Listening to Encore’s Layover is like going on a date with someone who’s young, hung and full of you-know-what, but won’t go past second base. Encore is yet another rising MC who is “conscious” in the safe sense of the word (this guy ain’t Immortal Technique), capable of producing competent, enjoyable flows. On Layover, though, the beats outpace the rhymes, given the kick-ass studio effects of Jake One, Vitamin D and Architect. Tracks like “Traditional Slick Talk” and “Zigga Zigga” are headnodic but not classic, and place Encore as an MC to watch out for a few years from now. This debut is solid, but vanilla-and you find yourself hoping he’ll push it farther next time.