I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. What can I say, it’s taken some time for me to decide what to make of Afterparty Babies, the sophomore album from venerable Edmonton MC Cadence Weapon.

His heralded 2006 debut, Breaking Kayfabe, pretty much swooped in and became the party record for all my friends, but I’ve heard rumblings of dissent when it comes to this latest release. Of course, when probed for an explanation as to why they don’t like the album people start to admit that they haven’t actually listened to it, but heard it was “weird.” Granted, it is slightly unorthodox in places—especially for those expecting a straight-up hip hop album—but I bet a lot of people dismissed Afterparty Babies prematurely. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if some didn’t get passed the first track, “Do I Miss My Friends?,” with it’s layered doo-wop accompaniment.

That said, if you ask me, Afterparty Babies is an excellent party record in its own right, as it’s full of frenetically layered tracks that will get people moving. “In Search of the Youth Crew,” for instance, is a frantic and driven head-knocker (previously featured here), and listening to “House Music,” complete with “Bombs Over Baghdad”–esque rhythm, induces immediate bodily gyrations. In fact, the entire album shows an admirably diverse array of grooves that would be the perfect soundtrack to keep your party from stagnating. If the harried pace of the above tracks isn’t what you’re after, maybe the playful soul-vibe of “Real Estate” is more your speed—incidentally, this song is also an excellent showcase of Cadence Weapon’s smooth flow during the verses. I’m also a sucker for the little touches, like the Nintendo-style underpinnings of “Limited Edition OJ Slammer.”

Is it a flawless release? No. Personally I get put off by the lower pitch vocal overdubs (as on “Getting Dumb”, and most prevalent during the chorus to “Real Estate”). I also fear that this is the sort of release that will fall through some cracks, as It’s easy to see Afterparty Babies being too “weird” for casual hip hop fans. Though it’d be a real shame if people write this album off without giving it a chance, as it’s a cocksure and engaging release from a real talent that ought to be cranked for a capacity crowd.

Basically, as I said at the outset, it took me a while to decide what to make of Cadence Weapon’s latest, but in the end I realized that didn’t matter in the least, as I couldn’t stop listening to Afterparty Babies either way.

(see Hero Hill’s review of this album for another take, as those guys are a bit more tuned into the hip hop scene than yours truly).

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Cadence Weapon - House Music

Check out his Myspace page to hear a few more tunes as well as to peruse his current tour schedule. Those of us in the Toronto area will be pleased to know that Cadence Weapon is playing the Danforth Music Hall on April 25 with Buck 65 and Skratch Bastid. In the meantime, grab a digital copy of Afterparty Babies here.