A decade holds a lot of significance when you're an independent record label, self-funded and self-run. For one, it means you're doing something right. More importantly though, it means you have the talent to back up the perseverance. It's a reason for celebration. Peanuts & Corn have chosen to celebrate their 10th anniversary by releasing a follow-up to their first ever release, an album by Farm Fresh. Consisting of CEO Mcenroe, Pip Skid, and DJ Hunnicut, Farm Fresh trekked back to their hometown of Brandon, Manitoba (hip-hop Mecca) to rekindle the old amateur flame, goof off, and get nostalgic on us.
Like most Peanuts & Corn records, the songs are topic-driven. Most times, they're quirky and subdued, speaking for all the guys in the world who "feel out of place on a university campus." The trio sheds this expectation a bit on the title track. An ominous piano sample sets the stage for Mcenroe and Pip to get riled up. It's an example of those humble Peanuts & Corn fellas losing their complacency. They appear fed up. This anger carries over into "Sucker," where Mcenroe and Pip once again vent their frustrations concerning a variety of suckers. Their targets range from neo-hippies to sell-outs to modern-day white performers to any other hyphenated misfits that I failed to mention. This is a welcome departure from the camp. They deserve all they've gotten, and in actuality, deserve much more. The entire album has this subtle bitterness. They know they don't necessarily get the recognition they've earned. Ten years into the business, and they're showing a few signs of disappointment, but they press on.
The production, handled by Mcenroe and DJ Hunnicut (who also provides a healthy amount of worthy cuts, as one would expect from his pseudonym) is the typical P&C sound. Sometimes the drums sound like chopped and programmed maracas, but overall the production is up to par with their past efforts. The samples Mcenroe chooses don't simply provide the beat with an appropriate loop, but build an ambiance. The nostalgia expressed on the album is supported by this ambiance and the final result is nothing less than endearing.
1. Beat Box
2. Limelight
3. Frail Dale
4. Fresh As That
5. Time Is Running Out
6. Can't Take It Anymore
7. 30 In The Club
8. Downtown
9. Read All About It
10. Sucker
11. Politicin'
12. My Ex-Girl
13. Space Pt. 5
More about: Farm Fresh
