The Infesticons: Bedford Park

The Infesticons: Bedford Park
Mike Ladd has been in the hip hop game for over a decade. In his career he has released music on !K7 and Definitive Jux, as well as his own label Like Madd. He has guested on tracks by Young Blood Brass Band, Daedelus, and U-God. His latest project is the Infesticons. The group first formed in 2000, releasing the album Gun Hill Road but has stayed dormant until now. The group finally releases their sophomore album, Bedford Park.
The Infesticons debut album, Gun Hill Road was a concept album about, according to the groups bio, “an epic battle in New York City between the Infesticons (the good-meaning-good guys, basically) and the Majesticons (jiggy automatons intent on robbing the world of reality)”. The concept is hazy at best, but the music is what counts.
On Bedford Park, the music is next to impossible to describe. Each song brings a completely different set of characteristics to the table. The album bounces through genres like rock, hip hop, r&b, grime, electro, and even odd country music. The album’s first single “Kick Anthem” shows off the album’s diversity. The track clearly has a hip hop backbone but is tinged with electroclash influences. It reminds me of Saul Williams‘ “List of Demands (Reparations)”. The chorus features an unlikely element in hip hop or electroclash and that is gang vocals. Gang vocals are a hardcore staple but in this case it gives the track a great party atmosphere.
My favorite track on the album is “Gonna Anthem”. The track is a hip hop produced blues track that sounds like an AC/DC track. Its intersection of hip hop, blues, and rock reminds me of a mash-up Girl Talk would make.
Even though there feels like there is little continuity in the album, Bedford Park works remarkably well. The diversity keeps it interesting and the song writing is almost always top notch. The only tracks that don’t work are the ones that incorporate no hip hop at all like “Sky’s Anthem” which sounds like off-kilter country tune. Remove that track and this is a nearly perfect album.
Rating: 8.6/10
MP3: The Infesticons “Kick Anthem”
Buy: iTunes or Insound!