Music Review: "Big Huge Truck" (Gregory Pepper & Madadam)

- by Señor Editor, 21 June 2013

A month or so ago I wrote that one of the albums I’m looking forward to is Gregory Pepper’s (of ...and His Problems and Common Grackle fame) and producer Madadam’s Big Huge Truck record. It’s been in the works for a long, long time, but it’s finally here. It dropped earlier this week and I’ve been giving it some spins, so let’s have a little review!

BIG HUGE TRUCK (click to listen & download for free or buy)

First, a quick word about the gentlemen behind BHT, in case you’re not familiar with them. Both of them are from Guelph, Ontario. Gregory Pepper is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist type of guy, dabbling in many musical genres, from pop, rock to all kinds of electronic stuff and hip hop. He put out a couple of albums I really liked in the last few years and he’s signed to Fake Four. Here’s an interview we did with him last year, if you want to know more. As for Madadam, I know for sure he’s a producer, turntablist and a drummer, but honestly, that’s about the extent of what I know about him. I’ve heard more about Madadam than I did of his music, but it made me all the more interested in how this collaboration will sound.

Since this was supposed to be a very hip hop-flavored release, it wouldn’t be that unreasonable to think “Oh, so it’s sort of like Common Grackle [Pepper’s project with producer Factor- ed.], right?” Well, not really. Madadam’s production style here is very different than Factor’s and I’d say this is a much more conventionally hip hop sound than “Great Depression” had (and that’s not a bad thing at all). Madadam is a skilled producer, his beats offer plenty of interesting switch-ups and the way they’re arranged with Pepper’s vocals make for a very rewarding listen. The tracks also feature quite a lot of scratching, and I love that. Good scratches aren’t that common nowadays and Madadam is clever with his, using them to enhance the songs and add some dynamic to them when they need it, rather than go on an aimless cutting spree that might take you out of the whole thing.

What about Pepper? He sounds like he’s feeling very good about collaborating with Madadam and the guests the duo invited (from Fake Four label boss Ceschi to other Guelph natives Noah 23 and Livestock, Awol One,  Open Mike Eagle and more). He’s doing that thing he does really well, when at one moment he’s saying stuff like “I’m just hanging out like I’m Tara Reid’s tit”, and a moment later he’ll say something that’s simple on the surface (and often funny), but really hits home. He’s always been a good songwriter, and this seemingly effortless style is very much present on Big Huge Truck. Vocally, he’s not just doing hooks and verses and calling it a day, but rather he’s present on the entire thing, from various subtle touches to background vocals (the awesome “Fronting in your Heartbone”, with Livestock, is a good example of that and also one of the standout tracks).

There’s this vibe present on the record like everybody involved is having good fun with it, and the feeling is contagious. Some tracks are very mellow and slower (like “Cautionary Tales” with Ceschi), others are more upbeat, like “House on Wheels” with Noah 23, which is one of my favorites here. From the production, Pepper’s singing at the beginning, to Noah 23 rappin’ “Bon Jovi” with “You’re just salty, like an anchovy” (a rhyme that deserves some kind of an award), it all fits together perfectly and showcases all of Big Huge Truck’s strenghts.

Some other things I like? The guests really fit the album, and all of them bring the good stuff. “Walrus for Mayor” with Awol One sounds all dream-like and mellow and nice. Blue Blue Heron is the only guest I don’t know, but she sounds good in “Mechanical Head” and deserves a mention. Open Mike Eagle is in “Stirring Dead Leaves” (‘...like a Big Huge Truck!’) and makes for one of the best songs here, immediately grabbing attention with lines like “...and your days are like the video for ‘Hate Me Now’/ it’s all beady-eyed creepy guys crucified”. Madadam gets a short, nice instrumental interlude featuring an extremely often used “Shook Ones Pt. II” sample, but still managing to sound fresh with it.There’s a lot to like here and I can see Big Huge Truck getting plenty of plays this summer.

Go and download it, or better yet buy it (though the physical copies may already be out, as it's a limited run, but there's still the "name your price" DL option) - because it’s definitely worth supporting, and because it’s fresh and fun, and because Madadam already thanked for that in advance on “Pinch the Hooch, Double Helix, Jizz Cracker”.


MORE LINKS:
Gregory Pepper website and Facebook page.
Fake Four website, Twitter and Fb.

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