Narrative of Thee Blast Illusion by Felix da Housecat
A new album that focuses on melody... and delivers
For new artists it's acceptable that their early productions may sound derivative, acknowledging their influences etc., recent examples that come to mind include Matt Karmil and Jupiter Jax who both released celebrated albums even though neither were particularly groundbreaking. On the flip side, we've enjoyed new albums from established producers like Legowelt, Joker and Felix da Housecat, and their new music sounds like their old music! This may be a problem for some, but not me, not all new music needs to be pioneering.
So, in Narrative of Thee Blast Illusion we have a thematically-connected collection of new songs by Felix Stallings Jr at his most melodious and engaging; songs that comfortably match the quality of his previous work (except perhaps Kittenz And Thee Glitz - not sure he'll surpass that high point). From opener ?Why Games, through to closer Devon's Box, there's no filler. The music is sweet and introspective, and the collaborations bring out the best in his songwriting; in particular the dub-heavy The Natural with Lee Scratch Perry is superb. I'm already a fan of da Housecat, but I can see many new conversions.