Subtle - For Hero: For Fool (Lex)

Underneath all of the “hyphy” crap that’s so “hella” cool these days, the Bay Area has somehow spawned a unique and challenging underground hip hop scene. And though there are certainly a number of high-minded emcees and crafty producers, nobody better embodies the Bay Area scene than Subtle, an Oakland six-piece fond of layered keyboards, fuzzy guitars and off-kilter beats. On For Hero: For Fool, their second full-length, Subtle refines their sound with more abstract flows, tighter instrumentation and catchier hooks. At their best (“A Tale of Apes I,” “The Mercury Craze”), the band is able to successfully craft music that somehow touches upon electronica, hip hop and rock without seeming like just a poorly planned mix tape. And despite a few missteps, For Hero: For Fool is cohesive and solid, full of sweeping musical arcs that almost always seem to come together. But even with its schizophrenic style, this is undoubtedly hip hop. Yes, it may be subversive and intellectual, but it’s closer to the true spirit of the genre than E-40 or Keak Da Sneak could ever even hope to be.

- Miles Clements