When Fish Ride Bicycles

iTunes Review

A few years ago, the Cool Kids burst onto the scene with their breakout single "Black Mags," a booming throwback anthem that sparked tons of hype on the Internet. Several quality mixtapes and EPs followed (Bake Sale, That's Stupid!, Gone Fishing, etc), setting the stage for their official debut album. On When Fish Road Bicycles, they connect with a gang of legitimate superstars, teaming up with Bun B ("Gas Station"), Ghostface ("Penny Hardaway"), Travis Barker ("Sour Apples"), and Asher Roth on the posse cut "Roll Call." Lyrically, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish pretty much stick to the script, with deadpan deliveries, plenty of puns, rhymes about their school days, and loopy, DOOM-esque flows. Production-wise they've stepped things up a little, incorporating more layers and samples, while still maintaining the slow-rolling, vintage vibe.