Half Japanese, half Italian-American rapper Lyrics Born (AKA Tom Shimura) is a man who needs no introduction to Australian audiences. After bursting onto the scene as one half of Latyrx (with Lateef The Truthspeaker), the Bay Area local released his solo album Later That Day in 2003 to critical acclaim. The album, featured the hugely successful single Callin’ Out, which went on to appear in countless television commercials and movies. Not content with simply being on the mic, Lyrics Born is also one of the founders and key members of underground hip hop record label Quannum Projects, (alongside the likes of DJ Shadow, Chief Xcel, Gift of Gab and Lateef), dabbles in producing and has even appeared in the film Finishing The Game alongside James Franco and MC Hammer. Since 2003, Lyrics Born has released a remix album, a live album, and a number of mixtapes, but he returns here with his first original studio release in five years, the aptly titled Everywhere At Once.

“It’s about time”, was my first thought when I heard that Lyrics Born was finally releasing a new album. His instantly recognisable drawl and catchy beats made Later That Day one of the most exciting hip hop debuts out of the last few years. Numerous worldwide tours followed, including a handful of visits to Australia, but there was still no new album in sight. What I liked about him was his razor sharp delivery and his bright and fresh approach to his tracks. Later That Day was a textbook Quannum release, which is why it is surprising to say that, at first listen, Everywhere At Once is quite different to its predecessor, encompassing more R&B and reggae. The opening track Don’t Change is vintage LB, with its funky beat and catchy hook, while Hott 2 Deff features former Jurassic 5 frontman Chali 2na and Mrs Lyrics Born Joyo Velarde. Chali 2na’s low tones juxtapose against Velarde’s honey coated vocals, while Lyrics Born provides that medium in between on this fast and furious track.

I suppose the main difference between Everywhere At Once and Later That Day is the latter’s reliance on samples. For his sophomore album, Lyrics Born has utilised the live band he took on tour to provide much of the instrumentation. The result is a much more mature and polished album, with songs sounding more complete. Differences (featuring Joyo Velarde and B-Nai), I’m A Phreak, I Like It, I Love It, Top Shelf (Anything U Want), Do You Buy It? and Rules Were Meant To Be Broken showcase the cohesiveness of Lyrics Born and his band, with each guitar riff, each piano chord and each horn section coming together to create a rich backing sound, quite different to the sample heavy approach of his debut album. Other standout tracks include the jumpy beats of Cakewalk (featuring Trackademicks & Baby Jaymes) and the intermittent electro beats of The World Is Calling, again featuring Joyo Velarde in a guest spot that shows off her strong vocals.

At first I was a bit unsure how to take this album. Part of me was wishing that Lyrics Born kept things simple and followed the formula of his first album, but part of me was a bit wary about hearing the same album repackaged into different songs. Which is why I’m kind of glad that LB has gone off on a different tangent to the tried and tested of Later That Day. His unwillingness to be boxed into a certain style shows some maturity. The R&B stylings throughout annoyed me a little at first, but after repeated listens, they appear to be Lyrics Born’s way of branching out, along with a few reggae-infused tracks. Definitely a step forward in the right direction, but surprisingly different from the direction I would have assumed Lyrics Born would have taken. All the more power to him that he has managed to keep himself in the game.