Reverse Mechanic

Hip-hop has been adopting an increasingly melodic model in the last few years, and for a good example of this aesthetical transition done right, I refer you to Reverse Mechanic’s “Head in the Clouds.” In this new single and music video from the much-buzzed indie rapper, we’re privy to a melody-focused songcraft normally reserved for pop music over anything of the urban variety. Guitar-laden grooves and seductive hooks are everywhere we turn in this track, yet they don’t sound as though they were placed here exclusively with the intention of Reverse Mechanic winning over another share of the market. 

MORE ON REVERSE MECHANIC: https://reversemechanic.com/ 

The music video and the ingle both sport a lot of sonic physicality, and not because of the beefy EQ on the vocal alone. I get the impression from the stylization of “Head in the Clouds” that Reverse Mechanic is the kind of artist who isn’t as interested in linguistic communication as he is textural expression (the latter of which is rarely found in contemporary hip-hop). Here, he puts as much stock into the weight of his guitar wallop as he does the even flow of his heavy-handed rapping, which is more than I can say for any of the other crossover singles I’ve reviewed this month. 

As it consistently has for the last few decades, the Twin Cities scene has dished out yet another winner in young rapper Reverse Mechanic, and for evidence of his imminent professional ascent, take a peek at “Head in the Clouds” this spring. Good things come from experimentation no matter what the genre of music may be, and for this artist, it’s yielding some of the freshest grooves around this May. Reverse Mechanic has a knack for coming up with really smart, super-melodic hooks, and by utilizing his talent in the way he did here, he makes it all the easier to laude his efforts. 

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Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

5/2020