Trouble Mountain CD

Aesop Rock and Blockhead have worked together since 1997's self-released Music for Earthworms, so by the time Trouble Mountain lands on Rhymesayers, the bit is baked in: a concept album built around a fictional ski lodge, lifted from the Poconos getaway commercials Aesop remembers from his New York childhood. It's a strange hook for two guys who already have a 2001 track, "Daylight," and a full collaborative album, Garbology, from 2021. Hanni El Khatib, Open Mike Eagle, Cavalier, Baby Dayliner, and 4-IZE all turn up too, because apparently a ski lodge needs a crowded lobby.