Review: Fresh Breath Committee

“I ain’t a storyteller, more like a master teacher.” That line from the Fresh Breath Committee’s self-titled LP could be true. The classic Hip-Hop CD is so good; it takes you back in time to when Popular music in general was more substantial and expressive. Says Fresh Breath MC/singer/producer Flawless: “The whole album is just a metaphor for reviving what real Hip-Hop should be. Raw essence with conscious lyrics and a soulful vibe.” If you aren’t knocked out immediately, the tracks certainly grow on you. Either way there is a sense of history here, as though the group – which consists of Flawless, MC/singer Purpose, MCs Fo Chief, Kontrast and Catch Lungs, singer Crystal, producer Hi Res and DJ SkipRipkin – grew up listening to Motown and as artists learned to integrate the best of a sort of Motown-inspired sound while mixing in original beats, boom-bap flavoring, and powerful original styling. Their fresh approach makes Hip-Hop as a genre seem more significant, more artistic and more valuable as a contribution to music.

FBC does have a connection with the past -- one MC, Catch Lungs, mentions in a promo video what his young mother listened to when he was growing up (masters such as Dr. Dre) -- and at some junctures influences are plainly felt. One song has an undeniable Fugees-esque quality. But the past isn’t the only element from where they draw their strength. One critical component is the luxuriant voice of singer Crystal, who adds such lush, integral vocals that I see her as being more than just a huge score for the crew. They simply would not have put out the same caliber CD without her presence (she’s got a nearly perfect R&B voice and is the sort who sings in a campus a cappella group in her spare time). Not that the flow isn’t fierce, too, and two other singers, both men, do hold their own, including Flawless, whose voice is amazing on several standout tracks. Lyrically they don’t shy away from taking on more interesting themes than the standard bitches, hoes and 40s -- that gets my vote every time. It’s just that they need to thank their lucky cosmos that Crystal hasn’t yet been snatched up by Big Music.


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