If
the Cool Kids sound like the cool collision of
De La Soul and
the Neptunes, crew member Chuck Inglish (aka Evan Ingersoll) proves he's the best bits of Pharrell Williams and
Posdnuos mixed together on this solo debut, spewing off wonderfully weird rhymes over alt-rap productions he expertly brewed himself and that borrow from outside genres, up to and including electro. In this case,
Chromeo is his
Daft Punk as they bring a "Get Lucky"-like groove to the neo-disco workout "Legs," while anyone familiar with
Kavinsky,
Giorgio Moroder, or '90s video game music will be at home with the slick nocturnal tones of "Swervin'," a nighttime highlight that could help join
Schoolly D and
Three 6 Mafia in any given DJ set. Despite its title, "Shitty Lullaby" is a funky, motivational number that quotes
Parliament-
Funkadelic while beefing up listeners with "drive a salt truck through it!," but the required amount of hip-hop anchors are here as well, like the thumping Shadyville sound of "Came Thru/Easily" with
Ab-Soul and
Mac Miller. Barking brute
Action Bronson turns up for "Gametime" and the track is the claustrophobic blast of soul that's expected, and then there's the massive posse cut "Money Clip" with
Vic Mensa, Retch,
Hassani Kwess, and
Sulaiman, which is one part
Run-D.M.C. and one part
A Tribe Called Quest. If there's a complaint to be made, it's that
Convertibles is lightweight when it comes to subject matter, and with the whole whirlwind of influences flying about, the album could be taken as a slick showoff session, but these party songs stick to the bones. Skillfully strung together by ringleader Inglish, these flights of fancy turn into a substantial party album with plenty of fun and flash, so think of a more indie Pharrell or a modern ride through the
Pharcyde because
Convertibles is that kind of awesome.
