Terpine Station is devoid of rap features with the only help being on a couple of hooks as Adlib, Split and Oksee handle the vast majority of lyrics. The chemistry between Adlib and Rob is even more fluid than before. The concept of the album is similar to the past collaborations of Adlib and Viking with an emphasis on synths and science fiction themes. I think this time around the production side still manages to be even more experimental this time than ever.
The album opens "Countdown Intro" We get some sampled dialogue about space exploration mixed around a sample from Space Oddity. It's a cool intro but I'm usually eager to get into the songs. It's definitely necessary for front to back listen but I usually turn the dial to get to the music fast.
The album really kicks off with the second cut "High!" produced by Rob The Viking. It's one of the more conventional loops from Viking with keyboards and drums throughout. If you've heard his production on the Swollen Members album Brand New Day, then you'll understand the comparison. The verses here are where the song really defies the convention. The verses are all split between the trio as they share bars across the whole track. It's a good song to set the tone of the group though. There great attitudes and chemistry from the three of them as they trade weed references. While I still favour some of the forthcoming songs, this is a good start.
"Landed" is one of my favourites. Rob Viking and MB PRO bring one of the better beats here. Science fiction themes are blended with distorted vocals to add an eerie flavour to this banger. The hi hats also pick up during the verses. I like the varied tempo of the beat with its tumbling bass hits and echoing claps. It's just a very well put together song with tons of quotable lines from all.
The album continues Level 13 and Rob The Viking producing "None Higher" a slower song in comparison to the first few. One of the more intricate beats with subtle pianos and abundant hi hats accompanying the drum loop. There's a great building up at the end of each verse before the hook drops too. The verses are serviceable enough because I mostly return to this song for the adlibs and chants in the chorus. Catchy stuff.
"Rabbit Hole" was an easy standout as well. There's such a nasty drum roll across this whole thing you'll be nodding your head right away. It's an anthem about LSD with vivid imagery across the three verses. I'm pretty sure the hook samples Alice In Wonderland too. I liked Oskee's flow "I'm almost at my peak/dancing with the stars, hear Orion speak" and the rest of the verse after that. "Rabbit Hole" stands out from the rest as the song structure is more conventional with all the verses and adlibs being handled by one MC at a time. It's also notable that this is one of the handful of songs with Rob producing the whole track.
The first song I wasn't crazy about was "Good". The song centers around the group rapping their lyrics to the same four syllables. Though impressive it grows tired to me. Also the beat Mike Hancho & Viking is simpler to maintain this writing style. Sparse drums and long bass lines keep this song chugging along and they play around with animating their voices on the hook. The song is still unique and would fit only with this album (and that's a good thing for the group to be so distinct) but, there are better joints on here.
"Quarter Pound" features another one of my favourite beats. Rob and Stress weave reggae samples and catchy drum breaks with swelling synths. There is good humor in each verse as the trio imagines all the fun they'd have with a quarter pound. I like the finishing line from Split about "weed syrup on [his] fucking flapjacks." This song could definitely lend itself to a music video as well. That is, if their still supporting this album like that. They might be too deep into the sophomore record already to bother though.
The album carries on with "Stoner Chick". It's one of the better concept records here with the group sharing tales of their medicated partners to some jazz instrumentals. You can still find wild synths between the bongos and brass sections that tie in with the sonic themes on the rest of the album.
After the last couple of more mellow cuts, the energy picks up on "Take Off". It's one of the shortest songs but, it's as long as it needs to be. The delivery from all three is more manic with shouting and chanting throughout. It's the album closest nod to Migos or maybe Metro Boomin. The synths and vocal distortion keep it from sounding too similar though.
The album takes a break with "Station Announcement". Our first vocal feature come from Jessica Lamb while she narrates the mythology of the Station. It's not the filler you might expect as the added backstory pays off with the closing track.
The song "Broccoli" is another song I'm frequently returning too. There's just really gentle instrumentation between the light snares and etheric synths. The verse are shared between the group and the distorted vocals on the hook sticks in your head. Ali Armz returns from previous projects for this beat with additional touches from Rob The Viking. The fade out is really gradual too which I like.
"H.O.E." Is actually an acronym for "high on everything". What's weird is that there's no misogyny on the rest of the album (not a single mention of "bitch", "whore" that I can remember hearing) so the title choices seems to stick out like a sore thumb, especially when what the letters stand for seems equally as serviceable as a title. The song begins with a clip from what sounds like some Twilight Zone dialogue but don't quote me. The rolling hi- hats accompany bellowing bass lines while the group runs through their intake and routine of consumption. It's more aggressive than the other songs that share similar lyrics like (Quarter Pound or Good), mixing distorted vocals with some of the craziest synthesizers on the whole record. They go back and forth with half a dozen bars each in the verses. The track really shines on the fade out with Rob The Viking twisting and turning the synths. I feels like a dub-step break almost.
"Hold That" is another great song backed by Big City and Rob The Viking (who paired up on the beat for "Stoner Chick" as well. Adlibs kills this hook. The keyboard in the background is pretty subtle behind the drums. Also, the screech that comes in every eight bars is sick. I think between his hook, bridges and his own verse Adlib takes the crown for this one. The transition into the last song is dope too.
The album finishes really strong with "Terpine Station" as they employ help from B3 The Shark on the guitar and hook. Electric guitar accompany slow drums. It's a great finisher as they recount tour stories, people they've met and the cities they've frequented. Like most of the record there's significant perspectives from all of them but, I'm feeling partial to Adlibs verse as he drops few lines about Edmonton that also elude to Brothers Grim. There's good metaphors across this song like, the word "road" to describe of course road trips between cities but also the direction they've all chosen for their lives. It's one of the songs that really drives home Adlibs tagline of having "Fam, not fans". The song is close to ten minutes long as the hook carries on and there a few beat switch ups. Its like an electric version of Czarfaces "Escape From Czarkham Asylum" with tempo switch-ups throughout. B3 closes the album with a pretty good chorus too. I like the vibrato over the vocals here it's cooler than a lot of the simple pitch changes from the rest of the record.
At the end of the day, this record really surprised me. I didn't expect anything like Primitive Tomorrow to happen again so soon and this album just dropped pretty spontaneously. The creative direction that both Adlib and Rob have been heading in is still getting better. I feel like I could handle even a few more albums of this psychedelic synth rap before it grows old. I still think there's plenty of content the group has left and I'm excited for the sophomore album.
Pros: Amazing production from Rob The Viking and others are the perfect playground for the Kamps imaginative lyrics. Even with this album having a splash of mainstream influence (trap loops, hi hats and the like) it still manages to feel distinct. I had a worry before hearing this album that Adlib would maybe be the star of the show (having the more decorated solo career beforehand) but, the three of them work off each other equally all throughout this thing. I didn't expect to enjoy a entire album of "drug rap" as much as I did. Even when the subject matter grows tired the album is still held up by the groups enthusiasm and chemistry. There's always a narrow victory over who dropped the dopest verse and the winner seems to rotate pretty consistently.
Cons: There's definitely songs that I'm not often in the mood for. Another weird gripe I had about this record was when the debut music video for "Stoner Chick" dropped there wasn't any footage of the group actually rapping. I actually didn't learn which voices belonged to who until more videos came out. I always recognized Adlib from his solo work but I wasn't sure who was Oskee and who was Split. It's strange hearing music these days and not having a video to reference which voice comes from who.
