ALBUM OF THE DAY
Album of the Day: Blu & Nottz, “Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh”
By Phillip Mlynar · April 24, 2018
Los Angeles, California
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Los Angeles, California
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Merch for this release:
Vinyl LP

Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh takes two previously released EPs from the L.A.-based rapper Blu and the Virginia-residing producer Nottz and flips them into a soulful boom-bap experience that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The projects, originally dropped in 2013 and 2016 respectively, showcase the chemistry between Blu’s elegant and worldly lyrics, and Nottz’s beats, which combine crackling kicks and snares with melodic flourishes. Remastering and re-sequencing the songs into an album format elevates Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh into a nourishing, well-rounded listen that conveys Blu’s inner feelings as they relate to the broader religious and political systems surrounding him.

The album rolls into life with “Atlantis,” which previously closed out the Titans In The Flesh EP. Over gently bubbling production, Blu takes stock of the world, free associating everyday scenes like a working mom dropping her kids off at school, and then witnessing a politician fumbling his lines on TV. This moment prompts an expansive life view: “I changed the channel / There’s a window in my living room / I like to travel.”

The next run of songs ramp up the intensity. Nitty Scott contributes a fiery hook to the raucous “Boyz II Men,” while Blu delivers righteous braggadocio. The heavyweight “Crooks in Castles,” which co-stars Homeboy Sandman and Sene, maintains the fierce atmosphere, before the bass-thick “Giant Steps” begins a move to a more contemplative production vibe. On “The Truth,” a bed of static underpins Blu’s musings on science, religion, and personal destinies.

The previously unheard “Yesterday” closes Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh on a poignant note. A melancholy mirror to the opening optimism of “Atlantis,” Blu brings the album full circle as he chisels his parting words into the track while smartly nodding to the project’s history: “It’s kinda like living tomorrow without a yesterday.”

-Phillip Mlynar
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