Will Palmer ‘21
Special Projects Editor
I’ve never written a music review before, apart from my blog series on Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, so I went on over to Pitchfork to see how the professionals do it. Turns out all you need is a thesaurus, self-confidence, and, ideally, ears. I’ve got two out of the three, so things should work out fine. Let me get myself another delicious malt beverage and we’ll get started.
Alright, I’m back. Do you ever think about how many beers you’ve had in your life? Like, total? Because I just did, and I sincerely wish I hadn’t. I didn’t recycle more than 20% of those bottles.
Yikes.
The lesson I’m taking from this is that I should switch to liquor, and probably also get my liver checked out.
Where was I? Ah, right. Crushing this word count. Did you guys know that Beluga whales can understand sign language? I have no idea if that’s true or not, but it’s plausible. Making up facts is fun. That’s why so many members of Congress do it.
Moving on. Before I got distracted with whale facts (as one is wont to do), I was introducing my review of The Justice System’s Break Beats E.P., released on February 1st of this year. I’m sure the members of the group are extremely pleased that I spent 200 words rambling about classical opera cycles and glass recycling before I got to talking about their album. That’s my bad. I’m like Mozart with a piano: Sometimes, I just gotta play. Or maybe that was Beethoven. You know what I mean.
Break Beats follows in the footsteps of Pardon Our Execution, released in October 2020. Beats effectively builds upon the foundation laid in Pardon, presenting a mix of social critiques and ruminations on life as a modern law student. While much of the commentary found in the E.P. is presented in the guise of comedy, the lyrics have an insightful, raw edge that seizes the listener’s attention and refuses to let go.
A cursory Google search informed me that the doctrine of fair use permits the use of copyrighted material as a vehicle for criticism or commentary to the public, which is pretty legit. Looks like the cats in TJS are safe from the long, uh, arm of the law–for this, at least.
I should note that the Break Beats E.P. may not be appropriate for all audiences; those of a certain political persuasion may get their proverbial undergarments in a twist (particularly regarding the mildly incendiary lyrics of Revenge on the Red Bench). If you listen to the Break Beats E.P. and begin to feel defensive, immediately go to the nearest phone and call the whambulance. Tipper Gore will be there in minutes.
Jet Setting and J Termin’ sets a relaxed tone that makes the E.P. easy to sink into–it’s the type of song you’d put on and catch yourself bobbing your head to while driving. The rapport between Promissory Illstoppel and 12(b)(6) creates a playful back-and-forth that adds to the immersive nature of the track; the listener almost feels like they’re in a conversation with the artists.
Revenge on the Red Bench is sure to be the most hotly-debated Justice System track to date. I won’t spoil any of the song’s hilarious and hard-hitting critiques, but rest assured that it’s not something you’d want your Trump-supporting uncle to listen to. Unless you want to fight him.
The third track, Post-Finals Wine, shifts gears to present a more melancholic reflection on end-of-finals emotional ennui. It’s a song that’s both relatable and an excellent thematic counterbalance to the comical sensibilities of Jet Setting and Ten Rules of Zoom School.
Ten Rules of Zoom School rounds out the E.P. with a return to TJS’ roots in law-school-centric satire. I quite enjoyed it–in fact, I’ve played it more than any other track on the album save Revenge – but your mileage may vary depending on your fondness for remote learning and/or the Notorious B.I.G.
I guess I’m a music critic now, so here are my (limited) criticisms. I think that Jet Setting could have used a shorter intro, given that it already follows a disclaimer track. While I’d never claim to be an expert, I did think that there were some occasional issues with sound mixing, which made a few lines difficult to understand. I find this to be entirely forgivable, though, given that TJS produced the album remotely over winter break during a pandemic. There are one or two lines from the E.P. that I can think of wherein the expression of the song’s message came at the detriment of a consistent lyrical flow–but the punchlines hit so well that I barely noticed (and I’m writing a review of the thing).
I’m pleased to say that the Break Beats E.P. is well worth a listen. It succeeds not only as an entertaining rap album, but also as a vehicle for meaningful discussion and contemplation of real issues, both societal and personal.
The Justice System is dedicated to making the Break Beats E.P. totally free—send a DM to @the.justice.system on Instagram to get a copy of your own.
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wtp7bq@virginia.edu