New Kingdom Albums (2)
'Paradise Don't Come Cheap'
Release Date 8/6/1996
Tracks 15
Label Polygram
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
New Kingdom's second album of twisted, slow, and dirty queasy-psychedelia funk-blues hip-hop arguably beats out the fine debut Heavy Load -- there's something even more belligerent, raunchy, and fiery about Furlow and Laws this time out. In light of later years where any number of acts wore their swampy roots heritage with pride, Paradise Don't Come Cheap seems even more prescient, at points suggesting a Goodie Mob/Bubba Sparxx collaboration produced by the RZA -- or, say, Eminem's "Square Dance" completely gone to hell -- well before its time. Indeed -- with a song title like "Kickin' Like Bruce Lee" as a perhaps fortuitous sign -- the Wu-Tang Clan probably could be the only easy comparison to New Kingdom at this point, the duo exhibiting the same confrontational attitude and attack on the verses as the larger collective. There's a less immediately desperate sound, though -- the delivery throughout, as songs like the low-speed brawl of "Terror Mad Visionary" and the absolutely mind-blowing "Co Pilot" and "Suspended in Air" easily show, flows with the beat rather than fights against it. Still, the generous echo on top of the rough-voiced sass of the two often turns particularly claustrophobic and oppressive, especially on the brief singing turns here and there -- the result is often disturbingly threatening, a slow-motion nightmare. The Lumberjacks' production, with the sharp help of folks like Scott Harding on guitar and, on a couple of cuts, the assistance of John Medeski from Medeski, Martin & Wood (his amazing organ performance on "Unicorns Were Horses" is a clear standout), makes for a clattering, woozy flow that more than once suggests what a Tom Waits -- or a Foetus! -- hip-hop album might sound like. Consider the haunted, off-kilter cabaret blues and breaks of "Infested" or the muted but snarling brass section on the title track -- or even the brief "Half Asleep," which touches on everything from James Brown to Arabic music in under a minute. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the dozens of hip-hop groups signed in the early-'90s alt-rap feeding frenzy, this little-known duo is probably most notable for its seminal work with producer Scott Harding (aka Scotty Hard), who went on to work with artists like the Gravediggaz and Prince Paul. The first two tracks start their debut album off rather clumsily, with an in-your-face Beastie Boys-meets-Onyx vibe that falls a little flat. But by the time "Frontman" rolls around, with its relaxed Cypress Hill-influenced stoner vibe, they seem to have settled into a more comfortable groove. Songs like "Mad Mad World" and "Mighty Maverick" work especially well, with Sebastien's trippy spoken-word poetry matching the psychedelic musical backgrounds to create the drugged-out feel the band seems to strive for. And the freaky, funky effects of "Are You Alive" and the extremely goofy "Calico Cats" are so damn effective, you wonder why they bothered with the grating shtick of some of the earlier songs in the first place. Ultimately, Heavy Load shows an awful lot of promise, but all too often New Kingdom fails to deliver. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide
