Common has always been a bit of a background player in the world of hip-hop. He gets the critical acclaim that a suburban poet of his nature deserves, but for the most part gets looked over in the general radio scene. After he was nominated for a grammy for Be, it became universally accepted that Common's type of music is deep and powerful, and his lack of commercial success was due to that fact.
In the past two albums, it seems that Common wants to shed that image and join Kanye West and others like him in the limelight, and Universal Mind Control is his most obvious attempt yet. While the latter half of the ten-song album shows glimpses of Common's strong flow and conscious storytelling, the first half begs to be played on the dancefloor.
The bumpy ride begins with "Universal Mind Control," which is only worth listening to for the Neptunes-crafted beat and nothing else. The man who preaches for equality and hope sounds out of place here: "Gucci - Rock'n, Coochies - Pop'n/Movie - Watch'n
Booties - Shop'n/Body - Move'n, Show'n, Groov'n, styl'n and being fly." The same is true for "Punch Drunk Love," "Make My Day" (which is saved by Cee-Lo's catchy chorus), and the unexcusably cheesy "Sex 4 Sugar." If there were any songs at the beginning of an album to discourage listening all the way through, these would be them.
Luckily, things pick up a little at "Announcement" and "Gladiator," where Common brings his more-familiar "King Common" persona as he challenges rappers and navigates issues in Culture with clever wordplay. Then he follows it up with the inspiring "Changes" and the odd-yet-enjoyable "Inhale." The autobiographical "What a World" and the dance-influenced "Everywhere" help to keep the album on a good note, but it feels like the damage has already been done by the sex-loaded front of the album.
On his last album, Finding Forever, Common had two songs about sexual encounters back-to-back at the end of the album, and it ruined the CDs otherwise stellar flow. It seems that he hasn't learned his lesson here, as the first four songs completely take the energy out of the album and should only be listened to if you're planning a party with people who don't listen to rap lyrics or don't understand English.
It simply feels as if Common was out of his element, and while part of the blame can be attributed to Pharrell Williams for his over-production, a large part of the blame has to rest on Common's shoulders because of his need to gain a larger audience. Whether or not this album accomplishes that goal, as a whole it has caused this album to suffer.
Scoring:
Replayability: (15/20) There are a few songs that merit multiple listens, especially "Changes" and "Gladiator" for its scathing yet enjoyable attack on culture. However, except for "Make My Day" the first four tracks are hard to listen to.
Music: (19/20) Although the lyrical content isn't where it usually is with Common, Pharrell Williams has definitely created intoxicating beats and given some songs a nice groove to nod to.
Lyrics: (15/20) Common hits some of his highest highs on this album in "Gladiator" and "Changes," but also his by far his lowest lows in "Universal Mind Control" and "Sugar 4 Sex."
Completeness: (12/20) I mentioned that the beginning of the album almost makes you want to quit listening to it the first time through. That is not the sign of a complete album by any means. The last sex tracks have a certain flow to them but can't completely make up for the train wreck at the beginning.
Emotional Pull: (14/20) "Changes" and "What a World" are almost completely responsible for getting the score this high, which is disappointing because one of Common's biggest strengths has always been creating a voice that most of his listeners can identify with. Other than the songs above it is mostly absent here.
Total Scoring: 75
Grade: C
In his quest to make a hit, Common has sacrificed his voice and his consistency, two things that made Be such a classic.
Check, Check Plus, X
Universal Mind Control X
Punch Drunk Love X
Make My Day √
Sex 4 Sugar X
Announcement √
Gladiator √+
Changes √+
Inhale √+
What a World √
Everywhere √
Lot to look forward to next week. Well, not a lot, but it will be interesting to see if Fall Out Boy can continue balancing pop and intelligence with their new album.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Lonely Island's New Video is So Awesome That I...
"Jizz in My Pants"
Saturday Night Live member Andy Samberg's music group, Lonely Island, finally released their first single, and it is as crude as it is funny. There are some big guest stars in the hilarious video, such as Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler, and an especially funny cameo from Justin Timberlake.
I think it will be hard for the Lonely Island's music aspirations to completely take off, especially considering the other comedians who released comedy music while they were hot, such as Jimmy Fallon and Tom Green. In those cases, first their music disappeared from airwaves and then they disappeared soon after. I hope that sort of thing doesn't happen to Samberg, who is as responsible for SNL's apparent resurrection as anybody. But with his success mostly coming off of songs like this one, I'm pretty sure I have nothing to worry about.
Enjoy!
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Saturday Night Live member Andy Samberg's music group, Lonely Island, finally released their first single, and it is as crude as it is funny. There are some big guest stars in the hilarious video, such as Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler, and an especially funny cameo from Justin Timberlake.
I think it will be hard for the Lonely Island's music aspirations to completely take off, especially considering the other comedians who released comedy music while they were hot, such as Jimmy Fallon and Tom Green. In those cases, first their music disappeared from airwaves and then they disappeared soon after. I hope that sort of thing doesn't happen to Samberg, who is as responsible for SNL's apparent resurrection as anybody. But with his success mostly coming off of songs like this one, I'm pretty sure I have nothing to worry about.
Enjoy!
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Album Review: Scarface - Emeritus
Scarface is not the type of rapper you'll find doing the late night performance circuit, or collaborating with one of your favorite pop stars for heavy music rotation. He's just not that high profile guy.
By the same token, he isn't the underground rapper who isn't accepted because he defies convention. In fact, Scarface fills his albums with the same sort of material that bogs down popular hip hop today: respect, money, violence, and a claim to being the best around. Any hopes for his presumed final album, Emeritus, to bring out the sentimental side of Scarface are destined for futility: Scarface does exactly what he has done through 9 albums, and even if the result isn't satisfying, it's reliable.
The beginning of Emeritus hits hard once you skip the intro from J. Prince that, while being interesting, doesn't warrant more than one confused listen. After that is the accurate "High Powered" and the only two great songs on the album: "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right." The former is a jam-packed collaboration song with Lil Wayne and Bun B, and both do what they're supposed to (Wayne even makes fun of his multiple guest appearances by renaming himself "Featuring Lil Wayne" in the song). The latter is a soulful song of mourning for trying to break out of the hard way of life and finding it impossible. Bilal's guest vocals contribute wonderfully to this purpose.
However, the rest of the album kind of moves along after that, with few songs sticking out for good reasons. Songs like "Who Are They" and "We Need You" only stand out for their grating choruses. The other songs aren't particularly bad, but they also aren't particularly good. There are no one-liners, no big points, nothing that makes you stop and say "this is why I'm listening to this album." Scarface seems content on this album to just go for the ride, not realizing that he might be the only one in the car.
The music is done well in some parts and mediocre in others. The disparity is such that when the Cool and Dre-produced track "Forgot About Me" hits, the other songs following it sound poorly made as a result. There was certainly ambition in the production, as evidenced in the flutes in "I'm Still Here" and certain string arrangements throughout the album. To that end, the music created a somber mood for the majority of the album as Scarface continues to contemplate why there is still so much hatred in the world while simultaneously glorifying guns and murder.
Scarface is one of those rappers who calls himself "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper," and by listening to this album it is apparent how his body of work as a solo artist and as part of the Geto Boys influenced a lot of today's hip hop acts. But for a potentially final album, Emeritus isn't going out with a bang: more like the pop of a cap gun.
Scoring:
Replayability: (15/20) Several songs might be worth a listen or two, but the only two songs that will really warrant several plays are "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right."
Music: (17/20) Where it's good, it's good. The beats help give the album a real, gritty feel that complements Scarface's simple subject matter...
Lyrics: (13/20) Which costs him here. The problem with his lyrics is that they are nothing new. He doesn't sample anyone else's lyrics, but he doesn't say anything different or interesting in any of the songs.
Completeness: (15/20) "Who Are They" and "We Need You" curb the album's momentum, but not by much: for the most part the transitions are smooth from track to track and the mixing was properly done. A lot of the beats towards the end of the album take elements of beats from the first few songs, and it gives the album a complete feel.
Emotional Pull: (11/20) There is absolutely nothing here to grasp onto. Seeing as this could be his last album, there should be a lot of pathos-inspiring elements reminiscent of Jay-Z's Black Album (no matter the outcome with that), but there is absolutely nothing here that you haven't heard a million times. There is no tearful goodbye, no big stunt to remember him by: this is who he has always been, and it doesn't get a reaction.
