For all of those out of work right now or paying close attention to the news feeds lately, it isn’t hard to tell that this is one of the worst economic periods in modern times. In a lot of ways, the music industry is a reflection of this recession. The desperation in the air is comparable to a post-apocalyptic universe. No matter the level of talent you possess, there doesn’t seem to be a place in the current media model for you or your music. None of this seems to hinder Heartbeat da Producer though. The Spotless Mind is Heartbeat’s sophomore effort and the fun that took place recording the album seeps through the cracks of the plastic seams. An interesting insight about The Spotless Mind that listeners will come by is how much more relevant this album is than some of the more popular music at the moment. Songs like I Smell Smoke, Jersey Love, & Yesterday, We Love You! will kick you right in the back of the knee and will beg for their place in your playlist. Some of the lesser notable songs create pacing issues, however, the production is especially good at masking the situation. There are also instances where the fact that HB hasn’t been rapping for that long is noticeable; his mic presence and flow are sometimes off the mark, this is more than made up for with the various guest appearances that are littered throughout the album; the singers that Heartbeat employs are specifically infectious. Throughout the entire album there is an eerie vibe that is attached to the production; in a way this almost makes it hard to tell when exactly this album was released, which expands the replay value tenfold.
The Spotless Mind has many different styles of Hip-Hop to feed your desperate need for music. Whether the industry is paying attention to the talented artists that this next generation is harboring or not, it should be expected that the truly passionate artists will survive and albums like this will be a snapshot in time that people of the post-music industry times will lament over, for it was made in an undeserving era.
