A Birmingham, Alabama artist who took to music later in life, Sneak EPTX is working hard to prove that old dogs can learn new tricks. At forty-one years old, Sneak EPTX had a lot of experience to fall back on when putting together his debut album, and it well and truly shows. After first cutting his teeth on open mic night when he was just sixteen years old, Sneak EPTX has spent decades building his sound, and now, with the release of ‘Clocks’, we finally get to hear all his heavy beats and snappy lyrics in action.
Opening with ‘Corvettes & Mustangs & Chargers & Challengers’, Sneak EPTX takes to the mic with a heavy undeniable delivery, crowding the beats with an enthralling mix of lyrics and styles. It’s a unique and immediate sound, and it really makes you take notice right from the start, putting you on the back foot and rushing to catch up. As the album continues, it doesn’t take long to recognise that it’s Sneak EPTX’s flow and delivery that make the album shine, with tracks like ‘Wait’, ‘Tales of Nobody’ and ‘Dreaming’ working hard to reinforce that appeal.
On ‘Thank You Lord’, there’s a quickfire change to more thunderous beats and heavy, focused delivery, catching you off guard in the best way possible. From there, anything is possible, and Sneak EPTX continues to mix things up on tracks like ‘Moment of Time’, ‘Don’t Show Up’, and ‘The Prime Directive’, which all hit with a mesmerising, almost spiritual sound.
By the time the closing tracks arrive, Sneak EPTX has already proven his talents tenfold, and yet somehow, he’s saved some of the best moments for last. In ‘Buss! Of Deez Nighaz’ and ‘We The Party Boys’, the rising emcee dominates with rolling basslines and tight rhythmic percussion, before ‘We Beef’ and ‘Doing The Music’ ease us back into Sneak EPTX’s opening sound, bringing the album full circle in a lever artistic twist.
Possibly one of the most surprising albums of the year so far, ‘Clocks’ is a powerful illustration of vocal control, lyrical brilliance, and solid, accompanying beats, creating a true aural assault that you won’t forget any time soon.
Score: 8/10
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