Roc Marciano and The Alchemist are looking to recapture the chemistry they have been building up for year. They are doing so with their newest endeavor, Skeleton Key, the follow-up to The Elephant Man's Bones. Marci announced the project's release a few days ago on Instagram while revealing that there would be a listening party at the Art Basel in Miami. That took place on December 7 and now, just six days later, we have the album. Also contributing to its rollout was the one and only single "Chopstick," which came out on December 9.
When these two link up, they usually like to concoct low-key, subdued, and hazy tracks. The same can be said on for this 10-song effort in Skeleton Key. However, unlike past releases, Marciano and Uncle Al are the only artists on this project. While there have been great collaborations to come out of their studio sessions, we can appreciate them going in this direction. Both manage to remain more than engaging, leading to many more hits than misses. Some of our early favorites inlcude "Cryotherapy," which contains one The Alchemist's most adventurous productions. It's almost drum-less and relies on these wispy, loopy, and dizzying sound effects as the base of the beat. "Knock It Off" is another keep for us, with nimble rhymes and an addicting and laid-back piano melody. Overall, Skeleton Key manages to be even more lax than its predecessor, but it doesn't drag, nor does it become too sleepy. It might fly under the radar to its release date, but we will remember this tape for a while.
Skeleton Key - Roc Marciano & The Alchemist
Skeleton Key Tracklist:
- Mystery God
- Street Magic
- Chopstick
- Knock It Off
- Acid
- Rauf
- Chateau Josue
- Skirt Steak
- Cryotherapy
- Make Sure
