Auzzeus: “Sound of Suburbia” – the creativity and subtlety never wavers

Auzzeus is a rapper and singer hailing from just south of Seattle. As a child he participated in select choirs, including Virginia Honors Choir and Lutheran Choir, before he started rapping when he was 20. Auzzeus admires other artists such as Travis Scott, Iamsu and Sam Lachow, and pins his style on his idols, Drake, E-40 and Eminem. Spearheading a movement in the Pacific Northwest, Auzzeus says he won’t stop until everyone knows his name. Whether or not Auzzeus’ “Sound of Suburbia” is your cup of tea, the craftsmanship that went into the record is undeniable.

The instrumentals are massive, moody, and orchestral and on many tracks they even undergo several permutations. Auzzeus, despite being an engaging MC, also has a good singing voice, so you’ll hear quality verses and more importantly shiny hook duty.

Auzzeus breathes life into the opening track “S.O.S”, and the bombastic vocal effects feel like a pointed and purposeful shift from the synth swirl that populates most of the song. “Sound of Suburbia” immediately swings into a kaleidoscope of early singing meets lithe, airy trap melodies on “DJ Play (Ft. Aeron Watson)”. Simply put, Auzzeus is a talented masquerader, shifting visages accordingly between E-40’s spastic wordplay, Eminem’s aggression, and Drake’s vulnerable ruminations.

Auzzeus echoes a vibe similar to Future – his rhymes are soaked in vocal filters and laced with trap-influenced beats and lyrics very much following suit. It is easy to see that Auzzeus is doing much to ascend his contemporaries, and he knows exactly what he does well.

Tracks like “Red Cup Vaccine (Ft. Jack Demo)” and “Luv U Like I” magnifies such a sentiment with purposed production and a reasonable amount of brilliance to boot. “Motions” slices through an urban edged melody and a heavy dose of bass to create a playground for Auzzeus to slather his constantly fluxing vocal styles.

While the minimally produced “Weekend Warrior (Ft. Jack Demo)” focuses more on the lyrical delivery and seemingly effortless flow. Auzzeus’ vocal deliveries and his inclusion of complementary guest spots bolster the direction of what he has worked to create on this record.

While it is easy to point out the strengths of this album with such broad strokes, it is almost just as easy to acknowledge where the album soars. For one, Auzzeus’ vocals and lyricism is aimed at the masses, and his storytelling is often extremely interesting.

I guess for a recording of this nature, it could be chalked up to just coming with the territory, but Auzzeus’ creativity and subtlety never wavers and leaves us satisfied with whatever vibe this record aims to create from track to track.

To be perfectly honest, there are times when it is incredibly easy to get lost in this record. “Sound of Suburbia” is surely a step in the right direction for Auzzeus as he seeks to continue to build his legacy as an artist, building on his ear for accentuating beats through solid vocal structuring.

And while there is still room for growth, he already seems to hit in all the right places for rap fans and curious casuals alike. Furthermore the production, mixing and mastering by Corey Hallenback, is nothing short of superb.

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