Total Scoring: 71
Grade: C-
Check, Check Plus, X
High Powered √
Forgot About Me √+
Can’t Get Right √+
Still Here √
It’s Not a Game √
Who Are They X
Soldier’s Story √
Redemption Song √
High Note √
We Need You X
Unexpected √
Emeritus √
Sticking with the hip-hop theme I've brought upon myself, today Common releases his 8th album, Universal Mind Control, which is waiting for me when I get off of work. Expect the review soon.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
By the same token, he isn't the underground rapper who isn't accepted because he defies convention. In fact, Scarface fills his albums with the same sort of material that bogs down popular hip hop today: respect, money, violence, and a claim to being the best around. Any hopes for his presumed final album, Emeritus, to bring out the sentimental side of Scarface are destined for futility: Scarface does exactly what he has done through 9 albums, and even if the result isn't satisfying, it's reliable.
The beginning of Emeritus hits hard once you skip the intro from J. Prince that, while being interesting, doesn't warrant more than one confused listen. After that is the accurate "High Powered" and the only two great songs on the album: "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right." The former is a jam-packed collaboration song with Lil Wayne and Bun B, and both do what they're supposed to (Wayne even makes fun of his multiple guest appearances by renaming himself "Featuring Lil Wayne" in the song). The latter is a soulful song of mourning for trying to break out of the hard way of life and finding it impossible. Bilal's guest vocals contribute wonderfully to this purpose.
However, the rest of the album kind of moves along after that, with few songs sticking out for good reasons. Songs like "Who Are They" and "We Need You" only stand out for their grating choruses. The other songs aren't particularly bad, but they also aren't particularly good. There are no one-liners, no big points, nothing that makes you stop and say "this is why I'm listening to this album." Scarface seems content on this album to just go for the ride, not realizing that he might be the only one in the car.
The music is done well in some parts and mediocre in others. The disparity is such that when the Cool and Dre-produced track "Forgot About Me" hits, the other songs following it sound poorly made as a result. There was certainly ambition in the production, as evidenced in the flutes in "I'm Still Here" and certain string arrangements throughout the album. To that end, the music created a somber mood for the majority of the album as Scarface continues to contemplate why there is still so much hatred in the world while simultaneously glorifying guns and murder.
Scarface is one of those rappers who calls himself "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper," and by listening to this album it is apparent how his body of work as a solo artist and as part of the Geto Boys influenced a lot of today's hip hop acts. But for a potentially final album, Emeritus isn't going out with a bang: more like the pop of a cap gun.
Scoring:
Replayability: (15/20) Several songs might be worth a listen or two, but the only two songs that will really warrant several plays are "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right."
Music: (17/20) Where it's good, it's good. The beats help give the album a real, gritty feel that complements Scarface's simple subject matter...
Lyrics: (13/20) Which costs him here. The problem with his lyrics is that they are nothing new. He doesn't sample anyone else's lyrics, but he doesn't say anything different or interesting in any of the songs.
Completeness: (15/20) "Who Are They" and "We Need You" curb the album's momentum, but not by much: for the most part the transitions are smooth from track to track and the mixing was properly done. A lot of the beats towards the end of the album take elements of beats from the first few songs, and it gives the album a complete feel.
Emotional Pull: (11/20) There is absolutely nothing here to grasp onto. Seeing as this could be his last album, there should be a lot of pathos-inspiring elements reminiscent of Jay-Z's Black Album (no matter the outcome with that), but there is absolutely nothing here that you haven't heard a million times. There is no tearful goodbye, no big stunt to remember him by: this is who he has always been, and it doesn't get a reaction.
Total Scoring: 71
Grade: C-
Check, Check Plus, X
High Powered √
Forgot About Me √+
Can’t Get Right √+
Still Here √
It’s Not a Game √
Who Are They X
Soldier’s Story √
Redemption Song √
High Note √
We Need You X
Unexpected √
Emeritus √
Sticking with the hip-hop theme I've brought upon myself, today Common releases his 8th album, Universal Mind Control, which is waiting for me when I get off of work. Expect the review soon.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Freshly signed artists Hey Champ wraps up tour with Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco's 1st and 15th Records has taken a different turn from most rapper-based record companies. First comes the signing of Matthew Santos, Lupe's reliable hookman, and in October Lupe signed Rockford, Illinois electro group Hey Champ.
Hey Champ's myspace
Lupe has taken them with him on tour for the past few months since their signing, and last night in College Park was their last show. They have an interesting sound and it seems to almost complement the style that Lupe Fiasco brings to mind. After the break, Hey Champ is going to do a few local shows and hopefully work on a complete album under the FnF label.
Good signing for the fledgling label, and hope to see more from these guys soon.
Hey Champ's myspace
Lupe has taken them with him on tour for the past few months since their signing, and last night in College Park was their last show. They have an interesting sound and it seems to almost complement the style that Lupe Fiasco brings to mind. After the break, Hey Champ is going to do a few local shows and hopefully work on a complete album under the FnF label.
Good signing for the fledgling label, and hope to see more from these guys soon.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Coldplay Accused of Plagiarism...Again
So Joe Satriani has filed suit against Coldplay for apparently stealing one of his riffs for the song "Viva La Vida." Things are getting heavy for Chris Martin and the boys: first the Creaky Boards cry plagiarism and now this.
This most recent accusation is sort of a hard pill to swallow for a few reasons:
1.) "Viva La Vida" was released in May of 2008. The Creaky Boards complaint was made a month after, which is an appropriate time to react to the supposed pilfering of one of your songs. Seven months is not an appropriate amount of time, especially when "Viva La Vida" was on TV and radio for months straight and is now finally starting to lose steam.
2.) Even if the riffs are somewhat similar, over the course of time there have been many songs that sound somewhat alike and have been passed off as simply a coincidence.
3.) That being said, these songs don't really sound very much alike. If it is that riff after the first bit, then I think Satch is just being picky.
I'm sure that this will go away just like the last accusation did. But if I'm Chris Martin, I would be proud of myself: apparently the song he wrote is so good that everyone wants a piece of the action.
This most recent accusation is sort of a hard pill to swallow for a few reasons:
1.) "Viva La Vida" was released in May of 2008. The Creaky Boards complaint was made a month after, which is an appropriate time to react to the supposed pilfering of one of your songs. Seven months is not an appropriate amount of time, especially when "Viva La Vida" was on TV and radio for months straight and is now finally starting to lose steam.
2.) Even if the riffs are somewhat similar, over the course of time there have been many songs that sound somewhat alike and have been passed off as simply a coincidence.
3.) That being said, these songs don't really sound very much alike. If it is that riff after the first bit, then I think Satch is just being picky.
I'm sure that this will go away just like the last accusation did. But if I'm Chris Martin, I would be proud of myself: apparently the song he wrote is so good that everyone wants a piece of the action.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
My Top Comeback Albums
Time released an article chronicling the best comeback albums in honor of Britney Spears trying to resurrect her career. While the list does have some pretty good albums, I decided to create my own list of albums that helped me get over a band's past mess-ups.
Incubus - Light Grenades. After the successful reception of Make Yourself and Morning View, bassist Dirk Lance left the band for creative differences. Judging by the subsequent release of A Crow Left of the Murder, Lance took all of the creativity with him. The CD was full of overambitious concepts and riffs without melodies. After the lone abberation in their long career, Incubus got back on track with Light Grenades, which brought back the interesting sound that listeners know and love.
Eminem - The Eminem Show. The Marshall Mathers LP may have marked Eminem's most successful album, but it also was followed by a rough patch in Eminem's personal life. He was arrested for attacking a bouncer and his marriage to Kim was in shambles. However, Eminem took all of that negative energy and rolled it into a 19 track masterpiece that stands, in my opinion, as his best album to date. He referenced the incident in several tracks, including as a skit in "The Kiss," and with help from Jeff Bass and Dr. Dre turned something that could have been career-killing into the best-selling album of 2002.
Tool - Lateralus. Tool took the 90s by storm and essentially created the genre of progressive metal, or at least brought the genre to a bigger stage. With thrashing guitars, haunting lyrics and disturbing music videos, Tool had much success with 1993's Undertow and 1996's Aenima. But after a long legal dispute with their record company and a tarnished image thanks to their stance on the Napster/music sharing controversy, many Tool fans were thinking their third studio album might never come. Butin 2001 Tool released Lateralus, an album that took all of Tool's strengths and made them better, especially with the moving title track and epic songs like "The Grudge."
There are more, but they will be saved for another time.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Incubus - Light Grenades. After the successful reception of Make Yourself and Morning View, bassist Dirk Lance left the band for creative differences. Judging by the subsequent release of A Crow Left of the Murder, Lance took all of the creativity with him. The CD was full of overambitious concepts and riffs without melodies. After the lone abberation in their long career, Incubus got back on track with Light Grenades, which brought back the interesting sound that listeners know and love.
Eminem - The Eminem Show. The Marshall Mathers LP may have marked Eminem's most successful album, but it also was followed by a rough patch in Eminem's personal life. He was arrested for attacking a bouncer and his marriage to Kim was in shambles. However, Eminem took all of that negative energy and rolled it into a 19 track masterpiece that stands, in my opinion, as his best album to date. He referenced the incident in several tracks, including as a skit in "The Kiss," and with help from Jeff Bass and Dr. Dre turned something that could have been career-killing into the best-selling album of 2002.
