From the perspective of enjoyable, diverse hip-hop music, L.A. duo Audio Push’s new album, Cloud 909 is a quality collective of tracks varied enough to turn to in a wide range of situations. But from the perspective of a fan looking for a cohesive, defining project, Cloud 909 is a sloppy, unorganized mess of tracks being pulled in different directions and boasting very few commonalities vocally, lyrically, or thematically.

 

Though the music has some signatures of industry veterans – smooth, West Coast production and an impressive range of flows, a listen to the 18-song dual-disc feels more like a playlist comprised of up-and-coming artists with similar influences than it does the latest album from a couple of artists long overdue for a breakout.

 

Not sure what to make of it, but it’s definitely not an exhibition of what Audio Push is capable of. For that, I suppose we’ll have to keep waiting.