Lucy (cooper B Handy) - Usic Industry Is Poisonous - Music CD

The Music Industry Is Poisonous is the realization of a shift toward fidelity, one that marries the profound heart of his early work with a new focus-one crystalized by an access to studio sound, an ever growing fanbase, and a maturing songwriting style that keeps said fans talking. Stylistically, the record uses the familiar timbres of his earlier work, but with some new directions. The Music Industry Is Poisonous features multi-part harmonies, more inventive rhythms, and expands upon his trademark haptic samples to widen the field of reference from which his music spawns. Few artists in the world could make such a body of work with such simple elements, but Handy pulls this off with grace (he has said before, "drummers don't replace their drum kits on every song, why should I be expected to use different samples?"). Handy chooses a new crash sample with the same care that a drummer might choose a new crash-despite one's being free-of-charge, it's implications are never lost on Handy. The Music Industry Is Poisonous is also a lyrically masterful. On the opener, "Standing Room Only," Handy delivers his cutting, smart, and straightforward poetry with trademark confidence: "Do they save you a seat in heaven / If you do the right things? / It's standing room only in the clouds where they sing." Later, on "Rock, The" Handy sings "Lord of the flies in the trash / I just drank a tank of gas / The earth I just want it to last / I've only got one." These songs and the rest of the album present an empathy that is not delicate, but one that is instead smart and respectful of the listener. Handy is self-assured but forever respectful-an enigma without the cold shoulder of mystique.