The latest album to come out of California is the self-titled “Shwayze” from rookies Shwayze and Cisco Adler, MTV’s newest reality stars.
Adler has made a small name for himself as the front man for Whitestarr, a ’70s rock-revival band, and as the producer for several songs of Hollywood rock/rapper Mickey Avalon, probably best known as the annoying guy from Young Jeezy’s Boost Mobile commercial.
Shwayze, the second part of the duo, grew up in a trailer park in Malibu, across town from his socialite counterpart.
The two met in 2005 at a show at the Malibu Inn when Shwayze jumped on stage, grabbed a microphone and started free-styling. Since then, they have produced this record, been featured on Vans Warped Tour and starred in their own reality show on MTV called “Buzzin’.”
The music on the album, which was released Aug. 19, is easy-listening and perfect for a drive with the windows down. The lyrics are about girls from different U.S. cities, drinking, parties and, most of all, smoking weed.
Unfortunately, the lyrics have no depth, and Cisco’s rapping flows like LFO (think “Summer Girls”). But Shwayze and Cisco might build a reputation for being more notorious potheads than Snoop Dogg.
Two songs in particular stood out as failures: “Hollywood,” which has a monotonous and off-putting beat, and “Corona and Lime,” which has the cheesy, puppy love lyrics of a drunk Hannah Montana. An apparent tribute song called “James Brown is Dead” is the biggest disappointment, not because it is a bad song, but because it is the furthest song from funk on the album.
Another song, “Roamin’,” features playful synths and an interesting use of a drum machine, while “Lazy Days,” a song with a smooth melody and singing from Cisco Adler, succeeds despite its generic lyrics.
The main single, “Buzzin’,” has a simple beat and light layers of synth, but lacks any real ingenuity or adventure.
In fact, the album as a whole is a reflection of this song: simple, boring and shallow.
Garrett Cleland can be reached at [email protected]