Wolfpack Party

by Gregory HeaneyWhile the crunk and hyphy movements are geographically separated, the two styles are kindred spirits, acting as the bacchanalian soundtrack to block parties on two coasts. On Wolfpack Party, the second official release from the Pack, the Berkeley group brings the two worlds together to prove that you don’t need go fast to dumb out. With a slow, minimal style similar to producer Bangladesh, the Pack’s Young L handles most of the production on the album, delivering beats that favor impact over density. Neck-breaking tracks like “Stuntin When I Roll Up” and “Red Light” grab the listener with fractured beats and big enough bass that any of the group's deficiencies in the lyrical department are easily forgotten. The one place where Wolfpack Party goes off the rails are on the tracks that aren’t handled by Young L himself. The handful of tracks produced by Cyrano and DecadeZ ditch the hard-hitting bass for frat-party house music, steering them away from something perfectly simple in favor of songs that are softer and needlessly atmospheric. The album would’ve been better served by cutting them out rather than breaking up the continuity to chase after the mainstream electro-hop sound of 3OH!3. If it’s a party record you’re looking for, stick with the tracks that are made by the Pack from the ground up and you won’t be disappointed.