Clay Hughes- Bitter Pill ft. Mac Lethal

Clay Hughes is a Kansas City based singer-songwriter equipped with syrupy vocals that easily melt over any type of production. Mix Citizen Cope with Ben Harper and a collection of ear rattling hip hop infused drums and you got Clay Hughes and The What, Hughes' side band that released an incredible debut EP at the beginning of the year called The Wrong Side of Crazy. Recently, Clay teamed up with KC hip hop producer JKR70 and created one of the most interesting records I've heard so far in 2011. Their album, The Whether Machine, seamlessly combines hip hop, downtempo, acoustic rock, blues, and pop featuring Clay on every track along with help from The Phantom, Mac Lethal, Jabee, Johnny Polygon, Lucid, and Irv Da Phenom.

This wild blend of genres was inspired by JKR70's lack of response from co-workers when playing his other music projects for the office. "A lot of time I play the music I've produced for my co-workers at my day job, and they are supportive, but seem unimpressed or alienated," JKR70 said. "I think 'The Whether Machine' is far more appealing to people from various walks of life. Bridging that gap between hip-hop and contemporary, as well as styles bordering on emo or adult alternative. Musically the album is as diverse as the group of people involved, a testament to the sum of its parts. It gives the listener the opportunity to openly claim whatever genre they choose to hear while still presenting a cohesive whole. Select tracks could instantly be pegged as some of the Midwest's best hip hop ("Gotta Soul") while others ("Walking, Understood"/"This Is Beautiful") could just as easily find themselves on an indie pop playlist.

Clay Hughes and JKR70 are onto something with this record. Not only does their chemistry bubble on every song, but their ability to blend various accessible genres into one cohesive project is a revelation. The mystery in Hughes' voice is the perfect accessory to JKR70's murky landscapes and, unlike other acts who attempt to blend numerous styles, Hughes and JKR never stray from their smoky signature sound making their first attempt at bridging genres a flawless success.

Here is my favorite cut from The Whether Machine, Bitter Pills, featuring Mac Lethal. You can stream the rest of the album below via Bandcamp.

Clay Hughes & JKR70- Bitter Pill ft. Mac Lethal