★★★★★
It’s been four years since Spit Syndicate’s last LP release with Sunday Gentlemen, and for every classic, there’s always room for progression. Witnessing the growth of Jimmy Nice and Nick Lupi has been an incredibly rewarding experience for anyone who enjoys Aussie hip hop, which is why One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly is so unbelievably fitting to the tale of their journey, for all its heartfelt messages and complexities combined.
The production must also be heavily applauded. Individuals like Melbourne producer Styalz Fuego are on board for this, and Fuego’s hand is behind the party anthems ‘Know Better’ and ‘Inhibitions’, but the brilliance from maestros like Adit and Jono Graham has given way to Spit Syndicate delivering some of the most defining work they’ve ever created.
Witnessing the growth of Jimmy Nice and Nick Lupi has been an incredibly rewarding experience for anyone who enjoys Aussie hip hop.
Songs bend between style and genre in their own right, but standouts like ‘Mum’ are what shape this record to be a raw reflection of the gents maturing, in both music and their personal lives. A powerful Tupac-esque ode in ‘Dear Mama’ style is as bold as it is beautiful. ‘Hold On Me’ carries a pop influence that’s extremely well-delivered, while ‘Not In My Name’ is staunch in its social and political voice to balance things out.
Spit Syndicate have captured the essence of what it means to be musically free, and they’re so damn correct when it comes to crafting their art form. Just wonderful.
Spit Syndicate’s One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly is available now through One Day/Inertia.