Tool - Lateralus. Tool took the 90s by storm and essentially created the genre of progressive metal, or at least brought the genre to a bigger stage. With thrashing guitars, haunting lyrics and disturbing music videos, Tool had much success with 1993's Undertow and 1996's Aenima. But after a long legal dispute with their record company and a tarnished image thanks to their stance on the Napster/music sharing controversy, many Tool fans were thinking their third studio album might never come. Butin 2001 Tool released Lateralus, an album that took all of Tool's strengths and made them better, especially with the moving title track and epic songs like "The Grudge."
There are more, but they will be saved for another time.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Album Review: 8Stops7 - In Moderation
I've mostly taken it upon myself to do new album reviews since that is the nature of the music beast: it is all about what is new and happening right now. This is why I plan on reviewing CDs from Scarface and Akon among others in the coming weeks.
But sometimes a CD that is a little bit older just takes hold of you and won't let go, even after almost ten years. This sort of CD deserves a review, especially since it's from a band that never really got much publicity after the release. And since I mentioned one of their songs in the pick-me-up thread, I figured I should give them a little more attention.
8Stops7 is a rock band from Ventura, California that broke onto the music scene with the 1999 release In Moderation, and quickly got national notice for the singles "Satisfied" and "Question Everything," even getting a spot on the soundtrack from the show Friends. The problem was no one bought the album and Reprise records subsequently dropped 8Stops7 from their label.
If anyone had heard this album, they never would have had to be dropped.
In Moderation was -- and, 9 years later, still is -- the quintessential modern rock album. Every element to this album is nearly perfect, from the mood-setting thrashing guitars to the chilling vocals from Evan Sula-Goff, from the pulsing rock anthems to the moving ballads. This album was crafted with obvious care from top to bottom, from track to track, and it hits all five of the RRC criteria pretty flawlessly.
The guitars slash in some songs and whisper in others. The same can be said about Sula-Goff's voice, which has a surprisingly strong range. The lyrics aren't just splattering of angry words together but true stories. Every song has substance, from "Satisfied"'s battle with addiction to "Regression"'s letter from a child school shooter. There are songs about love and loss, songs about fathers dying and lovers' insanity. Each song is a story that draws the listener in and envelops them in a style that is uniquely 8Stops7's own.
8Stops7 released another album which is nearly impossible to find, and is planning on releasing another one in the coming year. I have tried desperately to find the second album because this first one had such an overwhelming effect on me. It has been 9 years since I first purchased this album and it still can bring out whatever emotion is needed: sadness, happiness, fear (from the end of "Better" which is a truly haunting song).
I reviewed this album because while there have been many good albums this year, I still feel like something's missing, and I wanted to show that there is an album that most people missed which should be discovered and given the attention it deserves.
Scoring:
Replayability: (20/20) "Not Alive," "Question Everything," "Regression," "Uninspired," "Esteem": each of these songs deserve multiple listens, and it takes many listens to "Esteem" to get your head around the subject matter. The songs are deep and moving and require multiple listens to truly enjoy.
Music: (18/20) The guitars from this album were much like the guitars from most the post-grunge rock era: heavy, distorted, and talented enough to carry a track. What really helps this score is that the shift in musical styles completely carries the album's momentum, and the solo in "Esteem" really captures the essence of the song completely.
Lyrics: (18/20) The pain is evident in "Regression": "These idle hands don't know their worth/I've covered them in blood, but this still fucking hurts." Similarly, the simple yet powerful lyrics in "Good Enough" display a much more hopeful theme: "But maybe tomorrow you'll wake up to find out/If I'm not good enough for now I'm good enough to wait for you."
Completeness: (20/20) This album was mixed and arranged perfectly, starting with the highs and mixing in the lows effortlessly. A variety of different emotions and moods are covered in the CD, and they flow naturally through one another.
Emotional Pull: (19/20) Spilling over from the last score, the emotions are powerfully on display throughout the entire album, climaxing at the end of "Forget," where Sula-Goff ends the CD with the full-circle: "When I need to find what I'm missing/And I can't recall what it was I believed in/Take me home." The ride is full of identifiable moments that listeners can relate to.
