Atlanta duo Intellekt & Dirty Digits have a lot of fun on this record. Unlike the forced good-time vibe of an Ugly Duckling outing, these newcomers convey relaxed happy-to-be-here buoyancy. Property, slightly overlong at 14 tracks but thankfully short on skits, is a comfortable exercise in familiarity and chumminess that plays like that old vinyl you can always count on to lighten the mood. The chronic-inspired storytelling of “On My Day Off” brilliantly integrates guests Sol.illaquists of Sound into the narrative as mischievous antagonists. MC Intellekt carries a graceful charisma that harks back to Slimkid in his Pharcyde days, especially on the expat adventure “Tale of Two Cities.” DJ Dirty Digits is a real find, and his inventive, playful dynamics behind the boards sometimes threaten to overshadow his frontman, but most great beat-makers do in their early experiments. Digits’ work on the shadowy, gothic “Sidetracks” and the noir-rock burglary tale “Violated” save the album from humdrum frat-rap classification. This is simply some of the most creative work to come out of the independent scene this year.

On 9/13/2006 11:51:47 AM, Anonymous said: