by Nathan Cardiff

After last October’s epic Make-Out With Violence, Approach continued to fire on all cylinders playing eclectic shows ranging from SXSW, to JabberJosh’s retirement, and recently the luxurious Liberty Hall stage (though of course you know Approach; he didn’t stay on the actual stage all that long). He follows up the album with a twelve track instrumental and has dubbed it Approach Presents: SweetKnuckleJunction Season 2 (The Aikido Bray Suite). I expect nothing less than great album/song titles from the man who creates great music to accompany them (remember “Wavesicle” from Vanilla Brass or “LipKissFantastic” from Make-Out?).

SweetKnuckleJunction is a mellow, relaxing trip that embodies the autumn on the horizon. The beats of slow-burn “Winter Hours (DatGang),” the excellent scratching on “Sweet 16’s” (featuring DJ SKU) and “Peeps” (featuring DJ G Train), and the sweet horn (from Miles Bonny) on “Beast of Bray St.” all provide relief from the summer scorchers that remain.

Heat got you down? Summer bumming you out? Cool off and chill out with this.

Favorite Tracks: “Winter Hours (DatGang),” “Dirt,” & “Okoye (I.D. Beat)”

by Nathan Cardiff

Editor’s note: You can watch Approach perform at Love Garden on Friday, August 29, at 6:00 p.m.