Hem You Up Like Jeans

Cadence Weapon “Loft Party”

Rollie Pemberton is a very strong storyteller, and he excels when he sketches out social scenes in urban Canada that are, to American listeners at least, familiar but just a bit off from usual expectations. The second verse of “Loft Party” is exceptional, starting with rather mundane details before taking a turn into explaining a convoluted sting operation by vice cops hoping to break up illegal parties. At first I thought the chorus of this song was a little uninspired and a bit of a drag on the track, but then I realized that Pemberton’s sort of flat, vaguely defeated tone is perfectly on message for a song about the sort of hassles you often have to go through to create some cheap nightlife on your own terms.

Visit the Cadence Weapon website.