Revival Season expose fakes on “Golden Age of Self Snitching”

Georgia-based rapper Brandon “BEZ” Evans and producer Jonah Swilley work together to form Revival Season bringing forth their debut Golden Age of Self Snitching. The album is a follow-up to their 2021 mixtape Outernational, a beautifully orchestrated 28-minute fusion of beats, rhythm, and rhymes in collaboration with Raf Rundell (O.M. Days/The 2 Bears). Now the duo is focused on bringing the heat and calling out the phonies on the new project.

Golden Age of Self Snitching starts with “Look Out Below”. The song invites listeners with mellow humming synths but BEZ intro lets you know he’s not messing around, “Hard to see you motherf**kers from up here, I’m just saying. Watch out when I drop your bitch off n***a.” The mellow instrumental ramps up during the chorus transforming into a punk song with drums and electric guitar to match BEZ’s intensity as he repeats the phrase, “look out below.” “We pouring it out for the dead homies from the top floor, look out below. Maximum altitude is as high as it goes, fly way. Look out below, I’m finna drop out your hoe, look out below.” The adrenaline-inducing track is only the intro of what to expect.

The middle of the album goes hard with a slew of bangers back to back. Luckily, most of the tracks have music videos that you should check out. “Chop” feels like a throwback with its gully-style bars that might go over your head like bullets. Swilley brings forth a hip-hop beat with heavy percussions and a vocal sample that’ll get stuck in your head yelling “Got a picture with a chop. What you doing?” BEZ matches the energy by speaking with his chest the theme of the album, “N***a, the feds checkin’ your Instagram handle, you ain’t thuggin’. You was a witness, tellin’ your business. Take it to trial and they get convictions.”

“Propaganda” keeps the same message but here Swilley takes a different approach. Providing a more reggae-inspired instrumental makes listeners sway along as BEZ still hits you with a barrage of lyrics. Revival Season describes the video stating, “The video delves into Americana themes in overt and subtle ways. Spotlighting Bas the central figure, while Jonah’s character undergoes a subtle evolution in the backdrop. The video’s somber tone mirrors the subject matter, underscoring that everything B articulates in his lyrics takes center stage in the song. The video for Propaganda moves at a contrasting speed to the song itself.”

On “Pump”, Revival Season invites other creatives to the project. Musicians like Jordan Manly, drummer Rupert Brown, and MC Shaheed Goodie guest star, each contributing parts to the track. Howls echo throughout the song as both Shah Goodie and Revival Season take you for a ride. “Everybody” is a catchy tune that continues to call out the hypocrisy that “everyone wants a badass bitch, everybody got their mixtape out”, yet continues to self-snitch. As BEZ shouts out “The way she move around her body got you drunk as alcoholics. Now she got you in the club about to throw your whole wallet. Is it love or is it lust? Or is it just the liquor talking?”

Being the brainchild of BEZ and Jonah Swilley, Revival Season put a spotlight on jokesters who claim they’re greater than reality on Golden Age of Self Snitching. They succeed in blending southern rap with a more rock sound than like Beastie Boys’ Paul Boutique and less like Linkin Park. Influences of Outkast and Cee-lo can be heard throughout the album and Revival Season does a good just of carrying the torch. Check them out live as they are going on tour with Irish rap trio Kneecap this spring, complete dates below.

Tour Dates
2/23 – 529, Atlanta, GA
3/18 – Foundry, Philadelphia, PA (w/ Kneecap)
3/21 – Axis Club, Toronto, ON (w/ Kneecap)
3/23 – Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Kneecap)
3/26 – Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC (w/ Kneecap) SOLD OUT
3/27 – Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC (w/ Kneecap)
3/28 – Barboza, Seattle, WA (w/ Kneecap)
3/30 – New Parish, Oakland, CA (w/ Kneecap)
4/2 – Voodoo Room, San Diego, CA (w/ Kneecap)
4/4 – Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA (w/ Kneecap)

Cover image credit: Julia Khoroshilov