Brisbane hip-hop artist Amity has set out to make 2020 a defining year in his career with the release of his debut album, Assorted Nonsense.
Carrying a quintessentially Aussie sound, Amity breathes new life into the local hip-hop scene. A diverse collection of tracks, the LP demonstrates strength upon strength for the up-and-comer.
After releasing a number of mixtapes, Amity explores a range of topics in his debut album, demonstrating a sense of worldliness and maturity far beyond his years.
Introspection is at the forefront of many of Amity’s tracks, his stark lyrical candidness challenging his audience to be raw and honest with themselves. The artist presents impressive technical ability, applying a well-versed vocabulary to his lyrics alongside contemporary presentation of 1990s boom-bap and lo-fi stylings.
Combining older influences with fresh-eyed keys, synths, and rhythm – as well as modern production from Melbourne-based Dom Cork – makes the album as a whole stand out from many other 2020 releases. Highlight tracks include The One, and Check Yourself, which bursts with an energy fit for the dance floor, as well as I’m Sorry, which carries an infectious sense of melancholy.
Both earnest and spirited in theme, Amity explores a range of ideas such as his ambition to grow as a rapper and his experiences with anxiety. Setting out with the idea of an Assortment of Nonsense allows the young artist to deliver insightful commentary about the world around him, as well as the universe that lies within himself. In reflection of how the album came to be so varied, Amity stated:
“I like the idea of getting everything out in the open on the first album and talking about a whole bunch of things at once. Some of the songs on it are years old and still relevant, just more refined. I feel like it’s a good summary of who I am, what I stand for and where I want to go.”
Assorted Nonsense is a strong first deliverance from Amity, boasting a skill and energy akin to far more experienced artists in such as Drapht and Horrorshow. The album foreshadows the heights the artist may soon reach, with the potential to come to the vanguard of the Aussie rap scene.
