Dope Boy Magick

Album review

Po Po have been called the black sheep of Diplo's Mad Decent label, and it's easy to hear why on the outfit's debut album Dope Boy Magick. Led by Zeb Malik and his brother Shoaib, the group makes an eclectic mix of driving rock equally influenced by hip-hop and the Maliks' Pakistani Muslim heritage. Given the rest of Mad Decent's roster, Po Po's mix of droning guitars and lo-fi electronics sounds all the more defiant, and "Final Fight," which bridges surging riffs, a surfy solo, and the Muslim call to prayer, offers a melting pot of sounds that defy easy classification but feel uniquely American. However, Po Po's grasp isn't quite as big as their reach. Some of Dope Boy Magick's short songs, particularly the murky "Losn a Mind," feel unfinished, while cuts like "POPONGUZU"'s loop mischief and "Sik Sik Sik"'s heavily reverbed electro shenanigans go on far longer than they should. The result is that the album often feels like a collection of demos that need more work. However, when the Maliks polish things more, they're capable of lots of different successes: "Let's Get Away"'s keyboards nod to M83 and Van Halen's "Jump" in their ecstatic soar; "About U Boy" shows a flair for surly garage rock that echoes the Eagles of Death Metal, and "Bummer Summer" pits bubblegum punk chords against winding vocals that show how effortless and pervasive Middle Eastern influences are in Po Po's music. Elsewhere, the Maliks drift into an opiate haze on "U Remind Me" and "Teen Dreamz," both of which open another, entirely different direction for their sound. Indeed, Po Po take on more ideas here than many indie acts explore during their entire careers, but they need to work on bringing it all together in a satisfying way. At times, Dope Boy Magick is just too disconnected, but Po Po's new perspectives on familiar sounds are too intriguing to dismiss.
© Heather Phares /TiVo