After 15 years in the game and counting, Regan Farquhar – aka Busdriver – isn’t really here to make new fans. Nor should he need to – his unique brand of hyper-literate rhymes and askew, observational subject matter have amassed him a respectable following over the years.
Perfect Hair marks Farquhar’s tenth LP overall, and it’s one that continues to explore the outer boundaries of hip-hop while still taking note of what’s happening on the inside – catch the satirical budget outline on opener Retirement Ode, which is immediately followed by snarky questions about the state of hip-hop on the bouncy Bliss Point.
Like every Busdriver release up until this point, not everything is going to rub people the right way, or work in the way he wants – the slow and cloying Upsweep being a primary example. Still, everything that sticks on Perfect Hair sticks hard. The guest list includes smartly-placed appearances by Open Mike Eagle and Pegasus Warning, but the album’s highlight comes with Ego Death, a six-minute cut featuring Aesop Rock and Danny Brown. They work so well together that one can only pray for a Watch the Throne/Run the Jewels-type expansion someday soon.
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
Best Track: Ego Death
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: ATMOSPHERE, SAGE FRANCIS, MURS
In A Word: Provocative
