Clutchy Hopkins- Walking Backwards

By: R.M. London

((2.5.2008))

Just who in the hell is Clutchy Hopkins? Well, we still don't know. Recently, however, the subterranean blogger community has created quite a buzz with their Sherlock Homey efforts, saying the clues they have collected point to three legendary names: The Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, and Cut Chemist. *Pause* Seems like wishful thinking to me, but whoever the 'real' person is behind the cracked face of the faux forty year old hobo-nomadic hippy (that can be seen plastered and portrayed on all Clutchy Hopkins' media)-- their music proves that those accusations are not too far fetched.

With a Wal-Mart shopping cart full of musical trinkets from around the globe this enigmatic instrumentalist brings the hip-hop world a brand new record full of lush exotic noise, clever arrangements, and original methods. On "Walking Backwards" (Feb. 5th) Clutchy continues his mad scientist-like experimentation using multiple concoctions of various woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, and self made inventions), cascading percussion hits, strings (guitar, banjo, violins), and various other sonic shockers ranging from: Pianos, Xylophones, and Maracas to Kabbas, Djun-Djuns, and eerie vocal chants. One fucked up sonic circus that the esoteric ring leader somehow molds into one cohesive beautiful disaster.

As he follows up his highly touted debut release from 2006, "The Life of Clutchy Hopkins," Hopkins proves over 12 tracks that he is still clutch in the studio, and continues to provide a heavy sampler plate of sounds that float between Hip-Hop, Jazz ('3rd Element'), Trip-Hop ('Sound of the Ghost'), Blues ('Love of a Woman'), Funk, Folk, and even Classic Rock ('Alla Oscar'). With limited vocal accompaniment the record drifts comfortably like shattered ship pieces for 49+ minutes, allowing the listener not only to relax, but to truly wrap themselves within the music that is coming at them from at least one hundred different directions. Although at times I thought Clutchy played it safe by keeping a lot of the same sounds from his debut record he still managed to flip them in different directions and smashed them against fresh loops to make deep and original cuts.

"Walking Backwards" was definitely not constructed for the impatient, Ritalin fed new generation of music skimmers. For the casual skimming fan it will go right over their head and become the new piled of crumpled paper in the Recycle Bin, but for an involved listener and lover of instrumentals, Clutchy's vast array of worldly instruments, loops, breaks, and creative color will never get old, because just one listen does not reveal everything that is embedded in his new riddle.

In this sophomore release Clutchy bombards the listener with a sense of mystery by plastering the primitive soundtrack to a true contemporary James Bond. "Walking Backwards" is cool, calm, collected and will shake the listeners...but not stir. Eerie, madcap, and boundless-- this is a tree that you can sit under for all of 2008, and keep eating off of in its shade. Which brings me to one final question...

Who the HELL is Clutchy Hopkins anyway?

Favorite Tracks: Sound of the Ghost, Alla Oscar
What to do (Buy/Try/Frisbee): Buy + Sip Slowly
Digits: 7.0 // 10