When I first wrote about Paris Texas (Louis Pastell & Felix), the LA Hip-Hop duo, I was left in awe by their aesthetic and approach to rapping, building, and boasting a successful hybrid between Rap and Punk-Rock music. It buoyed this unique aesthetic that has become reminiscent of individual methods reflective of some others – think JPEGMAFIA, Gorillaz, or Rage Against The Machine – you get something special with their debut album Mid Air. It’s an album with focus, steering towards more of an alternative approach, elevating the range between the organic instrumental synergy with the strings and drums and ones that bring hardened elements that bolsters the manic energy ferociously. Burgeoning through fantastic songwriting and a keen ear when co-producing tracks with other producers, my fondness for Mid Air exceeds expectations, especially when songs don’t blare with similar notes heard on their mixtape Boy Anonymous. Boy Anonymous was something special as the emotional intensity boasted it a consistent hypnotic spell that kept you engaged; Mid Air sees them exploring more sounds, breaking down walls, and pushing further into their bag while puttering just a bit.
Starting with a beat having an electro-centric mindset, bridging these hardened rock drum beats with influences from Trip-Hop and Industrial music – reminiscent of previous records or from a 90s Rage album – that doesn’t paint the whole picture. Mid Air has moments where it teeters away from its centric core and delivers a guitar ballad with “Ain’t No High.” When it comes, it’s a seamless transition from the more old-fashioned but elevated DIY Hard Rock influence of the song “Lana Del Rey.” It’s not the only time sounds split from the core aesthetic; when it diverts, you hear a foundation pushing these rappers/producers beyond homogenous with their primary style. On “Everybody’s Safe Until,” Paris Texas weaves this unique hybrid between Alt-Rock and Hip-Hop; it feels refined and new as it transitions from an overly industrial behemoth in “Panic” and then to “Lift Off,” which brings modest funk notes and add more dimensions to the music. It’s one of many defining factors that boasts the album to new heights where the replayability runs high – unfortunately, the album’s pacing can stray far from the line near the middle – not much to fuss though modestly noticeable.
On the flip side, most of these tracks bring visceral imagery in the verses and take it upon themselves to pave the way for listeners to see what they project without getting distracted from one component being more triumphantly powerful than the other. Though I’m praising the writing and synergy, it isn’t all perfect – Paris Texas incorporates moments that don’t carry the same magnitude as previous tracks, yet the energy persists – one moment that feels potent to this point comes on “Closed Captions,” where the reflections get coated with these luscious Jazz note, blended with some nuanced industrialization. There are so many directions Paris Texas can take with their style – though the performances don’t always match that virtuosity – Mid Air has these sonic transitions that feel tighter and more confined and focused toward the bigger picture, which involves the depth of the content rapped about on the album, like death, hope, and apropos flexes that uses unique writing to build imagery, even when it gets raunchy, like in the song, “Split-Screen,” where Louis Pastel raps, “Leave her pussy looking like a musket (Yeah)/I’m really him, what the fuck is assumption? (Yeah)/I was getting 5-star shit for my luncheon (Yeah).”
The production of Mid Air can carry over homogenous subtleties between some beats – periodically, they get forgotten by these varying dimensions overlaying the complexities on its overtures that make them all feel different from one another. It leaves you connected to the music, even when it never follows a blueprint, trying to keep on your toes. Unfortunately, as great as most of the beats are, some performances flounder, like “Earth-2,” where its potency isn’t as strong as others. It’s the same with “Full English,” where the Teezo Touchdown feature does little to elevate the overly simplified flex of having a bad bitch. These minor quibbles and stumbles aren’t as much deterrents but more modest disappointments that you’ll want to skip on replays, but if you forget to do so, it won’t be the worst thing. Co-Produced by Paris Texas, they bring along some fascinating producers to round out the aesthetic. With names like Matt Cohn (Dawn FM), Rodaidh McDonald (produced for Sampha & The xx), and Romil Hemnani from BROCKHAMPTON, to name a few, and their presence, like Cohn’s work with William J Sullivan (producer for Kid Cudi) and Dillip, show from the melodic tones building the atmosphere with each instrument.
I won’t deny saying this: it’s now in my top 5 album of 2023. It’s refreshing and new, paving the way for listeners to indulge in new sounds that stray from the trendy Drill and Trap Rap we hear. Nothing against the sub-genres, but considering how these emerging artists aim for a pop hit, Paris Texas does the opposite. The music is fantastic and fluid; going to see a lot, and I mean a lot of replays from me.
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