King Vision melds rock anthem aspirations with a heavily synth-soaked hip-hop vibe and essentially defines "serious fun". Quick lyrics, a wide variety of tempos, and huge array of jams splash more color Grand Buffet's guy-on-the-street mythos.
From the opening buzz and flow of "Born in the USA", King Vision is whirlwind of effects and rhymes that cleverly mix humor with underground posturing and arena-sized ambitions. "Overcoming" is a more serious, metallic bounce while "Casting Shadows" is a tricked-out rock track driven by a punchdrunk snare. The variety continues on with the quiet hip-hop of "Seek To Know" and electronic minimalism of "Drones". Grand Buffet throw in all sorts of humor, too, within the super-synth sound – like how "Tiny Vacation" ends on "I like pussy/How 'bout you?". They've mastered their art of mixing stereo-blasting entertainment with good-natured atmosphere.
While King Vision features a lot of new age electronics mixed with street beats, and it's done with a looseness that defines the duo. It's appealing on several levels, and their energy is the most vital facet. The album's lovable and dangerous, and comes off as inventive while being 2008's first good house party soundtrack.
MP3 Stream: "Born in the USA"
