Here’s the fourth studio record from Brooklyn, New York, frontman James Joyce the Squatch. As a member of the group Nitebreed, along with Donnie Menace and White Cheddar, he debuted in 2016 with “Pawn Your Heart of Gold”, followed by second releases “The King James Version: The Pre-Quill” and “Dapper Scumbags: Reality Check Cashing”. However, he recently signed with Stray’s newly formed Rogue Hollow Records label and enlisted the label’s in-house producer Charlie Beans to score James’ trip to the Discomfort Inn.
The Charlie Beans-produced “Butterflies & Bile” opens with a sinister boom bap instrumental about not being able to trust your gut when it’s filled with those two things, while “Chef’s Kiss” gives off a heavy G-Funk/Trap vibe that boasts of his lyrical prowess. “237” leans more towards trap sounds, with undertones of chopped and screwed and g-funk, talking about not giving a fuck about drama because he doesn’t see any importance in doing so, while “Tom & Jerry” explains that the deeper we go down, the darker the depth becomes.
Stray is Discomfort Inn’s only cameo on “Little People”, before “Know Your Worth(less)” dismantles the kind of person who doesn’t have any purpose in life, stylistically reminding me of Heltah Skeltah, from booming bap beats to unapologetic hardcore lyricism. “The Truth of Metamorphosis (I’m So Happy)” tries to repeat in a muddier voice what his inner child is saying to him, while “Choose Your Poison” ends the first verse, talking about choosing between disappointment or becoming ignorant.
The second half of “Blunt as Fuck” draws some inspiration from the Dirty South, always staying true to the title track’s theme, which talks profoundly about the home he’s built that’s more perfect than life itself. “Phoenix Down” combines cloud rap and boom bap, acknowledging that he’s just going through this long journey as he feels, while “Shampaign” walks on the razor’s edge, not even knowing where it’s going.
Towards the end of the album, “Ghost10” skips some piano and talks about seeing everyone in hell toasting with the squad, while “Plottin’ & Schemin'” kind of has this shimmering trap quality, detailing the man in the mirror trying to kill him. “Leave Behind” continues the gloomy boom-bap crossover, talking about ascending to heaven to scrap the Golden Gate, while “Dirty Water Baptism” expresses gratitude for those who starve alongside him.
I had heard Donnie Menace’s verses on Chainsaws and Boomsticks albums when he signed with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz, and it was interesting to hear Charlie Beans producing all but 2 of the tracks on Discomfort Inn, which I have to say is the most solo track in James Joyce the Squatch’s entire solo catalog. Charlie’s composition is a huge upgrade from James’ previous full-lengths, and I commend him for speaking his mind freely on this one.
Score: 8/10
