RHODY LIFE

Toadstool's 'Bluudsuckr' offers gloomy, honest take on pandemic

By ROB DUGUAY
Posted 11/10/21

By ROB DUGUAY No other time of the year brings out the motifs, styles and aesthetics quite like Halloween does. Yes, I know it's already passed this year, but I'll get to why I'm mentioning it in the next few sentences. Halloween is pretty much a big art

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RHODY LIFE

Toadstool's 'Bluudsuckr' offers gloomy, honest take on pandemic

Posted

No other time of the year brings out the motifs, styles and aesthetics quite like Halloween does. Yes, I know it’s already passed this year, but I’ll get to why I’m mentioning it in the next few sentences.

Halloween is pretty much a big art project when it comes to the costumes and home decorations people display while being highlighted by shades of orange and black. Speaking of the art this occasion brings, West Warwick hip-hop artist Toadstool relayed it into his music and what’s going on in the world these days. With an apparent Dracula influence, he released his ninth album “Bluudsuckr” on Oct. 29 while making lyrical allegories with socio-political references.

Along with the music, the moniker of Mike Jencks included voice clips of broadcasts alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current state of society as a whole. The craziness of 2020 definitely inspired the album due to the many layers of issues that showed themselves during that year in various instances.

“‘Bluudsuckr’ is this kind of all encompassing entity that takes on a bunch of various forms throughout the album,” he says about the record. “From a very toxic political climate where politicians are sucking money away from people that barely understand, to actual vampires that can drain you dry. I made this album during quarantine and I was very picky with the beat selection, trying to use samples that had a Castlevania type vibe while also interspersing different cuts of an almost apocalyptic radio broadcast. Personally, I think it’s my best stuff yet.”

The majority of the album is chock full of quick hits with only a couple tracks being longer than three minutes. There’s a sense of dreariness within the album as Toadstool poetically exclaims his thoughts in observant fashion. While the samples accomplish his goal of being a bit spooky and macabre, there’s also some jazz and R&B tones present as well. Tracks like “Sunlight” and “Butter” get the latter vibe across while “Garlic Ice Cream” and “Impaler” are more subtle, murky and gloomy. Daniel Hill, who is Toadstool’s bandmate in the Providence hip-hop act Toad & The Stooligans, also does a guest spot on “You’re Not The Only One (Going Through This).”

“Bluudsuckr” is one of those pandemic records that evoke the uncertain feelings that last year brought upon us and it’s also very honest. There’s no nonsense being conveyed and Toadstool keeps it real with what he raps about. The production on it is fantastic and each song flows to make a complete listening experience. To stream the album, choose a platform of your choice. It’s music that charismatically dives into the bleak and sheds some light.

Toadstools, music

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