Hailing from the City of Angels, the duo Thes One and Double K have been winning praise ever since PUTS’ 1998 debut, The Next Step. Blending absurdly catchy loop-based production, easygoing rhymes, and a staunch antikeyboard philosophy, their classic approach found love from music critics and “true school” aficionados the world over. 2000 saw the release of their impressive sophomore effort Question in the Form of an Answer, and they now return with a third full-length, OST.
Like their previous work, the new album is overloaded with choice samples, and is brimming with extra-funky basslines and nod-inducing breakbeats. They produced the album entirely by themselves, upping the ante in the instrumental department and unearthing four-bar jewels from the murky depths of their crates. With twenty tracks, instantly likeable production, and practically no filler, OST is a near-perfect summer soundtrack. The overall thick-funk and smoked-out jazz vibe perfectly matches their casual, matter-of-fact lyrical approach, in which they revisit everyday topics like getting your party on (“The Suite for Beaver Part 1”), record hunting (“The Dig”), and California pride (“The LA Song”). While their wordplay remains pretty straightforward throughout, it’s PUTS’ exceptional musical sense that makes this their best work yet.
