Review: Doseone’s G is for Deep

Doseone: G is for Deep (Anticon, 5/29/12)

“End&Egg”

If you’re looking for a crash course in left-of-the-dial avant-garde hip hop, there are few better places to start than the incredibly varied discography of Adam Drucker — better known as Doseone. As co-founder of the indie-hip-hop Anticon label and a member of Themselves, 13 & God, and Subtle, Drucker holds an indisputable prominence.

On G is for Deep — his first true solo release in five years — Doseone returns with a record that reaches in new directions while retaining all the unique characteristics that make his music unmistakable.

Drucker’s versatile voice, of course, is immediately recognizable, ranging from the rapid-fire rhymes that characterized his earliest work to the more melodic bent of his recent offerings with Subtle and 13 & God. He puts the entirety of his vocal range on display throughout G is for Deep, layering voices on top of one another to create a veritable choir. His permanently nasal drawl is complemented by a selection of cooing falsetto flourishes and low monotone chants, which are distributed liberally across the mix.

Stylistically, the album finds Drucker indulging in whatever strikes his fancy, whether it’s the stuttering pop of “Dancing X” or the electro balladry of “Therapist This.” Tracks are permeated with crackling, bass-heavy beats as well as bubbling synth lines, bestowing even the record’s most downbeat moments with an effervescent quality. Not even the bleakly titled “Arm in Armageddon” gets a chance to wallow, sporting an anthemic chorus and twisting melodies that make it more of a sing-along than a dirge.