New Zealand based hip-hop connoisseur And$um presents his brand new album Late Night Down Brougham, a gripping sophomore release
An established force in NZ, And$um brings his blend of modern hip-hop and jazz together in the entirely self-produced Late Night Down Brougham.
His second full length release boasts a total of fourteen tracks, each of which solidifying And$um as a valuable artistic export.
Named after one of Christchurch’s major streets, this new record sees And$um drawing on the many journeys taken by himself and those around him.
With each track written from a different perspective, the hip-hop producer creates a wealth of characters and experiences for us to project ourselves into, all the while showering his hometown with love.
Opening with the melancholy How You Doing, I’m Fine, And$um brings the ambience along with his commanding presence. Talk So Sweet feels like an even darker sister-track, both songs acting as an introduction to the many faces that And$um wears throughout the record.
Stretching his production abilities, Talk So Sweet lays an immensely comfortable bed for And$um to ruminate over. Within minutes, Late Night Down Brougham has you in a chokehold.
The title track features a sluggish bass line over a tight trap inspired beat while And$um meditates languidly. Soothing piano crackles in the background as And$um’s vocals echo and reappear. High Beams ft Vallé leans heavily into the jazz backdrop, tinkling piano riffs with a brassy backbone.
Featuring live saxophone from Jimmy Rainey throughout, LNDB sets a delectable scene. A smoky late night jazz club, smooth and sultry. And$um seduces in Dancer, offering a softer side of his musings. This energy lingers in Little Longer as And$um laments “I don’t even need to be famous”.
Those Days highlights And$um’s flow. His voice fits perfectly atop his layered and nuanced production, an intoxicating dance between rapper and producer.
The back end of the record is an accumulation of energies; a conclusion that touches on everything LNDB has offered.
The finale comes in the form of Cruising, a somewhat euphoric moment. Reflective and expansive, Cruising captures a handful of emotions and distributes them freely.
Late Night Down Brougham is a fully realised offering, one that is impossible to not to recognise as something truly complete.
