A hip hop act that cribs samples from Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, and Of Montreal might sound unconventional, and Restiform Bodies did not disappoint in that regard. The Oakland act brought some unique beats and lyrics to the Anticon/Ghostly International show case. But although David Bryant has undeniable lyrical skills, and Matt Valerio provided some great beats and drum machine work (George Chadwick---"synth, sample and effects slayer" was absent in physical form), but something about the act didn't seem quite right.
Bryant sounds good singing the choruses, and stepped off the stage to perform in the middle of the crowd, but as I began to doubt that his fronts and excesses weren't necessarily tongue in cheek, I increasingly disengaged. Bryant attempted to poke fun at himself in some stand-up/stage banter between songs, but his manner betrayed that fact that behind the enormous sunglasses, he didn't think there was anything funny about it.
And with lyrics like the following: "I done told you y'all hypocrites/ Ho's is just witches / with ring fingers that's hungry for gold," any inclination that these sentiments are being expressed in earnest is a bit disturbing. So, while the idea of a hip-hop Junior Boys is appealing, and the group's technical skills are readily evident, Restiform Bodies will probably not be the ones to bring the genre to the masses.
