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Music

The Airplane Boys Shed All 'Egos and Expectations'

The new album by Toronto's neo-hip-hop duo manages to be both introspective and accessible.

APB (formerly known as The Airplane Boys) is a Toronto based duo that's made up of childhood friends Beck Motley and Bon Voyage. Their newest album, Egos and Expectations brings us into their introspective astral daydream with the aid reverbing synths, beaming to the forefront of your consciousness. Mindful of the seemingly effortless complexity in the layers of their imagination, the neo-pop/hip-hop Toronto duo have crafted a record with a seamless transition from the first to the last track. They describe this record as “a collection of stories and sounds created in our childhood friend’s basement in Scarborough,” the north-east end of Toronto, based around “love of others, the music industry, and themselves.”

This was apparent in their first released single in April, “Harvest” with the ambient and forlorn beginning that busts into Beck’s quick flow, which is eased by Bon Voyage’s effortless verses. Speaking on religion, politics, consumerism and self-understanding in the span of five minutes, the lyrics present a thoughtful outlook on being an individual amongst the influences of social conventions.

Excavating their own insecurities in their lyrics, APB brings us closer to the suburban lifestyle of living on the edge of the downtown core in the neighbourhood of Scarborough. It’s the simplicity of the day-to-day that they colour in with vivid sounds and hard-hitting verses that have allowed for them to become recognized artists.