SKECH185
He Left Nothing for the Swim Back


4.6
superb

Review

by Mitch Worden EMERITUS
February 9th, 2023 | 68 replies


Release Date: 02/03/2023 | Tracklist

Review Summary: The darkness looks back.

Stare long enough into the ominous setting of He Left Nothing for the Swim Back and you can see it stare back: a distant pair of glowing eyes piercing from the mist, their gaze unwavering from the listener as they’re submerged into the depths. SKECH185’s style is suitably unsettling; his rough, booming voice causes each bar he spits to sound like a command that demands immediate obedience, and his consistently confrontational delivery supplies a tangible amount of grit to his menacing and intermittently desperate tone. The New York-based MC provides no respite as he details grim tales of growing up in his hometown of Chicago, wrestles with insecurities, faces nightmares, and comments on a country that continuously reneges on its promises. There’s no character disguising Willie Lee McIntyre Jr., no braggadocio, no posturing—SKECH leaves himself exposed, forcing the audience to sink into his narratives and devotedly follow wherever his thoughts may wander. In one moment, he’s walking the streets of his younger years during “East Side Summer,” lamenting the loss of youth and describing the warzone-like environment he was forced to contend with. In another, he’s cornered by endless queries about life as depression creeps over his shoulder. Erupting from the underground, He Left Nothing… is an awe-inspiring, fearsome artistic statement absent of restraint, combining a gritty rapping performance with spellbinding beats that illustrate a disquieting landscape.

SKECH185’s lyricism, though occasionally delving into esoteric metaphors, tends to emphasize lethal precision and honesty, acting as a complement to his gruff methodology. The vitriol—doubtlessly augmented by the album’s recording process, which occurred during the isolation of the COVID lockdown—is frequently enough to bring the rapper’s voice to a shout. Aforementioned cut “East Side Summer” begins by unraveling a sudden shooting and how astonishingly mundane its aftermath was; it was just another ordinary day trying to navigate a turbulent metropole. SKECH185 bitterly admits he would’ve traded it all for a tire swing and simplicity, using his frantic, nervous flow and resounding voice to match the action and ultimate despondency of the verses. The intensity reaches a fever pitch in “The River” as SKECH185 grapples with the broken freedom of his homeland—a series of half-truths hiding a brutal reality—and the overwhelming concern he feels for children unaware of that reality. McIntyre Jr.'s panic is evident; his aversion to concealing a track's intentions allows for his words and his evocative expression of them to land devastating blows, which assists in crafting the disc's threatening vibe. Whether delving into his personal anxieties on “Up to Speed” or embarking upon an uninhibited outburst on the title track, the MC’s emotional vocals and uncompromising bars add incredible complexity to the LP, making it both an achingly personal project and an engrossing cavalcade of shocking verses.

Jeff Markey provides a voice to the eerie aura permeating each verse. His beats feel unnervingly detached from everything happening around them—they’re echoing behind a thick wall of fog, looping aimlessly as if they’ve gotten lost in the haze—which paradoxically makes them all the more relevant; they become an ideal reflection for SKECH’s prose as he empties his mind of all that pesters it. It’s an omnipresent unease that captures McIntyre Jr.’s disarray, taking the form of reverberating, buzzsaw-like synths, biting ambience that lurks underneath every phrase, stray horn flourishes, and faraway piano notes. When tossed into a blender, it’s a cacophony held together by a string; the violent transitions of “Badly Drawn Hero” demonstrate the fragile stability in play, bounding from a warped synth beat to blaring electronics, eventually evolving into a drum-heavy beat as SKECH maneuvers in and out of its confines. Markey’s versatility generates a plethora of intriguing compositions that provide He Left Nothing… with amazing variety, be it the distorted, nursery rhyme-esque chimes that dominate “Western Automatic Music, pt. 1,” or the raucous jazz band sampling of “Jay Street. He’s capable of dominating a tune if its thematic contents necessitate it, though Markey’s central purpose is coloring in the blanks with distinctly discomfiting textures, supporting SKECH’s rapping by contrasting its desperation.

