Injury Reserve Doesn't Give Enough Interest To Carry "Floss"

Hip-hop has had some trouble lately keeping our interest. Injury Reserve has some momentum carried out throughout their sophomore release Floss, but it largely comes as another record that fails to carry enough interest throughout it.

It starts off on a good note. 'Oh Shit!!!,' while a bit jarring in vocal delivery, has a very memorable instrumental and overall a great sound that carries it. The sweet piano loop that repeats gives it a sense of integrity, even though the song's upfront nature contrasts it. It's dark and sweeping, but its contrast really makes it noteworthy. The album also comes with a bunch of other smaller moments that are interesting, the eastern vibes of 'Girl With The Gold Wrist' being one such an example. The hook and instrumental are very catchy, and the guitar melodies are also nice.

Outside of that, the album remains pretty bland. There are only certain artists that can really own the "lazy" flow, and unfortunately Injury Reserve isn't one of them. Listening to 'All Quiet On The West Side' offers a calmer experience that just isn't characteristic of Injury Reserve, and it should never be. This group thrives off of energy, not subtlety. The slow moving track just isn't at all memorable and feels not only lethargic in mood but also lazy in content. 'Eeny Meenie Miny Moe' follows up with a bit more drive that definitely leaves a more lasting mark, but still feels a bit lazy content-wise.

There are even some more energetic moments that are pretty lacking. 'Bad Boys 3' feels too safe and standard, the sample too reminiscent of hip-hop songs that came before it without many new ideas to offer. 'S On Ya Chest' had a lot of potential, as heard in the dreamy and otherwise fantastic instrumental, but the entire ending just brings the song down. If that voice went on for twenty to thirty seconds, okay, it's still a solid track. An entire minute though? That's a bit excessive. 

Injury Reserve almost hit the mark. Floss doesn't have enough interest to carry it all the way through, while offering some promising ideas. The group tried a bit too hard to break the mold, even if they weren't quite ready. Floss shows that the potential exists, though; perhaps the revolution is yet to come.

Favorite Tracks: Oh Shit!!!, Girl With The Gold Wrist

Least Favorite Tracks: 2016 Interlude, All Quiet On The West Side

Rating: 65 / 100

Buy or listen to Floss here: