P.O.S. — right away his name pulls you in, expecting his alias to stand for Piece of Sh-t. In reality, he is referring to himself as "Promise of Skull," whatever that is supposed to mean. Once listeners get that factor out of the way and sit down to listen to the whole CD, they will find a myriad of intertwined lyrics with a fusion of hip-hop and punk rock that combines the energy of Guns ‘N' Roses and the backbone of the Midwest movement of Atmosphere.
In his sophomore album, Audition, the Minneapolis native speaks his mind and calls to action, commenting on themes from politics to pop culture. Predicted to be P.O.S.' first real attempt toward a successful album, Audition comes off as much more honest and personal, louder and more abrasive than his debut, Ipecac Neat.
For a preview of what is to come on the rest of the album, look no further than the track "Half Cocked Concepts," where he opens with intense rock beats supporting his "first of all f-ck Bush" lyric. He moves on to continue combining punk rock guitar riffs with hip-hop beats and his Midwest roots-inspired lyrics. This track pulls listeners in wondering what he is going to say next as he continues to flow and scream together, attempting to introduce his style.
Although this album has great potential, it never really develops. Audition is clearly a commendable example of fusing genres, but it seems that P.O.S. fails to tap into his full potential as an artist. His studio effort does not match the amplified energy of his live performances. When he rocked out Madison at the Orpheum in November, the entire audience felt his messages and energy. A perfect opener for Atmosphere, he did a great job. Unfortunately, his studio work lacks his live adrenaline, despite featuring his amazing combinations of polar beats.
Predicting that "no one will be like me" on the third track, "De La Souls," featuring Greg Attonito, P.O.S. reaches out to the misunderstood "generation of slaves." The usual angst-ridden audience is well spoken to as P.O.S. tries to figure out why things never "go how it should be." However, this track seems to be missing an ingredient — it never reaches an apogee, much like other tracks on this album. While he explores this theme to a certain extent, he never truly moves beyond a somewhat shallow use of personal, emotional lyricism.
One of the last songs on the album, "A Teddy Bear and A Tazer," continues P.O.S.' style of collaborating various aspects from different musical genres. The combination of saxophone, drums and mixers makes it one of his stronger tracks. His innovative lyrics shine through on this song as P.O.S. brings listeners with him, suggesting he needs to "Remember to breathe / get loud, let go / do what I want / do what I know."
Members of the Madison student body will probably pick up on this message — along with the resonating one of bashing Bush — after spending some time with Audition. Anyone looking to find something new in the music world would do well to pick up Audition, as it will open his/her ears to a new breed of music. And for anyone who doesn't love it, at the very least they might be interested to hear P.O.S. auditioning, reaching out in an attempt to see if Midwest love is returned.
Rating: 3 out of 5