The two artists combined make for a lethal pairing, together granting He Left Nothing… its mysterious, gloomy atmosphere. Their realm of abstract, disconcerting beats and aggressive rapping fits comfortably into the niche carved by the likes of Elucid or Billy Woods—the latter of whom makes a feature appearance on “Western Automatic Music, pt.2.” Everything about the record, from its mesmerizing, albeit haunting cover, to its acidic prose, is delicately off in a manner comparable to the aforementioned MCs; nothing feels proper, or balanced, or calm—an impression compounded by the layering and distortion liberally applied to McIntyre Jr.’s vocals. Markey’s beats can constantly disorient a listener whose focus is diverted by their hypnotic loops and abrasive tendencies, and SKECH185’s ferocious delivery forces his provocative prose to be reckoned with—its messages cannot be reliably tucked into the background. Despite the comparatively brief duration of the album, its consistency, atmosphere, and engaging arrangements grant it a grander sense of scale. Sinking into those distant eyes adorning He Left Nothing… is a chilling, beguiling journey whose rewards are continuously revealed over repeated treks, opening up to exhibit foreboding chasms that stretch deeper still. SKECH185’s urgent style leads the way into the darkness, and there’s no peace found once his words grab hold.




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user ratings (35)
3.5
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
MarsKid
Emeritus
February 9th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

The cover looks VERY similar to what Johnny just reviewed lol, but I swear this is quite different!



First album this year that has stunned me. Well worth the quick 34-or-so minute duration and several listens more. Hard to write about but hopefully I did it justice.



Album available on bandcamp and Spotify. I have heard reports Apple has music, but you never know in this economy.



Let me know what y'all think!



This review brought to you in part by the proofreading prowess of Sunnyvale :^)

tyman128
Staff Reviewer
February 9th 2023


4608 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

So you're telling me this isn't basic yet enjoyable post-hardcore?

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 9th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

You gotta listen to find out bb

Sunnyvale
Staff Reviewer
February 9th 2023


6175 Comments

Album Rating: 3.2

Good stuff!



Inspired me to give this a listen, after one go I'm not sure this is quite my thing, but my hip-hop tastes are probably questionable these days given my interest in the genre has been waning in recent years.

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 9th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

It's all good! This definitely leans on the abstract side, what with the beats and vocals occasionally being so averse to one another. But I feel like that album truly blossoms in that conflict.

Sinternet
Contributing Reviewer
February 9th 2023


26767 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

nice one brother, this is on my to-check list so will give it a whirl tomorrow probably, tend to find myself often appreciative of and enjoying this style but not wowed so will have to see if its got that special touch for me

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 9th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

SKECH has a bit more of an aggressive style, not sure if that will enhance or hinder the experience but worth noting. Hope you enjoy!

WatchItExplode
February 10th 2023


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Will check because of the gattaca reference

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 10th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

Yeees, we need more people checking ASAP.

WatchItExplode
February 10th 2023


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I dug this quite a bit. I am no hip hop head but his flow certainly reminds me a bit of a more raw and unhinged Billy Woods (which I see you noted). You're definitely right about " blossoming in conflict". Things are chaotic here but the way everything plays off each other somehow feels very grounded and "real".

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 10th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

Glad you liked it! He has almost like a jazzy cadence throughout, the way he darts in and out of the beats, and the raw power seals the deal. Really gives a genuine impression of someone going absolutely ham on the mic.

WatchItExplode
February 10th 2023


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Jazzy is definitely a good way to put it. No set time but right on time

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 10th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

Last track's final few verses are immense. It's that power he brings, it just really draws you in.



Feel like this is the perfect hip hop album for right now.

WatchItExplode
February 10th 2023


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah I tried a few other things on new music Friday but this one's on its third playthrough. Closer is very powerful and a stand out, but this doesn't have many weak points.

WalrusTusk
February 10th 2023


1845 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

When I was younger, my dad, brother, and I used to listen to this Chase album that was pretty much an obscure, but better version of Blood, Sweat, and Tears. It's wild for me to hear a sample of the opening track "Open Wide" on "Jay Street".

gryndstone
February 10th 2023


2824 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

this is NUTTTTTS

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 10th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

@Walrus oh that's cool! Nice to know the origin of the sample and pretty neat how you were able to pick it out.



@gryndstone Yes it is, welcome to the madness



Gyromania
February 11th 2023


37468 Comments


Get avatars you pretentious knobs

MarsKid
Emeritus
February 11th 2023


21035 Comments

Album Rating: 4.6 | Sound Off

Literally cannot dude, avatars were added via the forums and the forums are gone.

WatchItExplode
February 11th 2023


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I reluctantly let go of that feature since I was still in my holiday garb.



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