BOLDY JAMES & RICHGAINS are a match made in heaven for me. Their record Indiana Jones was one my favorites of 2023, and this year they followed up with Murder During Drug Traffic. There’s something so smooth about the way Boldy’s rapid-fire monotone cadence rides over RichGains’ stripped-down indie production that I find irresistible. Almost every song on MDDT revolves around a guitar melody, and it feels like these two set out to make an ode to the blues, and bridge a century gap between deep country music and 21st century trap. The production complements Boldy’s flow with all sorts of unexpected elements, like the drumline and horns on “Janky” or the eerie, spacey vibe that flows through all of the tracks. “Skinny Me” is probably my favorite track on this record; there’s something about the acoustic country sample that really communicates the past-to-present vibe of this whole album. MDDT isn’t going to replace Indiana Jones for me, but it’s a beautiful sophomore release from these two and I’m looking forward to whatever else they make together.
I’m cracking up reading the Reddit critiques of Boldy X RichGains…I’m cool with having an unpopular opinion that these are, in fact, Boldy’s best records. I’m writing this review on a publication known for underground punk and metal, after all.

