Masterful work from one of the most consistent New Zealand hip-hop artists of all time.

Five years after the release of Avantdale Bowling Club’s self-titled debut album, ABC frontman Tom Scott (formerly of Homebrew, @Peace, Average Rap Band, etc.) delivers another musical tour de force.

The foundations here are Tom’s longstanding love of hip-hop, jazz, soul and funk, as understood as branches off the same tree. Over the course of ten vividly realised compositions that ride the line between band arrangements and programmed machine beats, Tom and his collaborators sweat it out, rapping and singing like their lives depend on it.

Along the way, he takes a closer look at economic inequality, drug law reform, social desperation and the realities of living with regret. The songs on TREES might be concept-driven, but they still bounce, bop and bang.

This is what happens when stop trying to compartmentalise your life experiences and accept that you can’t have good without bad, and you can’t have bad without good. Yet more masterful work from one of the most consistent New Zealand hip-hop artists of all time.

Stream “TREES” on Bandcamp.