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With their second CD, Eric Mire and his band arebreaking some ground, as the Milwaukeerapper/singer puts a bass-riddled take on folk, alt soul, hip-hop, funk andcool jazz. The themes of love, socioeconomic struggle and politics may besimilar to the Michael Franti/Spearhead and Arrested Development CDs in yourcollection, but Mire sounds genuinely empathetic with heart to spare.
Mire’s overall vibe is coffeehouse, but not so muchso that he’s averse to getting booties moving. Aided by rhymes from label mateMelissa Czarnik and Joshua the Scribe, and including glockenspiel and clarinetamong his instrumentation, Mire occupies a unique space in the city’s musicscene and the hip-hop nation overall. The bass does overpower the mix at times,and there’s room for some spit ’n’ polish, but Mire's aesthetic vision ismighty clear.
