A slick looking CD arrives in my mailbox. Professional polished and eye catching. The album is Inkstains by Phatchance. A lot of effort has gone into the packaging of the product, especially for a debut release. Is it a smart marketing idea, is it someone who appreciates good artwork or is it an artist who is throwing it all out there? More importantly, is the content as impressive?

Phatchance takes this same approach to his music, there is a lot of confidence in his delivery and a sense of belief in his words and style. The title track ‘Inkstains’ over a horn driven, almost Suffa sounding beat, from Konfuzion. Does it impact? Not really, it glides loosely over a general range of topics from war, music, poverty, freedom and racism; unfortunately it lacks direction and only garnishes one line, if that, on each topic. “I Don’t know” has focus and direction and tells the story of this album and the self doubt associated with putting your heart and soul into a project for the masses to hear. There is a lot of emotion, story telling and it works. “The Catchy Song” ft 360, Smiles Again and Joyride is a tongue in cheek look at hooky radio tunes. The problem I have with this track is that it is seemingly done to get radio play, yet it is also dissing the style in a track in the same form. Whether it is meant to be funny or a reach for radio play, you will either think it is good or annoying and a bit try hard. Joyride’s hook is dope but 360 sounds uninterested and slightly hypocritical as he states ‘Festival Song’ was overplayed, I’m sure it really upset you as massive festival crowds hung on for one track.

Chance is an honest artist and his lyrics and tracks are very personal for a major part of the album. Some you will relate to, others may not interest you. It is a double edged sword to put out an album such as “Inkstains”. “Mountain of Glass”, “Build It Up” ft Hr King (the hook is a highlight) and “Battlescars” are prime examples of this. You will either feel them or not. The beat selection is similar to the topics, a bit dark and moody with flashes of catchiness such as the piano loop on “Invisible Queen”, which is possibly responsible for people saying Chance is a lot like Slug. This track has a whole lot of Atmosphere influence, not that it is a bad thing. Chance kills this track, his flow is on point and his lyrics are interesting. Prime pops in for a verse on the Adit (Horrorshow) produced “Reflections” as both emcees discuss past tales of girls and love and it works well. The final track, besides a “Leaving The Nest” band version, is “Angels In My Ears”, which seems to be a sign off and puts the album to rest.

So, did the content match the packaging? In some ways, yes. In some ways no. I think it is reflective of the content that the artist presents. Chance puts it all out there, emotions, thoughts, life stories and himself as an artist. Is it a bit dramatic at times, such as the ink stained white roses in the cover? Yes, it can be a bit overwhelming at times, but the parts where it works are definite highlights of a young upcoming artist who presents himself as an honest, hard working professional who puts time and thought into what he is doing, and that cannot be faltered.

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