Review: Paradox – Called To Mind
End Of Earth Records
Released September 28, 2009
Reviewed by Anthony Peronto
With Paradox hailing from Austin,TX you half-expect to hear something similar to
Reach Records’ artists from Houston. But as you start up the record and glance
at the artwork you get the complete opposite: Underground hip-hop. While I can’t
compare Paradox’s delivery to any other rapper, his style is comparable to artists
from Illect or Syntax Records.
The first thing that distinguishes Paradox from the pack is his unique flow and
wordplay. While his bravado is kept to a minimum, his lyricism really shines on
his most serious moments such as the testimonial “Broken.” One album highlight
that also proves this is “Put ‘Em Together” which addresses many aspects of the
contradiction in life. Paradox puts it this way; “On the one hand’s the true you, for
real/ On the other hand’s the you who you choose to reveal/ When the two move
together it’s a beautiful deal.” The 2nd aspect that ties this album together nicely
is the production, which is almost solely done by Elliot B (who also worked with
Braille).
The guest artists complement “Called To Mind” very well. The prime example of
this is shown on “Snapshots,” which puts back-to-back verses together with a
convicting message that shows “a glimpse of the struggle.” The one drawback
of the record is the lack of harmony and melody that I only found on “Let Your
Life Speak.” While it was a nice breather in the album, I would’ve preferred more
moments to catch my breath.
While Paradox’s sophomore effort isn’t outstanding, it does succeed in avoiding
the clichéd “sophomore slump.” With good delivery, tight message, and good
guest artists, “Called To Mind” is a very good album. Anyone looking for sharp
wordplay and are fans of Illect and Syntax Records’ artists will definitely enjoy
Paradox’s music.
Grade: B
Tracklisting:
1. Stay Tuned
2. Broken
3. Help Wanted
4. Bloodline ft. Mellow Drum Addict & Sev Statik
5. Groundwork
6. White Noise ft. Common Child, Propaganda, & Afaar
7. On Second Thought
8. Hard Rock ft. SomeOldJake & Othello
9. Snapshots ft. Metermaids- Sentence & Swell
10. Life Of An Artist ft. Jeremiah Bonds
11. Put ‘Em Together
12. Let Your Life Speak ft. Gina Chavez
13. Brief Interruption ft. Kaboose
14. Obstacles
15. Ruined For Life
16. Seeds ft. Playdough
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