Posted on 08/11/2009
Apsci's experimental hip-hop roots have branched off into their latest release, Best Crisis Ever . Hold onto your hats (and your headphones) for this whirlwind collection of 13 tracks. This husband and wife duo, also known as Applied Science, has been kicking trippy beats and vocals since 2003, and turned up the color, the sound, and the nerve on their third album.

Best Crisis Ever is dance-heavy, chaotic and messy album with a balls-out originality that's not for the faint of heart. If you can make it through the record without feeling dizzy, you'll indulge in (and maybe whistle along with) the sing-songy opener, "Crazy Crazy Insane," that introduces singer Dana Diaz-Tutaan's sexy vocals across a jolting guitar riff.

The sounds swerve off-course into sticky, video game theme song territory, but pick back up with "Easy," a booty-poppin' dive into the drum machine that may give Baltimore club music fans something to smile about. There's also a much-needed break at the halfway mark with "Big Adventures," Apsci's version of a lullaby that begs, "give me strength."

From start to finish, Best Crisis Ever is a carnival ride adventure into spinning vibrations, looping bass lines, and a maze of eardrum-twisting compositions. Enter at your own risk.

- Andrea Boston