Civil Service
Urb Magazine (January Issue) - (4 Stars) The operative word here is balance. With three MC's from seemingly disparate backgrounds in spoken word, hip-hop and all things in between, Typical Cats - the trio of of Chicago MC's Qwel, Qwazaar, and Denizen Kane - might have easily yielded a train wreck of sound and wordage, as so many with similar ambitions have in the past. Instead, Civil Service is thoughtful and rounded, with straight forward, self-aware coffee house philosophizing and quality - but not overly sleek - producation by DJ Natural. This comes after a four-year hiatus to pursue solo careers; and while individual performances on the album stand out - Denizen Kane's solo spoken word piece "12th Story", for example, the natural sense of symmetry these three achieve together is far more rewarding. On "Easy Cause It Is," Qwel's eager cadence slides achingly between major and minor keys, relieved only by the velvety growl of Denizen Kane's baritone. And if both of the aforementioned group members excessively intellectualize about spirituality and psychology, Qwazaar is likely to reflect on things more tangible, disecting society and politics with poetic, street-level sensibility. --Urb MagazineChicago s Galapagos4 label relocated to Oakland last year and it seems that, stylistically, the Typical Cats aren t far behind. On their second full-length, the Windy City trio of Qwel, Qwazaar, and Denizen Kane expound spacey, sun-soaked philosophies over strutting, jazzy beats-a formula fit for the West Coast. The Midwest influence isn t lost on them-their flow suggests they were star pupils at the Slug School of Rapping. Smoky but unspectacular production, provided by the aptly-titled DJ Natural, augmented by a trio of live musicians, creates a comfortable cushion for this trio s clever verbal give-and-take, which would be at home anywhere. --Xlr8rChicago s TC crew bring social commentary, sly observations, and a bit of bragging in their raps. As with all the good crews, each emcee has a different strength, and they each have room to shine. Qwel is brash and excitable, Denizen Kane is cool and observant, and Qwazaar flows somewhere in between. Put them together and a strong team of lyricists emerges. DJ Natural kicks in solid soul-jazz-funk-inflected beats, and there are a few live instruments (guitar, keys, and bass) in the mix for added flavor. The bass, especially, ups the funk factor where it appears. Kid Knish provides scratch action. Early on, Easy Cause It Is? stands out as a major banger, and the CD ends on a high note with Before Before?, featuring a deep groove and possibly the record s best vocals from the three Cats. --Kfjc