Music Review: "Sleep paralysis EP" by lafl!!!¢he!

My friend lafl!!!¢he! (pronounced "La-Flèche") is an underground rapper. They recently put out their debut musical project, an abstract hip hop extended play called Sleep paralysis EP. I will review this project, to give them some promotion. I am honoured to have observed lafl!!!¢he!'s journey of making this extended play while it was still a work-in-progress.

Cover Art

The cover art for Sleep paralysis EP depicts a stone cellar under Buda Castle. I think it matches well enough with the general rustic vibe of this extended play. I interpret the light down the hall here as representing guidance or knowledge to lead one out of a slump. When asking lafl!!!¢he! about the cover art's meaning, they affirmed my interpretation and said the cover art represents uncertainty, with the tunnel being a mysterious way out. They also said there was an alternative cover representing helplessness, with there being no way out and lafl!!!¢he! being unable to move due to the photo being taken when they had sleep paralysis:

Overall Rating: 8/10 (First One)

Overall Rating: 7/10 (Second One)

Track Listing

WASTE//

Right away, the listener is hooked by a captivating beat that feels somewhat rustic. lafl!!!¢he! has a good flow that rides along with the instrumental. However, I do think production could have been much better, as I could not make out their words very well. In WASTE//, lafl!!!¢he! describes a general sense of apathy using notable rhyme schemes. Later, a beat switch occurs where "angelic" chants are heard. I do not like this beat switch that much.

Overall Rating: 7/10

5 More Grands, 5 More Years

I did not like this instrumental as much as the one on WASTE//. But, it matches lafl!!!¢he!'s rapping much better here. Their voice is more intelligible and therefore easier to vibe along to, although not all of the lyrics are still heard on the first listen. They talk about things such as being sure to always remember a certain person being taken about here. Toward the listen, lafl!!!¢he! does a rock-inspired mood shift, being louder and more aggressive. It sounds weird at first, but soon, it is easy to get into.

Overall Rating: 8/10

the nothing

the nothing sees lafl!!!¢he! rapping very softly over a muted beat. There are ambient sounds in the background that become more noticeable later on. the nothing is fine as a track, but drags on for a bit. Here, lyricism delves into having an empty mind with "empty rhymes."

Overall Rating: 6/10

//LITTLE BABY

//LITTLE BABY starts off with a man speaking lafl!!!¢he!'s name. I assume this is a sample. The instrumental grows particularly intense later on before calming down and switching to a more relaxed beat. The production is really neat. Lyrically, lafl!!!¢he! uses religious imagery to describe mental health struggles. I find this to be the extended play's best-written track.

Overall Rating: 8/10

I've been reading more lately

This sample-heavy track is more upbeat, which makes it stand out more and is easier to vibe along with. The instrumental interestingly contrasts with lafl!!!¢he!'s dull, muted rapping. Their rapping becomes more audible and the beat becomes slower and quieter the more the song goes on. Just like a couple other tracks, this drags on a tad bit too long, and would definitely have been ranked higher if it were just a bit shorter. I've been reading more lately has interesting thematic elements of "making something new."

Overall Rating: 7/10

Overall Thoughts

My main criticism of Sleep paralysis EP is that it was not mastered or mixed too well. lafl!!!¢he!'s voice felt too muted so many times to the point their rapping was unintelligible in some tracks. At times, lyricism felt a bit flat, but usually, it was quite the opposite, being vivid and having good rhyme schemes. Beat selections felt mostly limited to slow, "darker" instrumentals, but its highs were certainly high. I wish at least one other artist could have featured on this extended play.

In an underground rap scene now filled with drill and rage, it is refreshing to see a more abstract style break out now, although due to the aforementioned dimming of lafl!!!¢he!'s voice, this is something I would appreciate for the "vibes" and production rather than for its lyricism. Overall, this is a good first project for my good friend lafl!!!¢he!, and I sincerely hope they can always improve artistically in the future.

Overall Rating: 7/10
Best Track: //LITTLE BABY
Worst Track: the nothing

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