REVIEW: Murs & 9th Wonder - Brighter Daze

Even with nearly 20 years under his belt, Murs is showing no signs of slowing down.  Since 2010 he has managed to release an astounding ten albums, which means some years have seen Murs dropping more than one project within the same year. 2015 was one of those years as his solo album Have A Nice Life came in May, and on December 31st fans were blessed with another Murs & 9th Wonder collab in Brighter Daze.

Needless to say, the Strange Music representative has been shooting like he can't miss.  His longevity is equal parts solo projects and collaborations, all of which manage to be consistent and maintain the essence of what any pure Hip-hop head looks for in an album.  It's great to see an artist thrive without a deal from a major record label, and Murs seems comfortable with the lane he has paved for himself.

The problem with Brighter Days, if any, is the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate Murs' projects from one another. The Final Adventure, Murs' previous collab with 9th Wonder, sounds similar to Brighter Daze, which resembles Murs' last solo project Have A Nice Life...so on and so forth.  Being that every project exemplifies Hip-hop in its purest, this isn't necessarily a horrible thing.  But there is something to be said for the art of surprise.  In most cases, not knowing what you are getting from a new album keeps anticipation high.  Instead Murs tends to focus on overall listenability with Brighter Daze.  Smooth crooner tracks like "Lover Murs" and "Get Naked," albeit brief, help shake up the monotony while the Rapsody-assisted "Walk Like A God" and "No Shots" with Mac Miller stand out as the only songs that feel modern amidst the boom-bap heard throughout the rest of the album.

It's hard to go wrong when Murs & 9th Wonder link up.  They are undoubtedly one of the most infallible duos in Hip-hop, and being that 2012's The Final Adventure clearly wasn't their last ride, we should expect more stellar collaborations between these two for years to come.

 

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