Seemingly lost in the couch cushions of noise-rap for almost a decade, Houston-bred B L A C K I E (technically pronounced ‘Blackie All Caps With Spaces’) does it well and may very well have technically done it first. But the question on my mind at this point is, Where is the rapping? Not that I’m complaining; Imagine Yourself in a Free and Natural World is sicker than sick, rippin’ gutz (and Blackie’s poor throat) when it has to yet spending a lot of its time in a reflective lull, gathering the strength to propel the self outward once again. Several precedents stand out, none of which genre-wise have anything to do with one another, from free-jazz kitchen-sinkers like Rafael Toral to post-noise outfits like Black Neck Band Of The Common Loon to — and this is somewhat embarrassing — Clutch’s “Space Grass” (at least where sections of “Forest of Ex-Lovers” is concerned). I’m not sure how easy it will be for the masses to love B L A C K I E, but for me it was as easy as meeting one of those people you instantly become best friends with: It was effortless and life-affirming. Get on board, as P4K has already started sniffing this fella out like sharks near a boat crash.
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