reviews_ShadAndDallasTS

Shad & Dallas - Two Songs EP

Shad & Dallas

Two Songs EP

Rapper Shad has been celebrated for his combination of personal and socially aware lyricism harkening back to the ’90s conscious hip-hop movement. Dallas Green's time in post-hardcore ragers Alexisonfire and quieter musings in folky side project City And Colour has practically made him a flannel-clad demigod. They've got a provincial commonality, though (both are from Ontario), so maybe that's why they sound like such a natural pair on this collaboration single. Green takes a much more soulful approach than on his City And Colour material, but that just might be instead of his normal background of rustic acoustics, he’s singing over a mix of smooth, basic beats and organic live instrumentation. His velvety voice is a natural match for the understated delivery by Shad, who takes charge with his usual air of modesty on the wide-open “Live Forever,” punctuating his words with deliberation one moment and speeding up the flow a second later. The B-side is a remix of “Listen,” from Shad's 2010 full-length, TSOL, enlivened with more of a bustling feel involving clipped string sections and old-school scratching while Green supplies the soulful hook.

Dine Alone/Black Box http://www.dinealonerecords.com

“Live Forever”