Underground Canopy sets up shop amongst jazz, electronic and hip-hop. The jazz instrumentation and electronic production feel create a solid palette, while the hip-hop construction set gives these songs a structure. The band brings this all alive.

Underground Canopy Bluestaeb and S. Fidelity Present Underground Canopy (Menace)

I'm not entirely sure where the band ends and the production (by Bluestaeb and S. Fidelity) begins. It is not at all clear to me how these songs might be approached live. There's a bit of cut-and-paste pastiche that probably can't be easily replicated, and the sonic shading here would be almost impossible to reproduce live without a full-time mixer at a separate board.

Of course, some bands do that. I think Underground Canopy is a little more basic, even though there are some wonderful flights of fancy here. With the exception of an album-ending jam, the songs here are short and manageable. That's the hip-hop talking.

The chill vibe and general adventurous style are all UC. I don't have the first clue where this quintet goes next, but this first foray is most refreshing.

Jon Worley