Chewing Pine

Busdriver – RoadKillOverCoat (Epitaph Records, 2007)

Being Busdriver can’t be the easiest job ever. Surely, he’s expected to rapidly answer any and all questions he encounters – whether they’re about music, politics or whatever – in a fast and well verbalized fashion. Perhaps that’s made him stronger seeing as his releases have maintained an intense pace, unique timbre and thoughtful content amid production that makes the masses uncomfortable.

His first full length for punk label turned indie-stalwart, Epitaph, finds the production values in about the same place as previous efforts offered by Mush. The odd warble of Bds’s sung choruses have not been played up per-say, but seem more frequent here on songs like “Secret Skin” and “Pompous Posies”. His curious flow is still intact as well and on “Mr. Mistakes” Bd pauses rarely as words flow seemingly effortlessly; shuffling from his mind to his mouth and to our speakers.

The most amusing, but not most playful track proffered here is “Sunshowers”. The electronic beat is background to Bd talking about art school; how it isn’t all that terrific and how difficult it is to create for a living. A further example of Bd being mischievous comes in the form of a sample on “The Troglodyte Wins,” which features a sample reminiscent of the portion of “Annie” sample in Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life”.

As if previous releases from this man haven’t been entertaining, RoadKillOverCoat represents a step forward in visibility for this man, who probably should be rolling in money and big contracts, but may never get to because of his adherence to his own aesthetic.

Tracklisting:
01 – Casting Agents and Cowgirls
02 – Less Yes’s, More No’s
03 – Kill Your Employer (Recreational Paranoia Is The Sport Of Now)
04 – Ethereal Driftwood
05 – Secret Skin
06 – Sun Shower
07 – Go Slow (w/ Bianca Casady)
08 – The Troglodyte Wins
09 – Pompous Posies! Your Party’s No Fun
10 – (Bloody Paw On The) Kill Floor
11 – Mr. Mistakes (Bested By the Whisper Chasm)
12 – Dream Catcher’s Mitt