Doomtree “False Hopes XV” Review
Shortly after releasing their long awaited collaborative album last year, Minneapolis’ Doomtree is back this winter with another record, False Hopes XV. Unlike many of the FH series, rather than showcasing one of the collective’s singular talents, number 15 is a joint effort—much like the group’s original False Hopes LP. Clocking in at just over a half an hour, the album breezes by pretty quickly, but it also contains some of the strongest work from the gang to date.
The album starts with a bang of braggadocio with Sims and P.O.S. sounding off that “Doomtree’s better!” on “Coup for the Kings.” It is somewhat ironic since shortly after the swaggering ends, each MC then begins to take turns airing their own dirty laundry—almost as if the curtain is raised and suddenly everyone’s soft undersides are exposed. Cecil Otter is a hopeless romantic in the ballad “Rickety Bridge.” Dessa Darling’s “Scuffle” sounds a bit like a classic beef rap—if a schizophrenic were to beef with her own inner-demons. Even the swashbuckling Mike Mictlan sounds uncertain in “OMG!” admitting that his picture perfect future is “all photoshopped.” It is all quite personal to an intimate level, bolstering Doomtree’s rep as the outcast kids of the rap game, the misunderstood misfits from Hopkins. While occasionally they also touch on topical themes like the recession, FH 15 is overwhelmingly filled with dread that comes more from within than without.
Still, even in the dark the collective’s talents shine through. Lazerbeak’s and Paper Tiger’s production styles particularly make an impression, especially on “Coup For The Kings” and “Profit & Loss,” respectively. In “Coup” Lazerbeak orchestrates a hard-hitting beat that incorporates congas and steel drum for a slightly Latin sound. With an equally deft hand Paper Tiger constructs piano and horns around Dessa’s throaty refrain in “Profit.” As usual P.O.S. makes a strong appearance in the Lazerbeak produced “Do Not Stay,” though the song’s refrain that this “town is too small for us,” sounds a bit like the MC is finished with the Twin Cities. P.O.S. also produces Dessa’s “Scuffle,” bringing his punk-influenced style to Dessa’s vitriolic vocals. Perhaps the most impressive though is Mictlan’s turn in “OMG!” which contains some of the best lyrical depth from the MC yet, all over a really fantastic jazz sample from guest producer, California’s Rich Rok.
While overall False Hopes XV is really only lengthy enough to whet the appetite, it does so with a fire that shows that the Twin Cities institution’s best work is far from behind them—it’s happening right now.
Sims & P.O.S. “Coup For The Kings” [MP3]