Trap music continues to expand beyond its Atlanta origins with the delivery of a stunning platter from South African rapper Wraith. The Hammanskraal-based artist’s exciting new opus is titled “Stranger” but audiences worldwide will soon become very familiar with this talent on the rise. The 21 track album features production from his Heavy Current labelmate MasterFix who is extremely adept at rhythmically adapting to Wraith’s mellifluous mood swings. Trap may not be everyone’s musical cup of tea but even the most hypercritical listener will admit Wraith’s new project is sonically infectious.
Tracks like “Down For Life” and “Work Hard” stretch the minimalistic Trap arrangements by incorporating tribal rhythms into the mix while other songs such as “5am” & “Lingo” enhance the sonic backdrop with sci-fi sound effects and primal atmospheric flourishes that make each cut completely unique. The only flaw on the project is that Wraith(like many rappers of this particular genre)relies too heavily on auto-tune. The end result is that we lose some of the human connection shared with the artist (due to the mechanical accoutrement), but it’s a minor gripe in what is overall a solid release. Wraith is developing into an impressive entity on the music scene. He makes bold artistic strides by shaking up the normalcy of the industry with a sound that’s decidedly stranger.
Check the single from the album on iTunes.
Review by Kevin Keith
