Experimental hip hop group New Plague Radio is a band you want to check out, specifically their EP “The Beeswax,” which consists of a mixture of genres and styles that is oddly tasty and refreshing. The four-track record contains songs that hold so much energy and is the most unique EP you will ever hear. Remember the collaboration between Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C? Think of that times a thousand.
The first track on the EP is “Methamphetamine Dance.” The song opens with this ’70s southern rock guitar riff, similar to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Just when you think you’ll hear some sort of raucous voice like in every classic rock hit, rapper Chief Redeye’s voice emerges doing a killer rap. It’s impossible to not love this song when it has a lot of energy and superb techniques. Now, this is just the opening, which means it gets better.
“Rock Like The Smiths” is the second song on the EP, and the wordplay is insane. NPR has you on the edge of your seat, hanging on to every word. With an intense composition and sharp lyrics, you wouldn’t want this song to end.
“Read Headed Dead Girl,” the third track, will definitely be a crowd favorite because of the dynamics giving the song its vibrance. It has a ’70s punk rock sound that’s hard to ignore and not love, and once again, Redeye blows us away with his mad rapping skills. With the energy the band emits in the song, there’s a vast wonder for how the energy will be when played live. At the end of the song, you’re left with this immense amount of excitement.
For the fourth and final song on the EP, “…And Now We Move Mountain,” this is a whole concert itself. The dynamics are out of this world! At the beginning of the song, we’re taken back to ’70s punk. The harmonizing guitars are breathtaking! Out of nowhere, everything changes.
The best part of the song’s second part would be the vocal break where all three are singing different lyrics but harmonize at the end. The most potent lyric would have to be, “I have faith there’s a man inside of that beast, and I’m gonna find him.”
The sound changes again to a more southern sound, and the lead guitar plays something similar to the “King of the Hill” theme song. This part is vibrant, and the twang in it is beyond amazing.
Overall, this EP is extraordinarily unique and makes you excited for more NPR music.
Written by Taylor Berry
