[junkie-dropcap]F[/junkie-dropcap]our years and several separate musical endeavors after their last project, Spillage Village is back. “Spilligion” reunites J.I.D., Earthgang, Mereba and 6LACK among others to encapsulate life in the storm’s eye. Though I have listened to little of their older group work, the last few years have made me a big fan of all the artists I named.
J.I.D. and Earthgang are the most exciting prospects in J. Cole’s Dreamville label. “The Never Story” and “Mirrorland” are some of the best albums to come out of the camp. Not to mention they were consistent highlights on last year’s “Revenge Of The Dreamers” compilation. And 6LACK has developed a high profile in the R&B scene. Delivering quality just a few months ago with his “6pc Hot” EP.
The only single I listened to prior to the album was the lead single “End Of Daze”. The song immediately struck me with its apocalyptic lyrics over the groovy beat. Every member delivered great verses and it left me anticipating this project and what direction it would take. So let’s dive in.
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From the opening skit, this album sets up a religious theme that songs like “Baptize” and the aforementioned “End Of Daze” deliver on strongly. But overall it reminds me a lot of IDK’s “Is He Real?” in the sense that while the songs on both projects are mostly good, the lack of follow through on the concept presented becomes the fatal flaw. (Though to IDK’s credit, he made much more of an effort than “Spilligion” does to be consistent. Good or bad as the execution may have been throughout)
But when you set aside the notable lack of cohesion and look at the songs individually, quite a few of them still shine. “Psalmsing” is one of the better Mereba songs I’ve heard. She carries her own solo track with no issue and brings a very Woodstock vibe to the project that comes back around a few times. Though I think “Mecca” takes that influence too far for my liking, “Ea’alah” presents it beautifully. The chorus has some of J.I.D.’s best singing I’ve ever heard and the verses, while they don’t come together into anything much, match the energy. All the verses compliment the laidback nature of the beat, even Olu with his naturally eccentric delivery.
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The production side of things is easily this album’s most inconsistent factor. (Next to the lack of narrative) The highs come in the gospel influenced “Hapi” or the bouncy almost Outkast-ish “Cupid”. But the lows can ruin otherwise decent songs. No example of this stands out more than “Judas”. “Judas” is one of the more well written songs on this album. Hell, it has one of Chance The Rapper’s best verses in a long time. But everyone sounds off beat and it’s incredibly frustrating. I’m not sure what the beat was going for but it’s just irritating and far too challenging to latch onto. “Oshun” suffers on the production end too. It’s trying to be a “vibe” but gets so caught up in that it just becomes drowsy. It didn’t upset me the way “Judas” does but it left me barely remembering it once it was over. Especially since “Cupid” follows it and acts as everything “Oshun” isn’t. Making it seem all the more unecessary.
There aren’t many features on this album since the group is large and diverse enough to handle things themselves. But the ones chosen are all welcomed. Chance was easily the highlight of “Judas”. The biggest reason I love “Cupid” so much is Lucky Daye’s vocals. I was already a fan but he knocked that out of the park. Big Rube’s appearances here are great too. His voice is a substantial addition to any song and “Hapi” was the perfect placement for him. His poetry is always a treat to hear. (He was hilarious in the opening skit too)
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As for the stars of the album themselves. I’m pleased to say I didn’t find any weak links. From the higher profile artists to the lesser known members, there’s a consistent quality standard among the group. It’s actually the “heavy hitters” like J.I.D. or Olu that get placed on the weaker songs. (“Mecca”, “Oshun”)
Overall, I can’t help feeling like there’s a lot more this album could’ve been. Especially considering the talent involved. But a lot of group albums fall short in that sense. (Beast Coast’s album last year is a big example) The redeeming qualities aren’t hard to find though. Songs like “Baptize” and “Cupid” have already proven to have high replay value for me. But sadly as a full body of work, “Spilligion” most likely won’t stand the test of time. Especially as J.I.D. and Earthgang will undoubtedly continue to put out higher quality music on their own.
