Review by Josh Felty
Rating: Listen!
Kentucky's own Villebillies owes the bulk of their sound to the state they hail from, and they're not afraid to shout out to the Bluegrass from their home in Louisville to the foggy eastern hills. Their self-titled release demonstrates the eclectic sound this music collective is known for: smooth hip-hop beats laced with acoustic guitar, banjo, and a healthy helping of bourbon whiskey and marijuana. What holds the sound of this album together is amalgam of the rapid-fire rap lyrics and infectious, hooky choruses. Influences ranging from classic Southern rock to modern gangster rap (and even some sounds of ska and reggae), the sound of the Villebillies is one hard to pin down. And it's probably best that way, with the music industry's kneejerk tendency to throw something into a pre-packaged categorization.
After an old-timey blues man sort of introduction, you're hit with "Whiskey", a voraciously exquisite composition that declares "If the whiskey don't kill me, I don't know what will" and harkens to bourbon-fueled antics and Swisher Sweet cruises. Follow that up with the funk-inspired "Burnin' Down the House" (no, not a cover song) and the yearning, countryesque "Grass Roots". With "Mr. Brown Bag", we're introduced to that signature Villebillies sound. It's mellow, beer-soaked, and definitely moving with its tinges of brass throughout. "Rolling Stone" is a signature road tour song that instantly took me a Southern rock backwater, much like "Mary", while "Ol' Faithful" and its banjo-laced rhythm took me even further. The rest of the tracks, including the final one, "Greatest Moment" (is that piano sample Bach? Mozart maybe?), take this unique mash-up of musical styles and textures to a whole new level. You can tell by the end of the record that the Villebillies have a sound all their own, borrowing from the most entertaining elements of hip-hop, bluegrass, and the ever-in-need-of-renewal rock mentality.
Released by Universal Motown Records, "Villebillies" is a tour de force debut for a band that has harnessed its digs in the hollows as much as on the streets of Louisville and beyond. The album is produced by the great Toby Wright (Alice in Chains, Korn, Slayer), save for the last song "Greatest Moment", helmed by the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd's "The Wall, Alice Cooper's "Love It to Death" and on), which gives it a consistent, driving soundscape with impeccable fidelity and energy.
I wouldn't really put Villebillies in any one category, not because said venture would be impossible, but because it would be folly. What you have in the end is well-written, energetic material that clearly defines the band's Kentucky roots not by the mere instrumentation but lyrically as well. There's a humorous, poetic vein that runs through this group that reminds me of why great hip-hop is so incredible and how music, when given the opportunity, doesn't have to come from one source of inspiration, but many. And in that stew, one can find a plethora of enticing new sounds that could (and should) challenge and enlighten its listeners.