It's fitting that the cover art of Night Lovell's new project centers around a ghoulish grin. The Ottawa rapper has been steadily delivering his own unique blend of shadowy hip-hop for some time now, conjuring up distorted and nightmarish soundscapes to back his detached delivery. It's been enough to elevate the young artist into somewhat of a cult hero, an underrated prospect that continues to run solid numbers.
Today, Lovell has come through to keep his momentum rolling, dropping off a new three-pack boasting the oxymoronic title of BOTTOM TOP. Clocking in at an immensely listenable six minutes, broken up into three two-ish minute songs.
Stylistically, Lovell continues to trudge deeper into the heart of darkness. The introductory title track finds him sliding over an uptempo banger, though not even the most frantic synthesizers could elicit a change in his tone. Easy highlight "Counting Down The List" features a heavy horrorcore vibe, driven by a chilling piano loop and an unsettling synth whine. Last but not least is "Alone," the climactic track on which Lovell locks in with a focused flow over hard-hitting and distorted percussion.
Should you be looking to indulge in a little bit of under-the-radar Canadian hip-hop, Night Lovell's BOTTOM TOP is a premium choice -- especially if your musical preferences veer toward the dark and unsettling. If this is a prelude to his next studio album, perhaps Night Lovell's best work is truly yet to come.