September 2008 Archive |
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Shwayze
Shwayze
By Joe Walker
These SoCal dumb asses blatantly cop the reggae/punk/hip-hop style that groups such as Sublime (and then, to a lesser degree, Sugar Ray) made synonymous with California beach culture over a decade ago. Sublime wasn’t particularly deep when it came to lyrics and such but at least frontman Bradley Nowell lived the life he sang about (and met a tragic end as a result). These guys (rapper Shwayze and producer-singer Cisco Adler) churn out one catchy, vapid number after another, covering topics such as boozing (“Corona and Lime”) and remembering the chicks they’ve nailed (“Polaroid”). They channel everything from Jack Johnson’s laid-back mannerisms (“Lazy Days”) to Beck’s grab bag approach (“James Brown is Dead”) and Sugar Ray’s radio friendliness (“Buzzin’”). None of it sounds particularly inspired or genuine, perhaps because these Malibu youngsters have simply turned their Entourage-like lifestyles directly over to the record-label marketing department. Seems to be working, too, as the guys now have an MTV reality show to their credit, too.
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