No excuses, you gotta be at Chop Suey on Sunday, January 27, for the
CD-release party for My Second Wind, the sophomore album from my
man and yours Grynch. Showgoers in the town know what to expect
from dude—an energetic, authoritative showcase of locally
grown skills and wit.
“My secret is lots of akvavit and lutefisk before shows,” says
Grynch. “I get on my Ballard shit. All jokes aside, though, I
just like to go out there and have fun. It’s as simple as that. If
you’re not having fun doing it then why do it at all?” Like Lupe says,
“Tabernacle!“
“I think there’s something for everyone on this record, but at the
same time there’s definitely a consistent vibe throughout,” Grynch
continues. “I would just say it’s music that you can feel.” And
my bet is, a lot of y’all will feel it.
My Second Wind is a vibrant, thoughtful, and diverse record
from one of our scene’s most promising talents—a document that
more than does justice to Grynch’s now formidable rep as a lyricist and
songwriter, flowing easily from determined, triumph-of-will rapper
songs (“I Will Not Lose”) to hazy, reminiscing rapper songs (“Memory
Lane”) to you-don’t-want-no-parts-of-me rapper songs (“When the Beast
Comes Out”). “There’s themes on there that people would naturally
expect,” sayeth he, “but at the same time it’s a pretty personal album
compared to what people are used to from me.“
Grynch’s solid debut, This Is What I Do, while not free from
the occasional juvenile moment, clearly showed a promising young MC
ready to bust a move, and his mixtapes (downloadable for free at
www.myspace.com/grynchmusic)
displayed a hunger that has only deepened with time. “I think I’ve
grown a lot as an artist since [What I Do]. Not that it was a
bad record at all. I just feel like [Wind] has a lot more
substance to it. I’ve opened up a lot more in my music. It’s just a
more mature album.”
A diverse palette of producers keep Grynch sounding fresh from track
to track, as relative newcomers like C-Nik and Sound
Intellect sit beside 206 favorites like BeanOne and
Budo. The propulsive, operatic beat of “Beast Comes Out”
(possibly my favorite track, courtesy of Street Level Records impresario D-Sane) brings out Grynch’s savved-out edge, as does
Apoulo‘s game-laced G-Funk exercise, “All Night.”
A careful selection of guests adds a layer of luster—standouts
including Blue Scholar Geologic‘s turn on the breezy
“Summertime,” Sonny Bonoho‘s unexpectedly tender hook on “Memory
Lane,” and D.Black and Fatal Lucciauno‘s bruising
offensive lines on “Youngest in Charge.” Through it all, Grynch’s ethic
mirrors all the potential and momentum of the bubbling scene around
him.
“I’ve still got a lot of growing to do,” says the ever-humble
Grynch. “I’m far from reaching my peak artistically. I’m already
looking forward to the next project.” 