Astronautalis is part emcee, part method actor, with an uncanny ability to channel characters on the edge--of a breakdown, of a revelation, of a fistfight. P.O.S (Rhymesayers/Doomtree) made his name as a gifted risk-taker, fashioning head-nodding beats from strange noises, and writing anthemic lyrics from unexpected vantage points.
These first two tracks from FOUR FISTS were produced collaboratively by the duo, holed up in P.O.S' attic during an exceptionally brutal Minnesota winter. In these songs, listeners will hear the rappers' usual sharpness and a nod to traditional notions of hip-hop collaborations, but their noir approach yields an entirely new sound: dark choral layers and punk rock gang vocals create a sense of impending doom. "Please Go" is a haunting number that runs on thick, brooding bass; it's shaped by a frayed synth, whispered vocal takes, and soaring strings that sweep in and out of the darkness like cars passing in the distance. "MMMMMHMMMMM" opens with quick snares, in the sharp staccato stabs of an Underwood typewriter, and a bass synth that pulses like an idling outboard motor, till the track explodes into a wall of layered drums and throat-shredding vocals--P.O.S and Astronautalis at their most deadly. The two songs clock in under 8 minutes and still hit like a ton of bricks, leaving you dizzy, breathless, and eager for this duo's coming full length album.
