Record Label: Virgin
Genre: Hip-Hop/Soul/Rock/Blues
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Toronto’s k-os has been doing the cross-genre hip-hop thing for well over a decade now, and with this his third album, is starting to really get international attention. And it’s well deserved; this is a step in the right direction for a guy who has a great sound and quite a bit of talent.

Atlantis is a bit of a mish-mash of sounds, styles and genres. It’s hip-hop at its core, but doesn’t at all depend on rapping. k-os has tended to fit closer with the indie rock scene than the gangsta rap movements – Sam Roberts and Death From Above 1979’s Sebastien Grainger both guest on this one and k-os was a guest on Broken Social Scene’s most recent album. k-os tends to sound like he is the result of a really good record collection, mixing equal parts soul, rock, gospel, pop, and blues into the hip-hop mix. And it makes for a very listenable record. In a way, the record is not unlike Gnarls Barkley’s St. Elsewhere, but with a bit more of a serious and sombre approach.

Lyrically, k-os is very interesting. He tends to stay away from the hip-hop cliches, and his words reflect a man coming to terms with his surrounding world and metaphysical existence. In other words, he’s deep. But it doesn’t detract from the music, which is for the most part pretty organic, with live instrumentation on most of the tracks instead of programmed beats.

Ultimately, while the record is strong, I feel like k-os’s best is yet to come. Soon enough, he’s going to put out his masterwork, and people are going to look back on this one as a stepping stone. He’s almost there. This is the sound of a man that is ready to take over.

Bottom Line: Dependable and solid genre-mixing album from one of Toronto’s best.
Notable Tracks: Electric Heat The Seekwil, Fly Paper, Sunday Morning, Highway 7, Valhalla
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