Awol One and Factor – Owl Hours
Awol One and Factor - Owl Hours
Underground artist Awol One has been churning out pseudo-legit rap albums for nearly two decades, but his latest release, Owl Hours, gives us no reason to believe that he will ever drag himself out of his relative obscurity. He may talk big and have a glossy MySpace page, but substance-wise, his latest collaboration with producer Factor is of little value.
First and foremost, as a vocal artist, Awol needs to finalize his plan for attack. He seems to be caught in an epic debate concerning whether he should rap, sing, or just talk. Opting for the easiest choice, he’s decided to pick some awkward combination of the three- the resulting product being a gargled, raspy croak that sounds neither definite nor confident. It wouldn’t sound so bad if Owl Hours were meant to preach deep, introspective life-lessons. But it’s not. While he has done some serious soul-searching on his earlier records, this is his “party album,” and Factor has produced animated, jivey beats with the intent of working the crowd into a frenzy. Meanwhile, on those same tracks, Awol is slowly chugging along with his wilty growl, almost as if he is oblivious to the beat in the background. Equally questionable are the random, frantic, bursts of “AWWWW yeah, it’s goin’ DOWN!” when it seems that half the time he lacks the energy to finish the next verse.
Thankfully, guest rappers Aesop Rock and Tha Alkaholiks are able to breathe some air into the deflated Owl Hours; their quick intelligent rhymes perform CPR on the album and result in the excellent “Stand Up” and the bold, exciting “Waste the Wine.” Meanwhile, Awol’s personal contributions to such songs seem awkward and novice: “My homie is wasted, he peed his pants/Everybody came here tonight to dance!/Put your hands in the air if you’re down with the licks/Whatever you do, don’t puke on my kicks!”
On the contrary, the other member of the two man crew, Factor, has produced some great beats: from the scintillating party-anthems “Waste the Wine” and “Stand Up” to the haunting soul-sample soundscape “Darkness.” However, at times it’s obvious that his effort too, has slackened. Instead of meticulously laying down details like those vital aforementioned tracks, he tires, and relies too heavily on repetition or unimaginative samples. Particularly mundane are the tinkling, almost-annoying piano riffs used in the tracks “Celebrate” and “Up Downtown.”
Awol and Factor seem to form an odd couple that does more harm than good. While they have produced a few good cuts, they rely too much on a crutch of super-talented guest rappers who make the other tracks on Owl Hours seem awkward and naked. Awol One and Factor have shown signs of untapped talent, but without seriously stepping their game up, these artists will forever be shrouded in mediocrity.
