Swollen Members: The Best Songs from "Dagger Mouth"

The best songs on the album "Dagger Mouth" from the hip hop group Swollen Members are: "Moonshine," "Do Or Die," and throw a random one here, many are interchangeable.

"Dagger Mouth" is a very listenable collection of tracks, though they weaken early on and my opinion would be to grab a couple of singles that sound cool to you and forget the rest. I don't think those singles will remain cool over time, but they are of good for several listens quality.

"Do Or Die": A dark and dreary atmosphere and these twisted souls breath it in and exhale a mellow rap with gloomy lyrics that even when talking of blood and violence do so without going the ridiculous ICP route. The flow at first reminded me of some late 90s early millennium stuff, took me back, made me comfortable without all of the stupid dance beat whistle crap stuff radio rap consists of. Solid start to the album, we're under a dark and broken sky, let's see if it falls on us or if there is hope.

"The Shining": Catchy background beat/loop. The first stanza of lyrics DO go stupid like ICP, weak stuff about being choked by chains and some mumblings about a spider and everybody is going to die. Doesn't help that the guy who delivers these lyrics has a high voice like the clowns. The chorus isn't as inspired as the simply catchy beat, paired together they feel generic, and even though the second stanza of lyrics ups the level a bit. This track is not embarrassing though, easy to listen to even if you pick it apart cynically like I was doing.

"Fire": This track is more up-tempo than the previous to and they alter their flow to keep up and they do it perfectly to once again make a very listenable song; even though the lyrics are hit and miss with creativity.

"Mr. Impossible": These are not bad songs, "Mr. Impossible," keeps up the production quality in terms of letting the record play and not needing to skip. At the same time I have not been pushed over the edge of impressed yet in terms of would I buy the album or become a fan; maybe all of the good will add up though by the end. Old fans, however, should be proud to wear their t-shirts and lay the dollar down.

"Calming Of The Beast (Interlude)": Nothing, a little bit of musical sound for thirty-two seconds.

"Moonshine": A fun mix of sound effects, scratches, and voices go with the beat and the rap flow fits right in.

"House Of Sin": There's good and bad, the lyrics comprised of movie titles in some places can be enjoyable or annoying depending on your mood. At first I did not think I would be able to get into the song, but as it progressed I kept on nodding along. I think the rappers could potentially be annoying if they did solo albums, but together they have something that works even when it is not out of the park.

"Chemical Imbalance": I am tired of every song starting with the same guy's voice. The recorded female voice speaking about anxiety is a nice touch to the song, but the guy who opens the song is the sole artist other than that and it gets tiring with him in the driver's seat alone. Luckily the song is only a couple of minutes long, so it leaves me clapping regardless, well played, well played.

"Night Vision": Rapping about yourself being strange and crazy and having done drugs is kind of old, it's already been done on this album, and having another track with that sort of "insane" theme doesn't shake things up any. This is a song that feels like it should have rocked the boat instead of being what it is, their insanity is playing it safe. The background loop is catchy, but this time all of the scratches and sound effects form a hodge-podge of uninteresting sound to me.

"Fresh Air": Feels incomplete even with all of the thought they probably put into their lyrics. Dull.

"War Money": Mad Child is the rapper with the higher toned voice and he feels it necessary to name drop himself and talk about himself being "insane" in most of the songs. His cooler moments on the album get watered down with his repetition. This beat would have been improved upon with an around the circle of guest rappers dropping in with lyrics. The chorus is kind of funky, the rest of it stinky.

"The Predator": Kind of has the ICP circus vibe, obnoxious.

"Devil": The music is old school Shaft rolling down the street horns meets some Twilight Zone and ghost story effects. The chorus is weak. When the rapper who is not "Mad Child" kicks in with his verse he comes on with a vengeance, but the energy doesn't last. Lesson: you can't win with the devil, but you might make better music than this!

"White Python /Black Trantula/ Sound Of The Drum": Yawn.

"Electric Chair": At least it wasn't Mad Child starting the track! This is trying to take things back to the low key success that the beginning songs of the album were, but the background hum that is looping in the back is very annoying to me.

"Bring Me Down (Swollen Mix)": A bit of a switch up with the rock guitars and guest vocal. It is listenable, but nothing in it to keep it from getting lost to me amongst all of the other music of the world that is.