Atmospheric sound-design and songwriting unconfined by genre – multi-faceted creative Son and Po is an intense and thoughtful modern artist, with a chaotic fusion of political rap, rock and introspective indie to his sound.
This year, Son and Po released the heavily conceptual fourteen tracks of Imaginary, within which a plethora of eclectic stories and styles poured through the airwaves.
From hip hop and electro-pop to punk, funk, rock and everything in between, the album has the feel of a homemade, authentic indie project, with a performative freedom and distorted overtone that blends soulful intention and sheer rhythmic grit.
Imaginary is the opener, intense and outspoken, directly addressing a significant character, while Power to the Elites! later brings slick guitar riffs, thick basslines, and snappy rap/indie vocals, which feel like a super-charged ode to post-punk’s integrity and expression. This track is infectious, dynamic, conceptually provocative, and feels like the perfect representation of the Imaginary realm.
Elsewhere the project welcomes equally intriguing titles and stories, amidst sometimes ethereal keys and lo-fi grooves that completely soften the blow. Slavery is a fine example, holding nothing back and adhering to that same free-flowing vocal style that’s become synonymous with the Son and Po sound. Noting tens of thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify alone, this approach is clearly connecting.
Next we get something of a grunge-pop dose of fireside contemplation, for the raw and unfiltered rise and fall of Wonder Why – a song that later finds its passion amidst a progressive rock outro of pure distortion and instrumental adlib.
After this, expect colourful funky alternative vibes, for the sometimes satisfying, otherwise unorthodox guitar patterns and production of a sincere and outlandish Give Up. The lyrics here are gripping, poignant and confronting, and this suits the quirky and rather simple lo-fi sound-design underneath.
Finally, one last highlight from the Imaginary album, Force It takes influence from the emo-rap and modern hip hop realm stylistically, auto-tuned vocals blending hip hop and melody amidst a laid-back electronic arrangement that’s intimate and ethereal, even aptly dreamlike – perfectly in keeping with the overall Imaginary aura.
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