Last Sons is a group out of Nottingham, UK, consisting of emcee Duke01 and deejay Furious P. You might now Duke01 from his previous work with Uncommon Records, such as his excellent 2014 album, Steroid Stereo, which actually featured cuts by Furious P. At this point, they are really just picking up where they last left off, formally giving us the first album under the new name of Last Sons, Chekhov’s Gun.

Much like Steroid Stereo, this album is also produced in full by Uncommon Nasa, and he has never brought the funk and grime as hard as he has than on Chevkhov’s Gun. It’s dense, it’s dirty, and it’s funky, which sets the stage perfectly for Last Sons. Furious P helps to create a layer of frenetic energy with his scratching that doesn’t let you listen passively, and Duke01 hops on the mic to rhyme in a clear and deliberate pace that makes his dystopian lyrics land with a certain amount of weight to them. Seriously, just glancing at a track list with song titles like “Welcome to Corporatonia,” “Phoney Plaguestation,” and “Technicolor Terror,” and you can get a sense that this isn’t some kind of happy-go-lucky album. While there is a sense of dread and serious concern for the future on this album, there is just a little bit of light that seeps through the cracks, as you can detect how much joy there is to the collaboration between artists who truly respect and vibe with each other, even though their vibe is one of concern about where our future is headed. My personal favorite is “Bright New Yesterday,” which makes a clever twist on a classic British song in the chorus, but then serves as a warning about how many of us fell asleep at the switch and let our society backpedal. On top of producing the album, Uncommon Nasa hops on the mic on four of the songs, making his case as the third member of Last Sons. We also get appearances from Short Fuze and Barrie McLain, who lend their talents on “Champions.”

Chekhov’s Gun isn’t a “fun” album, but it is enjoyable on its own terms. Duke01 and Furious P have great chemistry together, and with Uncommon Nasa, as they all come together to produce some music that hits you hard and makes you think and question yourself.