Show Dem Camp has tried tweaking their sound on a few occasions with the most straining being the comical Happy Weekend Sir in 2014 but nothing has really changed as far as the SDC's modus operandi is concerned-rap verses and a melodious chorus.The duo exude a genuine golden era ambience and are rightly regarded as one of Nigeria's best wordsmiths.
As should be expected,their lyrical game is top notch on Palwine Express but the album more than anything else,highlights a need to deviate from their one dimensional approach.Considering that both Tec and Ghost played pivotal roles in the semi-resurgence hip hop underwent last year with their Headie-nominated verses on Crown; the title track of what is without a doubt the best pure content offering of the last decade, fans had to expect a grittier & less pop driven body of work.
Ghost's verse on MI's Popping off the Playlist album was breath-taking and he is on a lot of current top 5 lists.Quite sadly, SDC didn't see a need to stretch beyond their comfort zone at a time they really should.
Right from their break through hit, Farabale which thrust May D in the spotlight,they have had to share the plaudits for their best tracks with singers who most times,even end up gaining more attention than the duo.Most recent being Funbi on Up To You.Palmwine Express has a quite impressive support cast to provide the singing from Burna boy,B.O.J,Moelogo,Tems,Funbi and Nonso to unheralded names like Fasina,Buju and Toni Thomas.
Ghost and Tec effortlessly drop tight bars on what effectively is a late night rap album but in all honesty,Palmwine Express is agonizingly monotonic.The same format all through with absolutely no attempt to create catchy pre-choruses and the sorts that may or may not involve the rappers themselves.Vast artistry from 2 very talented artistes is what this album lacks.
The closest thing to diversity asides the trappy Alariwo (the only song with no featured artiste) was Ghost opening Incase with a hot verse and Tec, Tales By Moonlight instead of their singing guests as was the case in the other 9 tracks on the album.Not to take anything from the fact however,that every song on Palmwine Express
would stand out as part of a more robust work.
One mitigating factor however to the unidimenisonality of the album is the recognition of individual strengths by both artistes and the effort to always work along those lines.Ghost may be a doper lyricist but Tec has a sicker delivery and a more vocal presence.Flex on You fabulously comes together largely because of the synergy between Moelogo's scintillating opening chorus and Tec's verse right afterwards.Tales By Moonlight is my personal favourite off the album and its largely because of how Tec's lines enthrall you at the start before Tems' does her thing
.Buju kills the hook on Do Me Nice and Tec sits pretty nice with an undertaker flow-"I just focus on the mission and ignore the hype.Babes trying to tap current coz i gat the light.You now rocking with the best out,Show Dem,boy we giving them the next bounce.My guy carried 5 pies to the guest house,I asked why, Egbon said he was stressed out".
A song like Vibrations on the other hand was better suited to a stronger lyrical start than what Tec had and Ghost's verse should have come first.He raps "Body shots with these strokes i'm delivering,from slow and deliberate,to choking and flipping it,the flow is intimate".Overall,Tomi Thomas' chorus didn't get the matching effect it needed.Incase needed Ghost popping off from the jump like he did and Tec yet again,riding BOJ's wave on Different Case.A brilliant opening chorus in most cases and the right verse after that already accounts for half a track.You are either in it or not at that point.
Good time featuring Funbi and Nonso felt over crowded and True Story would have been better off with more intense Burna boy vocals but that is really as far as anyone would fault the quality of Palmwine Express.It is a collection of really great songs that just happened to be made alike.
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