On this dance-heavy debut,
the Constellations attempt to do for Atlanta what
Beck once did for Los Angles -- that is, give voice to a city’s cultural makeup by paying special attention to its funkier side. Atlanta has already been chronicled by everyone from
Butch Walker to
Big Boi, but
the Constellations take their own approach, hewing close to a brand of psychedelic hip-hop that makes room for electronica, cabaret, and pop. Overseeing the musical melting pot is vocalist Elijah Jones, who raps with a casual, world-weary cadence and sings in a competent baritone. Backed by
Animal Collective producer Ben Allen and multi-instrumentalist
Devin Donnelly -- not to mention guest rappers like Cee-Lo, who trades verses during “Love Is a Murder” -- Jones sketches a broad picture of a city filled with neon, sex, late-night revelers, and last calls. Some songs could be applied to any metropolis, but the band gets specific during tunes like “Setback,” where space-age synths underscore lyrics of street violence, and “Stand Right Up,” which turns a
Tom Waits sample into a play-by-play beat poem of Atlanta’s seedy nightlife. ~ Andrew Leahey