Shad — A Short Story About A War (10/26/18)
6/10
Kenya-born, Toronto-raised MC, Shad has been known for his conscious rap and thought-provoking material over the course of four albums from ’05 to ’13.
2016 saw him take a trip into alternative rock territory with the album Adult Contempt under the pseudonym Your Boy Tony Braxton, and now he’s returned with the fifth album under his own name.
A Short Story About A War is a concept album about…well, a war. The war seems to be an analogy for the state of the world as it is today.
It kicks off with “Intro: Sniper”, a track that relates the battle for success to the horrors of a war zone. One of the strongest and darkest tracks from the Canadian rapper, it perfectly portrays the pressures to stay above ground in a world where everyone’s fighting to do the same.
Following track “The Revolution/The Establishment” continues to show Shad’s creativity as an artist. Where the first half has the rapper condemning war and the people who benefit from it the second half has him take the stance of those very people. The track clearly lays out the point of view from the two opposing sides and leaves the opinion in the hands of the listener.
Shad has a strong personality felt throughout the album and continues to deliver valuable messages on inequality (“The Stone Throwers [Gone In A Blink]”), injustice (“Magic”), and the questionably futile fight for peace over war (“Peace/War”).
There’s no question Shad is an amazingly powerful songwriter and performer and he paves his own path with his music, following no pre-conceived guidelines when it comes to rap.
The only issue on this album is that after an incredibly strong open there’s little left that really jumps out. Shad has a lot to say and he says it well but by the time the 6-minute “Another Year” comes around I find myself drifting.
Fortunately, closing track “All I Need” finishes the album on a high note with an uplifting energy due to a fervor of horns and percussion, giving off vibes similar to 2010’s standout “We, Myself and I”.
