Album Review: Spit Syndicate - Orbit

For a decade, some would say Spit Syndicate have stood tall (and, Urthboy aside, have stood more or less alone) as the Australian rap you recommend to people who don't like Australian rap. They are a gateway to an entire subgenre. It's some cross to bear.

Here, they make light work of it. Fast Friends is an easy, seductive jam. Contraband & Conversation shows off its guests: first, Kai with a great verse of melodic switch-ups, then imbi the girl with a call-and-response hook. Get Down is a dark, compelling gem where our hosts go toe-to-toe with a searing, dynamic Tuka.

But make no mistake: Errands is the centre of gravity around which the balance of Orbit orbits. Our hosts are usually so available to us - direct and clear. Here, there's a little more mystery. Most surprising: there's also an air of menace. In a world where we are now a decade past the height of cocaine rap, somehow, the idea of "money minus the morals" has the allure of the exotic. What errands are those crazy Spit Syndicate boys running, anyway?

Orbit, and especially its pivotal lead track, stands as the latest in a line of Spit Syndicate records that you can proudly show off to your errand-running mates from other scenes.