People Under The Stairs - “Carried Away”

January 8th, 2010 | By Big Dom

ALBUM REVIEW: People Under The Stairs - Carried Away

“I need something more… more than a pill or a pipe or a poem. I need the hard stuff.” And so the tone is set for the seventh LP from People Under The Stairs. The Californian duo have done away with ProTools [Carried Away was recorded entirely on reel-to-reel] on this manifestation of “true” Hip-Hop - favouring the fun and rawness of our culture’s heyday over its posturing, synthesized, more polished modern incarnations. Carried Away sees Thes One and Double K take listeners back to basics over funky loops, boom bap beats and warm vinyl scratches.

This twosome bully their way through our speakers on the LP’s fourth track, “Listen” [and much of the rest of the LP], channeling the old-school cadence and spirit of Hip-Hop’s forefathers like some NWA/Beastie Boys hybrid - although neither as menacing as NWA nor as rambunctious as the Beastie Boys. “80 Blocks From Silverlake” is their feel-good ode to hometown Los Angeles, offering listeners a personal tour of life in sunny California with a nod to Cube’s “Today Was A Good Day”. And then there is the RUN DMC-esque “Beer” with its basic but rapid-fire drums underlining unpretentious rhymes through which the group celebrates their love for - you guessed it - beer; “This here’s a beer song for dudes who like beer / Yo, you don’t like beer? / Get the f**k outta here!”

Carried Away is, for the most part, typical PUTS - uncomplicated Hip-Hop promoting good times and careless fun. And for that, it is an absolute delight. But this is also where the album holds fault. Thes One and Double K seemingly ignore the direction and influence of modern Hip-Hop in staying true to the genre’s roots, leading Carried Away to sound like a nostalgic throwback album rather than the current body of work that it is. Produced entirely in-house and with zero cameo appearances, this disc is, nonetheless, an impressive collection of songs.

Analyze music too far and you rob it of the spirit behind its musicianship. Analyze it too little and you undermine the musicianship anchoring that spirit. So if you are a fan of PUTS, Pharcyde, or what may be deemed as “true school” Hip-Hop, I suggest you pick-up a copy of Carried Away and form your own opinions. Chances are you will like it - maybe even love it.