Certain slang terms are so dated that you can't hear them without being transported back to another era. The word "swell" immediately brings to mind the swing era, while "groovy" makes one think of the hippie subculture of the 1960s. And in hip-hop, the term "fresh" takes you back to the 1980s, an era when
Run-D.M.C.,
the Fat Boys, and
Whodini were on top and breakdancers were all over the streets of Manhattan and Philly as well as Hollywood. In the 1990s, the term "fresh" sounded quite dated and was seldom heard on rap recordings anymore, but
Ugly Duckling use it repeatedly on their debut mini-album,
Fresh Mode. The L.A. group made no secret of its dissatisfaction with much of the hardcore rap of the late '90s, and by saying "fresh" repeatedly,
Duckling were longing for what they saw as a more creative era in hip-hop. Comparable to alternative rappers like
De La Soul,
the Pharcyde,
the Jungle Brothers,
Digable Planets, and
A Tribe Called Quest,
Duckling favor a quirky, jazz-influenced approach on tunes like "Einstein's Takin' Off," "Now Who's Laughin'," and "Everything's Alright." The CD is full of references to 1980s and early-'90s rap hits, and
Duckling pay homage to everyone from
Run-D.M.C. and
Biz Markie to
Rob Base. The end result is a derivative and nostalgic effort, but a likable one nonetheless. ~ Alex Henderson