It’s been a while since South Central, Los Angeles-based rapper Duckwrth dropped a full album (2016’s I’m Uugly) but he hasn’t been idle. He spent most of last year defining his sound and refining his live show with crowd-pleasing performances at festivals around the world, including Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland opening for NERD, and now he’s ready to return with a new project this fall, Falling Man. To commemorate the album’s announcement, Duckwrth released the first single, the menacing, experimental “Fall Back.”
Over a buzzing bassline and warlike drums, Duckwrth warns challengers that they might want to give him a little space. He’s not shy about it, either; he’s quick to remind that “a mouth full of fist stops all chit-chatter.” There’s no real hook here, because Duck doesn’t want anyone singing along — the only appropriate response to this headbanger is to spaz all the way out, throwing elbows and moshing out at full speed. While the bridge provides a breather and an opportunity to “settle down,” Duckwrth quickly returns to the frenetic energy that defines the track to finish it out strong, shouting that warning one last time in case you didn’t get it.
To promote Falling Man, which will be distributed by Republic Records, Duck is setting out on tour in October, hitting 21 US and Canadian cities before swinging out on a European leg afterward. He’s also billed on the upcoming Afropunk 2018 lineup, which is exactly the right place to show off his alternative sensibilities and start a few mosh pits.
