SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SOLE – DESTITUENT

Sole
Destituent
Black Box Tapes/Fake Four, Inc.

Wasting no time on a dying planet, Sole opens his latest album, Destituent, with the line, “I can think of nothing more extreme than accepting domination”. With an ‘80s new wave aura, Destituent feels like a collection of anarchist anthems from the future, dropped through a wormhole to warn us of bloodthirsty cops, ecological collapse, and a black hole of capitalism created by power-mad corporations. The album establishes its own sound and mood, especially with the ghostly reverb of “Shipwreckers II” and the dystopian new wave pop of the title track, a candid reflection on gentrification shaded with optimism by the line, “‘Anarchy’ is a word that means ‘don’t wait’”.

Turning inward on “No Reset Button”, Sole reflects on mortality, existentialism, and lost friends. ”Beach Beneath the Street” has a beautiful Double Dragon-inspired ‘80s instrumental that complements Erda’s new wave harmony on the chorus. Known for his poetic lyrics, Sole shines on “Born to Ruins”, shouting, “Who I got to kill to get free?/Answer: the prison warden inside of me”. Destituent is an album for dancing into oblivion. The beats are refreshing and the lyrics—“Firemen of the future, we feel your pain”, for example—are poignant. This album is not a complaint, but rather a call to action, which is what hip-hop has always been.

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