(This review is part of the seventh annual "I'll Show You Mine If You'll Show Me Yours" write-off, hosted by MattA75. I was partnered with snik1, who reviewed Ai Otsuka's LOVE PUNCH.)

Black Dialogue, the full-length debut from Boston indie-rap group The Perceptionists, a trio consisting of rappers Akrobatik and Mr. Lif as well as DJ Fakts One. While the album did not chart on the Billboard 200, it did manage to peak on two other charts -- #41 on Top Heatseekers (which spotlights up-and-coming artists) and #42 on Top Independent Albums.

A preface: I have never been able to say that I enjoy rap and hip-hop music, and while I can't say I enjoy it any more after listening to this album several times, I've learned to appreciate certain aspects of the genre.

I didn't, however, find this release to be completely without merit. Thematically, Black Dialogue touches on many issues that lie at the heart and soul of what we -- not only as Americans but also as human beings -- hold dear, and I find this aspect to be the album's strongest point. The majority of these topics are political in nature (as on What Have We Got to Lose?!?, which touches on everything from government slip-ups to society's obsession with reality T.V.) but the most obvious of these topics is the conflict in Iraq (touched on in Memorial Day, part of which is spoken from the point-of-view of an enlisted soldier, as well as Career Finders).

Other relevant topics include a warning against a party-and-play lifestyle (Party Hard), finding a relationship and moving on after it ends (Love Letters and Breathe in the Sun, respectively), the enjoyment of finishing one's nine-to-five (5 O'Clock) and, one I personally found incredibly interesting, a rant against how different black culture is today versus years ago (Black Dialogue).

While the majority of the album's themes I found intriguing, others rubbed me the wrong way, specifically those of the album's first three tracks (Let's Move, People 4 Prez, and Blō), which, with the group's frequent name-dropping (of themselves, no less) and verbal breaking down of "lesser" rappers seems like a gratuitous attempt to assert their self-perceived dominance in the scene. I don't like it.

As well, the album's production, for the most part, left me feeling cold. The almost-complete lack of actual musical backing makes the disc seem sterile, and while it allows the vocals to take prominence -- which I believe is the point of rap -- it simply doesn't mesh well with my ears. There's only so many times a group can use a generic synthesized beat, clap-tracks, and DJ scratching before it becomes headache-inducing.

There are some exceptions, however. They include Memorial Day (which, at least during the chorus, includes a mournful-sounding string section underneath the incessantly-repetitive drum beat that compliments the song's less-than-happy lyrics), the catchy and dramatic-sounding synths and clap-track of Party Hard -- a track where the clap-track actually seems appropriate, the telephone-ringing that punctuates Career Finders, the entirety of 5 O'Clock (which is probably the most mainstream of the songs here, featuring a gentle acoustic guitar line against the song's plaintive synth-and-drum backing) and the almost-mysterious sounding arrangement that ends the album (Breathe in the Sun).

In the end, although I enjoy parts of this album, as an album it doesn't really mesh with my ears all that well. There are some very relevant and current-leaning messages, and I like a few of the arrangements, but the majority of the album suffers from almost phoned-in performances through which less-than-stellar rhymes are dropped.

Kyle -- thanks, though, for giving me this. It opened up my eyes, I'll say that much. Matt -- thanks for letting me join this time 'round; this is certainly one of the most...different experiences I've had.

The Perceptionists: "Black Dialogue"
[ CDA | Definitive Jux | $14.98 | 2005.03.22 ]

01. Let's Move [ 3:00 ]
02. People 4 Prez [ 2:21 ]
03. Blō [ 3:22 ]
04. Memorial Day [ 3:33 ]
05. Love Letters [ 4:12 ]
06. Black Dialogue [ 3:06 ]
07. Frame Rupture [ 3:22 ]
08. What Have We Got to Lose?!? [ 2:47 ]
09. Party Hard [ 3:51 ]
10. Career Finders [ 3:46 ]
11. 5 O'Clock [ 4:06 ]
12. Breathe in the Sun [ 3:59 ]

[ http://www.definitivejux.net/jukies/the_perceptionists/ ]

Recommended: No