MUSIC REVIEW: APOSTLE OF HUSTLE - EATS DARKNESS
Friday, August 7, 2009 at 2:24PM | Mike Thomas
Apostle of Hustle - Eats Darkness
Released: 2009
Genre: Indie-rock, Tropical, Folk Rock
When I first listened to this album, I was completely overwhelmed and a little angry. Apostle of Hustle was formed by Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene fame, as well as Julian Brown and Dean Stone. For a trio, the music they make is very complex.
Now, the reason I was angry was because although the album has thirteen tracks listed, only eight of them are full songs. I was overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the music. But then on a second listen, I found myself liking it a lot.
Eats Darkness is a strange album in that, unlike most albums, it’s best just to listen to this from start to finish. Of course, it does have tracks that stand on their own, such as their single “Eazy Speaks”. However, you'll get a feel for what the album is trying to tell you when listening to it in its entirety.
The imagery seen on the cover is a little frightening - eating darkness to expel light. This idea of struggling through dark times is particularly chilling through the five “tracks” which aren’t really songs but small dialogues. In one, for example, a woman’s voice is heard and speaks of how easy it is to find someone who can make you a Molotov cocktail.
When not cowering in fear of what the dialogues means, the music itself is unique. “Eazy Speaks” is a very light-hearted track with an upbeat guitar riff and lyrics that are almost spoken in a rap. My favourite track on the album is by far “Xerses” which hilariously name drops several brand names, particularly evident in the lines: “Nike come! & just do something!/Venus trapped inside the shell/the kidnapping’s by L’Oréal/Walt Disney’s army casting spells.”
Overall, this album is not something you can completely absorb after one listening. It will take a while before you realize that this album is not a bunch of standalone tracks - this is a completely organic process that cannot be interrupted. The five “dialogue” tracks are still a letdown though, regardless of how you look at it. The word “album” usually signifies at least ten tracks. That being said, the creativity and flow of the music make up for it.
SHARP OBJEX Rating: 3 out of 4
Apostle of Hustle, Indie-rock, Toronto, conceptual, folk rock, tropical 
Reader Comments (2)
I've never heard "Tropical" as an adjective used to describe indie rock before! And I especially like the idea of 'eating darkness to expel light'. :)
Very interesting review!
Hi Ayesha, this is Erika, co-creator of the site. I'm the one who had included the genre, Tropical music. Apparently the band describes themselves to be Tropical. Very interesting indeed!