Fight With Tools Review

Release Date: 2008
Genres: Rap, Rock
Number Of Tracks: 12
Flobots take the socio-political rhetoric that is familiar in recordings from Jay-Z, DMX, and Ice Cube via Westside Connection, and color it with the melodic sounds of the viola, guitar and an occasional pop from the trombone played by Joe Ferrone.

Sound:	6.5
Lyrics:	8.5
Impression:	7.5
Overall rating:	7.5
Users rating:	8.8
Comments:	9

overall: 5.7

Featured review by: UG Team, on may 20, 2008

Sound: Flobots take the socio-political rhetoric that is familiar in recordings from Jay-Z, DMX, and Ice Cube via Westside Connection, and color it with the melodic sounds of the viola, guitar and an occasional pop from the trombone played by Joe Ferrone. Where the band’s predecessors recorded rap stylized vocals along bulging rhythmic grooves and techno-club parachutes, the Flobots style is hardcore rap with more natural sounding verses soaked in orchestral and melodic rock textures that may remind you of Floetry, Lady Sovereign, and California’s AD The Voice. The track “Stand Up” silhouettes vocalists/MC’s Brer Rabbit and Johnny 5’s rough timbres in sweetly threaded viola chords performed by Mackenzie Roberts. The melodic rock vibrations of the title track made by guitarist Andy “Rok” Guerrero, bassist Jesse Walker, and drummer Kenny Ortiz make the tune likeable as the dynamics of the vocals flex it's muscles across the chord progressions.

The songs are modestly pop with moments of hypnotic urban-soul and soft bluesy rock like in “Never Had It.” It is a tune that could make people sing this band’s praises, while the grating tones and aggravated vocals of “Mayday” rile up the angst and chafing grumbles. “Combat” has a funky double-dutch jump rope beating in it's rhythmic moves, while the tightness of the viola strings on “The Rhythms Method (Move)” squeeze like a vise around the vocals as the rhythms move to a jungle beat. Flobots rap and hip-hop aggregates can be mellifluously melodramatic in it's storytelling like in “Anne Broden, ” and other times the union of rap and hip-hop produces a frieze of jungle beats and energized romps. Flobots debut full-length album Fight With Tools, in a way, is a treatise that means to ignite a mass consciousness which shows people the damage of using weapons against each other, and the final track “Rise” means to influence people to rise above the corruption and stop that hate. // 5

Lyrics and Singing: Rap music is all about using the spoken word to affect people emotionally, and the Flobots phrase their words to make an impact on public impressions. The lyrics for “Rise” deliver, “So much pain, we don’t know how to be abut angry / Feel infected like we’ve got gangrene / Please don’t let anybody try to change me / Me, just me in the middle of a sea full of faces … We’re different people but we’re not scared / We ain’t never scared to pave a new path / Make a new street / Build a new bridge … If you believe in redemption, I’m calling to you from another dimension. The lyrics are a lot of inspirational rhetoric with a preachy tone. Ice Cube and Jay-Z talk about the same evils in society, but both of them are also guilty of the same corruption. Vocalist Brer Rabbit and Jonny 5 spew fire from their breaths but I cannot say that it is enough to believe that they live by what they are delivering in their words. // 7

Impression: Flobots sound like they are greatly influenced by past rap and hip-hop artists and they are trying to carve out a new niche by using orchestral and melodic rock fences, but I cannot say that they show credibility in their effort. The vocals are over the top in being melodramatic and the music has a peripheral role in the songs. The music can be there or not, it is so muted that it does not play a significant role in the songs. All of the energy is focused on the vocals which are performed to shake up the listener, but it feels like an attempt to gain public adulation more than to unleash strong opinions against society’s ills. Since Tupac Shakur, playing hardcore rap and hip-hop music has become en vogue and the Flobots latest release Fight With Tools feels like it was made to be fashionable. The album has the same bite marks as the early stages of Ice Cube and Jay-Z, even though the Flobots effort is to make something new. // 5

- Susan Frances aka sweetpeasuzie (c) 2008

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: Austiman, on june 14, 2008

Sound: The sound of a guitar, trumpet, Johnny 5 pretty much talking/rapping, and a boatload of other suff.. Suprisingly it mixes into quite an amazing sound. It has a lot of flow and lots of clever uses of the instruments they have. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a great trumpet solo? Only bad thing is that it seems like the singers talk through most of it and don't really sing. It reminds me of CAKE. But don't get me wrong, it sounds pretty good a lot of the times. Although it just doesn't satisfy your need for a good strong voice. It seems like they try to stay safe and not use the vocals to their true potential. I rambled a bit. In a nutshell: It sounds bitchin' but the talking can get a little boring. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics have got to be one of the main reasons I bought this CD. I'd only heard "Handlebars" so I didn't know what to expect. The lyrics are all awesome, actually! They all have a powerful message and they've got great metaphors. A big plus for this album. // 10

Impression: Like I said before this sounds so much like Cake. Johnny 5 sounds exactly like John McCrea. That isn't a bad thing at all! The lyrics are completely different from Cake and Flobots has a lot less instruments. Either way, it's a great album. If I lost it I'd probably buy it again. I've gotten a new addition to my favorite list of albums! // 10

Comments

[jetfuel495]

this is a good cd... some really good stuff on it.

[Metal_Hed_23]

i love this cd!!

[DontFightTheFoo]

Wouldn't this band be considered Ska a bit?

[freshtunes]

That was actually a killer review. Finally somebody honest, and not a fan boy. Thank you!

[Disturbdkornkid]

That was actually a killer review. Finally somebody honest, and not a fan boy. Thank you!

+1

[Fatal_Rage]

i got it so far its pretty kick ass

[TrakMastaTom]

Did you seriously compare The Flobots to Jay-Z?

[Alex101]

"I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars" It's a good song.

[A6StringWorld]

The UG team bashed this album, "The vocals are over the top in being melodramatic..." The lyrics aren't over the top! When you write a song about something that moves you you get into it and feel passion about that topic! Good review, i just have differant opinions and thought the lyrical side was their best attribute in the album.