Known for their eclectic personalities on and off the microphone (check YouTube), Marc Stretch and Prozack Turner of Foreign Legion spent the early aughts alongside former associate DJ Design laying a musical foundation that blended “Golden Era” melodies with entertaining anecdotes about blue collar life. Nearly eight years since their last proper album Playtight, the Bay Area duo is back at it once more with Night Moves.
As was with their previous releases, it’s easy to get lost in the souled-out, upbeat production that their latest effort has to offer. Whether it’s Prozack’s smooth touch on “Fresh Air” or the two-step arrangement for “Party Over Here,” Foreign Legion makes sure their musical landscapes are just as loose as the message they’re conveying. Their first single “The Ultimate” also perfectly encapsulates this sense of style, where the vibes behind Grandpa J’s production feature well-placed sampled horns and complimentary drums that turn the record into a 2011 throwback. As such, the beats provided on Night Moves are a nice contrast to the paltry 808-synth bass lines that currently roam the airwaves.
Unfortunately this ambience subsides to reveal two emcees who still haven’t progressed lyrically since Kidnapper Van. The aforementioned “Party Over Here” languishes in scattered rhymes that sound more foolish than boastful, while “Fast and Loose” features similar rambles of silly cipher raps. Then over piercing keys on “Piano Banger,” Stretch feebly spits, “This is the sound of quality, qualifying all your requests / For something satisfactory for your audio faculty / Practically, guaranteed to satisfy you fully / In the school of hard knocks with the tampon pulleys” while Prozack awkwardly quips, “I got a ’95 Civic and no cell phone / But in the world of underground Rap I’m kind of well-known.”
Interestingly enough, Foreign Legion sound much more convincing on Night Moves when they take a serious approach to the music. Take “Angel” for example, where Prozack reveals deep-seated feelings to a woman he just met over a melancholic melody. Unraveling relatable words about relationships and life insecurities, “Angels” is a side of Prozack you won’t get when he’s coarsely describing his late night antics. “Travel Lite” is another engrossing record as the two wax poetic about their dedication to the rap game despite the various obstacles they endure.
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While the quirky combination of Foreign Legion over funky production has always been an interesting side show, their music on Night Moves is decent at best. Rarely do Stretch or Prozack impress, and by the end of the album you find yourself wondering if their complacent execution is suitable for two artists who by this stage in their careers would be considered veterans.
