4 out of 5

Label: Rhymesayers

Produced by: Various

Aesoo Rock and Homeboy Sandman – great solo; great together. 

Aesop Rock’s prodigious catalogue as a producer, guest artist, and solo artist tend to – especially as the years have gone on – lean heavily on Rock’s style to steer; he is a dominating presence, or his raps and flow can also easily overshadow most he’s paired with. But something about Lice, his group with Homeboy Sandman equally elevates and levels the playing field: both MCs have complementary speak-spit styles, Rock a little more staccato to Sandman’s smoothness; and they’re lyrically able to border themselves with imaginative and fun imagery, segueing into some contemplative territory – never too silly, never too try-hard serious. Working with different producers per track seems like the final ingredient, as no type of beat gets stale, and we flutter from crisper, more grounded tunes to slightly more boppy, warmer sounds. 

Leaving the final Get a Dog (Fort Minor Remix) as sort of the odd man out, with its distorted rock groove too much of a contrast, and not vibing with the other four songs. Sneaked into a full album, this could be balanced, but it feels slightly shallow, stuck at the end here.