Chock full of internet memes and current cultural references, Hoodie Allen comes across as a PG Mickey Avalon or Gym Class Heroes. Not that this is a bad thing, and granted, Hoodie Allen can spit way faster than Mickey chooses to. Their new mixtape – only called so due to their frequent sampling, all the rhymes are original – is great content for younger audiences or the young at heart.
My only beefs are that they unsuccessfully sample Marina & the Diamonds, but with a successful beat that ameliorates the awkward squeaking they warp Marina's voice into on "You Are Not a Robot." Samples of Death Cab for Cutie's "Transatlanticism" on "So Much Closer" emulate and jar in a way that feels like sacrilege to me – DCFC + Upbeat Rap = WTF? – but what can you do?
I do however dig "Look At What You Started," which has a great propelling rhythm that you can't help but contribute a head-bop to. You can download and stream the whole mixtape here, or download "Look At What You Stared" here if you're indecisive.