This EP released kind of suddenly, back in March, right before a bunch of stuff hit the fan in my life outside of SPB. Which means the EP felt sudden, but this review has been stewing for nearly three months with a lot of repeat listening along the journey.
At eight songs in length, it's short but sweet, and as deep as you'd expect from the combo of Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman. As a very casual indie hip-hop fan I'll come right out and admit that I don't know Sandman's backstory and have only heard him with Aesop. But I'll add that he gives Aes a run for his money. The man can flow and he can drop abstract lines with just enough pop culture flair to make you pause and hit that rewind button on your virtual music playing machine.
Miami Lice 4 covers everything from frankenfood to misogyny to spirituality to puzzling and sports -- all set to synthy beats that give off equal parts stoner vibes, rave energy and sensory deprivation chambers. It's all over the place. It's everything, everywhere, all at once. And, against all odds, it works spectacularly. "Who Sent You?" is anxious and paranoid, whereas "Uh-Oh" and "The Burgers" build on slowed down, stoner-paced rhythms. "The 1" has a deep groove countered with a tongue-in-cheek twist on hip-hop hagiography. While it tackles dense topics, you can tell the artists are having fun with it, and you can practically hear the smiles on their faces.
I liked the two Aesop Rock releases last year, but they don't top my own rankings of his discography. Miami Lice 4, however, is right up there. Normally when I listen to a record for this long before I review, I am more than ready to retire it. In wrapping up this review, my work here is done, but this record is going to stay in heavy rotation.