Total Score: 95
Grade: A
8Stops7 hits it right on nearly every chord, every vocal, every song. It may be hard to find, but it is on Amazon for 7 dollars, and that's a STEAL. This album is great from start to finish. Here's hoping that the other material they have and will put out can live up to the same standard.
Check, Check Plus, X
Satisfied √
Not Alive √+
Question Everything √+
Regression √+
Good Enough √+
Better √+
Uninspired √+
Esteem √+
Wider √
My Would-Be Savior √
Forget √+
Like I said, the next few album reviews should happen this week, as there is plenty of more hip hop, plus other albums coming out this week and next.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
But sometimes a CD that is a little bit older just takes hold of you and won't let go, even after almost ten years. This sort of CD deserves a review, especially since it's from a band that never really got much publicity after the release. And since I mentioned one of their songs in the pick-me-up thread, I figured I should give them a little more attention.
8Stops7 is a rock band from Ventura, California that broke onto the music scene with the 1999 release In Moderation, and quickly got national notice for the singles "Satisfied" and "Question Everything," even getting a spot on the soundtrack from the show Friends. The problem was no one bought the album and Reprise records subsequently dropped 8Stops7 from their label.
If anyone had heard this album, they never would have had to be dropped.
In Moderation was -- and, 9 years later, still is -- the quintessential modern rock album. Every element to this album is nearly perfect, from the mood-setting thrashing guitars to the chilling vocals from Evan Sula-Goff, from the pulsing rock anthems to the moving ballads. This album was crafted with obvious care from top to bottom, from track to track, and it hits all five of the RRC criteria pretty flawlessly.
The guitars slash in some songs and whisper in others. The same can be said about Sula-Goff's voice, which has a surprisingly strong range. The lyrics aren't just splattering of angry words together but true stories. Every song has substance, from "Satisfied"'s battle with addiction to "Regression"'s letter from a child school shooter. There are songs about love and loss, songs about fathers dying and lovers' insanity. Each song is a story that draws the listener in and envelops them in a style that is uniquely 8Stops7's own.
8Stops7 released another album which is nearly impossible to find, and is planning on releasing another one in the coming year. I have tried desperately to find the second album because this first one had such an overwhelming effect on me. It has been 9 years since I first purchased this album and it still can bring out whatever emotion is needed: sadness, happiness, fear (from the end of "Better" which is a truly haunting song).
I reviewed this album because while there have been many good albums this year, I still feel like something's missing, and I wanted to show that there is an album that most people missed which should be discovered and given the attention it deserves.
Scoring:
Replayability: (20/20) "Not Alive," "Question Everything," "Regression," "Uninspired," "Esteem": each of these songs deserve multiple listens, and it takes many listens to "Esteem" to get your head around the subject matter. The songs are deep and moving and require multiple listens to truly enjoy.
Music: (18/20) The guitars from this album were much like the guitars from most the post-grunge rock era: heavy, distorted, and talented enough to carry a track. What really helps this score is that the shift in musical styles completely carries the album's momentum, and the solo in "Esteem" really captures the essence of the song completely.
Lyrics: (18/20) The pain is evident in "Regression": "These idle hands don't know their worth/I've covered them in blood, but this still fucking hurts." Similarly, the simple yet powerful lyrics in "Good Enough" display a much more hopeful theme: "But maybe tomorrow you'll wake up to find out/If I'm not good enough for now I'm good enough to wait for you."
Completeness: (20/20) This album was mixed and arranged perfectly, starting with the highs and mixing in the lows effortlessly. A variety of different emotions and moods are covered in the CD, and they flow naturally through one another.
Emotional Pull: (19/20) Spilling over from the last score, the emotions are powerfully on display throughout the entire album, climaxing at the end of "Forget," where Sula-Goff ends the CD with the full-circle: "When I need to find what I'm missing/And I can't recall what it was I believed in/Take me home." The ride is full of identifiable moments that listeners can relate to.
Total Score: 95
Grade: A
8Stops7 hits it right on nearly every chord, every vocal, every song. It may be hard to find, but it is on Amazon for 7 dollars, and that's a STEAL. This album is great from start to finish. Here's hoping that the other material they have and will put out can live up to the same standard.
Check, Check Plus, X
Satisfied √
Not Alive √+
Question Everything √+
Regression √+
Good Enough √+
Better √+
Uninspired √+
Esteem √+
Wider √
My Would-Be Savior √
Forget √+
Like I said, the next few album reviews should happen this week, as there is plenty of more hip hop, plus other albums coming out this week and next.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
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