Grayskul/Bloody Radio

Grayskul’s Deadlivers debut dragged heads lobe-first through the sort of psychotic trenches and latent boogeyman paranoia that only two gloomily sophisticated Seattle rap purists could possibly conjure.  Their follow-up, Bloody Radio, is equally dark and graphic, but decidedly less figurative.  JFK and Onry’s capes come off on the introductory “Virginia N.M.2,” leaving them to pillage on as civilians.  Familiar frantic mandolins and gypsy twinkles surface through the crack list, and the lexicon remains advanced (“Religion is gangbanging and fighting over which God to blame”), but most cuts here are more Frank White than Frank Zappa.  Likewise; drunken space motifs and demented chipmunk soul blips still linger, but lyrical sprints such as “Bloody Radio” bumrush “DJs with crates full of shit” instead of cruising over heads.  The winning moment is “The Office” with Aesop Rock and Slug, the latter of whom we can thank for greenlighting this triumphant sequel despite Grayskul’s not reaping half the stacks that Brother Ali, Atmosphere or even Eyedea pull in.  The fact that they’re continuing to allow JFK and Onry to pump murky blood beneath hip-hop’s skin is a testament to Rhymesayers label head Siddiq’s commitment to dropping kind products – even when teenage chicks and indie rock reporters don’t finger themselves silly over said products.