Members OnlyHigh in the Air ft. SOL by State of the ArtistToday, Seattle trio State of the Artist released the first single from their upcoming Slopes release, a track called “High in the Air” which features scholarly lyricist Sol. The production is handled by previous collaborators Ski Team, and all four MCs take their turn on the mike. One of the issues I’ve had with previous SOTA tracks that feature one or more guest vocalists is that the verses feel packed-in and the construction a bit contrived, as they’ve also got to make time for the obligatory group-member verses, although that dynamic doesn’t weigh down a “feel”-heavy song like this–where the focus isn’t so much on the lyrics as the sound–comparatively. I’m also not entirely sold on Parker Joe as a lyricist (he is a talented producer), a feeling that wasn’t helped much by his opening verse on this track. Sol has been steadily improving, and sounds good here, and compliments verses from HY and Thaddeus nicely. The beat is also easy-listening and along with a slick chorus, “High in the Air” bodes well for the group.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.