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The last time I reviewed nerdcore rapper Dr. Awkward was three years ago and he didn't even get his own article. Since that review of his Unlimited LP, he's been a busy little rapper. He's been touring on the west coast and recording EP's. While I don't usually devote much space to reviewing EP's, this is the second exception in a month (the Grammar Club release Bioavailable being the other) that I'm making - because Dr. Awkward's latest EP Boy Without a Fairy is just that deserving.
For fans of the game, or for any fan of proper hip-hop, you didn't know you needed a rap soundtrack to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time until this album was constructed. The story follows Link as he is awakened by the Navi, visits the Great Deku Tree, goes to Hyrule Castle and grows up way too quickly - the song "Forced to be More" covers this ascension into manhood before Link's time was due. Then of course Link goes on to find the Triforce and defeat Gandondorf. If you remember playing this game on the Nintendo 64 then you know the story and all the bits that I'm leaving out. The eight tracks on the EP cover the story, from Link getting his fairy, his courage and saving Zelda from the castle.
The one song that kind of breaks from the story, but still carries it along at the same time is "Formulaic". We all make jokes about the consistency of the structure of these kinds of games. Doc lays it out in the chorus of the song:
1. Bad guy kidnaps a princess
2. Princess is kept in a castle
3. Hero arrives for the princess
4. Turns into big 'ol fiasco
We can't deny that many game follow this formula, which makes this song so enjoyable. Plus, like all the tracks on the album, the mixing and samples that Dr. Awkward has chosen do well to emphasize his vocals, which are the highlight of any song he's rapping on.
This EP is not as energetic and aggressive as say, The Expansion Pack EP. Dr. Awkward is at his best when he is attacking the lyrics with high octane, sweat inducing verbal assault. Yet, even though the Boy Without a Fairy EP is a bit toned down in that sense, it comes together stronger than I'd expect without that aggression. This EP tells a story, and in that it feels a bit more relaxed and whimsical while rotating through a gambit of emotions from loneliness to heroism. So the tone has to change to carve out each piece of the story, and it does. Doc does a fantastic job of transitioning you from track to track til the bittersweet ending.
That's literal. The EP ends with the track "Bittersweet" which laments the fact that Link will eventually have to do this all over again - and again. It's really an allegory for life. You work hard saving the princess (or prince) from the Castle and the clutches of some evil punk half Godzilla looking thing only to have to do it all over again the next day. That's pretty much what working in an office, or anywhere actually, is like. Though I can say that landscaping didn't feel like I had to rescue anyone besides myself.
Coming in at only 20 minutes, this EP will most likely be on heavy rotation. Regardless of the true subject matter, the themes are universal and felt no matter how many castles you have to storm in life. Dr. Awkward is like a stinky cheese, his raps improve with time and will make you have facial expressions of awesomeness.
"Ocarina of Time is and always will be the greatest action-adventure game ever made." Doc says via email about the game that changed his life forever. "It was the game that represented the best parts of our childhoods; friendship, love, and adventure. As that nerdy kid growing up, Link was the unlikely hero that you always hoped you would be. The underdog, everyone loves the underdog."
You can get Boy Without a Fairy now at Drawkward.com. It's name your own price, but you know the drill - support independent artists and make a donation.
