’re still constructing, stacking new ideas, not “finished.”
Self-produced, “Jestures” begins with “Asshole”. Slug’s vocals have a bit of age to them in terms of his voice, but his pen game hasn’t changed. He makes it clear that assholes are unavoidable with the line “There’s no safe place to protect these witnesses / From all the contradictions embedded into your shittiness”. The blues guitar-driven “Baby” is about the frustrating dynamics in relationships. On “Caddy”, Slug uses the title to make reference to his father’s initials and as a car metaphor for women in his life, something he even lampshades in the last few bars. “Daley” is a nod to Slug’s government surname and the homonym for the word “daily”. The old school R&B sample in the production is a nice touch as well. ‘E’ is for “Effortless”, features Evidence, and it’s contrasted with lyrics of having personal difficulties despite outward appearances. “Furthermore” is the album’s shortest track, having ten bars delivered with distorted vocals. The uplifting “Grateful” includes airy synths and words of gratitude while “Heavy Lifting” (featuring fellow Twin Cities emcee Haphduzn) is about pressing on in the face of disappointment. “Instrument” is exactly that: An instrumental, albeit one that’s futuristically synth-heavy.
“Jester” is a jousting of juxtapositions. In Slug’s own words, “…it’s difficult to trust your opinion without some juxtaposition” and therefore impossible to ignore dichotomy. The handclap snares and distorted guitar samples on “Kilowatts” give the backdrop a moody feel. NYC rapper Kurious provides a verse delivered in a slightly hoarse voice. The melancholic strings of “Locusts” evoke the Atmosphere of old (circa late 2000s). Slug provides meaning and internal rhymes in his verse which shows that he still has the spark which made him heralded in the underground:
“Get smart, stick to the cards
And carve a picture of a park bench into your heart
Don’t even start, I’m tryna stay sharp
Like the smile on a shark till it’s my turn to hear those harps”
“Mash” is the album’s sole posse cut and features Mike the Martyr, Musab, and Muja Messiah. Over rapid snares and multi-tracked vocals in the background, each emcee makes use of food-related wordplay to convey the song’s overall gist of staying hungry and never being complacent. “Neptune” has a nostalgic bent to it with its childlike sing-along hook and abstract lyrics. There’s a surreal quality on “Ophidiophobia” when it begins, and the lyrics appear to be an extended metaphor (utilizing the fear of snakes) for social anxiety. “Past” is a melding of different productions while emphasizing that one’s past and future are not one and the same. “Quicksand” has a frantic desperation in its production that’s reflected in Slug’s lyrics about the panic from being incomplete and having a short reach. With “Really”, Reverie, Ruth Koleva and R.A. the Rugged Man are all featured on the hook. The music video is a mostly behind-the-scenes look at the music video itself because, as the hook states, “Really y’all ain’t got nothin’ better to do”:
On the technically self-titled “Sean”, the production has vinyl crackling, DJ scratching, and a Howard Jones-like intro. “Trying” is awfully self-reflective before giving into the more upbeat “Used To”. The single “Velour” is a soulful rumination on interacting with an attractive woman. There’s an old-school cinematic theme on “Westbound” with a three-verse detailed narrative of a literal westbound road trip. The hook and the record-scratching coda are nice touches as well. “XXX” has a boom-bap production as both Slug and Ant stake their claim as 30-year rap veterans. Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) is featured on the hook for “Yearning” as Slug takes himself back to the days of “You Can’t Imagine How Much We’re Having”, giving listeners “an invitation to my intervention”. Finally, with “Zorro”, ZooDeVille lends his laid-back Cali flow to the first verse. Even with the building block imagery, “Jestures” proves that Atmosphere isn’t boxed in. Slug and Ant have been hip-hop artists for three decades and, without compromise, have indeed changed with the times. If that wasn’t true, “Jestures” would’ve been another “Lucy Ford”.