First of all, let me say that this album has been a long time coming. Delta has been around the traps in Adelaide for a long time now, and his first full length has been one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of recent times. Not only for those of us who reside in the city of churches, but also around the rest of the country - thanks in no small part to some strong appearances on compilations, guest spots, formidable freestyle skills and a solid debut on wax with the Paperweight EP. But the problem with building up a lot of hype is that it can create a level of expectations that are not easy to meet. So can Delta live up to his rep?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is found in listening through this album, which is not just a CD with "some hip hop on it" like a lot of other albums being released, this one is a labour of love. The first time i sat down and really paid attention to this, i could hear that a lot of effort had gone into getting it right. All the verses are flawlessly delivered, the mixing is spot on, the cuts are great and the overall production is very polished. There are perhaps 2 instances where i thought that something sounded out of place. The first is 'Thats my word'. Which on a couple of stereo's i've tried, sounds a bit less 'clean' than everything else. No doubt due to the rough drum sample. This isn't such a bad thing - it just sticks out a bit. The second is "The Rut" - which is a remnant of the paperweight EP that has made it onto the album. In my opinion, it probably shouldn't have made the transition - the double layered verse sticks out like dogs nuts. Its still a good track - but perhaps not to the extent of some of the other tracks on this album. Both are minor criticisms however, and who really cares if something is a little different sounding to the rest. I only bring it up because i made the point of how polished the rest of the album is.
But before you think i've been paid some money for this review, i do have to say that not everything on this album blows my skirt up. "The greater good" for example. The soul singing and candy love song beat fails to impress. The guest spot from Mojo the cinematic is standard fair, although delt's verses are tight. The song then ends with a minute of shout outs - which always sucks. By this time you should be skipping to the next song (which is incredible, but back to that later). The posse track at the end is a bit disappointing too. Not particularly bad, but you would think that a posse cut from Delta, Trem, Motions and Prowla would be the absolute stand out of the album. The beat lets this track down IMO, its just boring. If prowla had gone nuts with the turntables in it i might like it a bit more, but cuts are completely absent. Trem drops a fairly standard verse, and Prowla doesn't do anything particularly inspiring either. Motions is the real highlight of this track - look out for him in the future.
Now for the real bangers. The title track, The Lostralian, opens the album well, and explains Delta's position nicely with lines like "I knew knowledge is king so i searched the map / call me nerd rap if you think earth is flat". Thats my word is next, and despite my previous note about it sounding a bit messy - its a banging track. That drum break is lovely. One less gun is a call to common sense to those fronting about their firearms. Delts drops knowledge like "A rhyme about a gun aint as dangerous / As a kid holding one feeling aimlessness". Skinnyman is along to help spread the message to stop the gun talk, and the beat is fresh to boot. Heat Haze is incredible, i love the beat - and the verses are fresh.
Mark B's production fits Delta like a glove, and is solid for most of the album. The only exceptions being the 2 tracks i mentioned previously - which, to be fair, are not badly produced - i just dont like the beats. So its a bit of an 'each to their own' thing.
Also worthy of note, are Mr. Thing's cuts. I had no idea he was even on this album - but hearing the cuts had me searching through the booklet to find out who did them. Very tight as you would expect from such an accomplished DJ.
Verdict: This is Banging - Pick it up.
