• Courtesy
• Raw Deff & Rico James, When Gravity Fails

(Self-released, digital)

According to a blurb on Bandcamp, When Gravity Fails is intended to conjure a "cloud-like feeling." The album is the latest collaboration between New Hampshire MC Raw Deff and Vermont producer Rico James, both fixtures in the local hip-hop scene. Its eight songs are all about letting oneself be carried up, up and away.

That message is reinforced at many levels, with upbeat lyrics, mid-tempo flows and atmospheric production that, in moments, evokes the sonic equivalent of cumulus clouds, cotton candy-shaped bubbles. More elements recall those other kinds of clouds you study in grade school: wispy cirrus streaks; dormant, rainmaking nimbostratus.

This blend of sonic textures can be credited to James, whose catalog of work, including 2022's Language of Spirits, has evinced a special knack for harnessing diverse material to create one rich, saturated product. On this project, he adorns classic East Coast boom bap with modern bells and whistles. There are horns and strings, some hard-to-trace samples, and other twinkles, trills and telephone beeps.

It doesn't always coalesce. On "Listen Close," for example, the intro music is repeatedly muted and unmuted — a neat experiment but too close to the sputters of a dying AirPod. Most of the time, though, James delivers a cohesive sound which, along with the assiduously crafted rhymes, makes When Gravity Fails a tight, enjoyable listen.

The album kicks off with "Float," a cut with vibrantly noisy production. Over a crackling, layered track, Raw Deff introduces the album's lyrical mood. He's boastful, but he's not out to prove he's rich and successful. Instead, he's eager to demonstrate his humility and maturity. "All praise to whoever I should thank / don't really know / but they put some dough in my mental bank," he spits. It's like if That Guy who really wants to talk about his meditation retreat decided to rap about it instead.

Deff's virtuous confidence turns into a more thrilling arrogance on the second song, "Coast Is Clear (feat. The Aztext)." The song's loping womps and car screeches offer an unexpectedly sumptuous backing for a clever diss track. "Most of y'all see it / I'm the one that go get it," he asserts with bravado. But even when he's cocky, Raw Deff describes things as they are. With candor, he raps later: "Those raw rhymes got me local respect / That said: no car, no hoes, no check."

Deff's flows are boxy, ABAB constructions, but they delight in their banal references and confessions. In his lyrics, one recognizes the trappings of a regular modern life — scam emails form Saudi princes, HBO prestige TV, celebrities such as Dennis Hopper and Nic Cage. On "Gung Ho," he offers "a few Tums" to an addressee who "can't stomach" his words. It's not profound, but it's well-observed and cleverly patterned.

One album highlight is "Summer Days," the album's most melodic track, which has an endearingly blithe hook reminiscent of a young Mac Miller. Another is "Platoon Groove," the penultimate song. It's almost seven minutes long and includes guest verses from eight local artists, among them Vermont MCs Trono and Pro Knows Music.

In general, the playful, uncomplicated spirit of When Gravity Fails makes it a decidedly Vermont rap album, perfect for the season when the state defrosts. After all, it's harder to hustle and fret when the sun is out.

Listen to When Gravity Fails at rawdeffandricojames.bandcamp.com.