Japandroids: Near to the Wild Heart of Life ALBUM REVIEW

Japandroids are the kind of band that I should really love. They are a duo, guitar and drums, who exude the kind of confidence in their music that makes rock music great. They seem to be so sure that what they're saying in their music could be life-changing to someone, and they try to write songs to fit that confidence. But in my opinion, while the lyrics are quite uplifting, the music has often been mired in blandness, with lots of tinny production and predictable chord progressions. That's the main reason why I haven't enjoyed this band throughout the years, especially their last LP Celebration Rock, which had the stand-out "House That Heaven Built", but nearly every other track ranged from forgettable to ear-grating. And while I don't think that Near to the Wild Heart of Life fixes every issue I've had with Japandroids, I can say with some confidence that it does contain more enjoyable moments than its predecessor.

In fact, the first two tracks get things started properly, with the title track bringing perhaps the most fist-pumping triumphant track the band has ever recorded; the track seems to focus on the need for us to break away from our day to day grinds and just go out and experience nature and actually being alive. This kind of message really hits home for me, and the track musically reminds me a lot of Bruce Springsteen in the way he writes songs with this kind of energetic feeling. "North East South West" continues this vibe, and the closer, the fantastic "In A Body Like A Grave" brings another message of overcoming the grind of life to aspire to something more than mundane.

But my love of the album stops with those three tracks, as the other moments here feel too familiar to what they've done before or are just flat-out bad. The prime example of a bad song is "I'm Sorry" which is mired in reverb and the tinny-est sounding guitar distortion that I've heard in a long time. Then there's the promising but ultimately tedious "Arc of Bar" which has a pretty decent story running through it, but it is instrumentally stale. The other tracks are just 'okay' in my opinion and failed to make an impression, save for "True Love" which features some pretty cheesy lines here and there.

So yeah, Japandroids aren't exatly winning me over with this record, but again, there are more stand-outs than Celebration Rock, but aside from those tracks, this album is such a bore to me. But still, give it a try, you may like it more than I did.

6.0/10

Neil Cicirega: Mouth Moods ALBUM REVIEW

The internet can be a pretty magical place sometimes. Anyone who has spent as much time on various music and meme sites as me would know, that the world of music and the internet have led to some truly wacky and wonderful fusions. These fusions often involving smashing obscure or underground music with super popular music to create a completely new track, or as is the case with Neil Cicirega, the incredibly talented and multifaceted master of his craft; take two (or more) extremely popular tracks, for instance, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and TLC's "No Scrubs" and  mash them together seamlessly.

Neil has been doing his mash-up music thing for a few years now, and in fact, his last two mash-up albums, Mouth Sounds and Mouth Silence are still some of the best, most enjoyable releases in the entire sub-genre. However, with the third album completing the Mouth trilogy, Mouth Moods is in many ways a superior album overall.

Now I know what you're thinking, why am I reviewing an album that is essentially a bunch of other songs mixed together with some internet jokes mixed in? Simply put, it is the most fun I've had with music since the other two Mouth albums. These mash-ups are so eye-opening in the way they either find commonalities between two pieces of popular music, or how certain tracks, despite their differences, can be shaped to make something completely different. And I can't forget tracks like "The Starting Line" which is literally the opening seconds of nearly a dozen tracks, all mashed together to make a new song.

On this album, Neil always seems to find some new way to blend disparate parts together, and unlike the last two albums, the results here are almost universally excellent, whereas on the other two releases, there were way more bits of filler. And while this album isn't completely devoid of that (I don't care that your computer has 300MB of hard-drive space!) it definitely has more in the way of fully-fleshed songs.

I won't go into extreme detail about all the tracks I loved because that would take forever (and ruin the surprise), but just know that if you're looking for something different and happen to enjoy popular music, this album has the potential to be the most fun you'll have with music all year.

8.7/10 

Foxygen: Hang ALBUM REVIEW

Hang is the fourth full length LP from Foxygen, a duo that is known for bringing a diverse mix of classic rock styles together in a collage of sounds ranging from The Velvet Underground to The Rolling Stones. I've been a casual fan of these guys since their debut EP/ LP, but I'd be lying if I said that their last LP, ...And Star Power wasn't a let down. That LP was just so tame and overly long for Foxygen, not to mention the production was pretty sub-par in a lot of places. Couple that with the fact that the duo went on a bit of a hiatus immediately after its release and Foxygen seemed like they would go down as another band that started strong before fizzling out. Luckily, with the release of Hang, the duo not only breaks that trend by releasing another LP, but it just so happens to be my favorite of their discography thus far.

The opening track "Follow The Leader" starts things off right; this track has a big Rolling Stones feel, a very Some Girls feel with a lot of attitude and a fantastic hook. Not to mention, this track struts the added instrumentation that Hang brings to the table in a perfect way, setting the listener up for the rest of the LP. In fact, this album is not just a step up from the last LP, but this is easily one of the classiest, most lush sounding LP's I've heard in years, and is simply a joy to listen to. The track "Avalon" brings a Roxy Music vibe to the table, with again, a hook to die for and instrumentation that simply soars.

But not every moment on this LP is upbeat and jubilant, as the tracks "America" and "Trauma" give this album some nice variety. But to be honest, there's not much room on this album for boredom to set in, this thing is only eight tracks long, and by the time it ends, I feel like the LP could easily go on for another four tracks. But despite the brevity, this album still feels whole, and that has a lot to do with just how well written every track is on Hang. Even the minute and a half "Upon A Hill" feels pretty complete, even if I wish it was a bit longer, and every other track here shows the group working with their usual progressive approach to songwriting, with a lot of tempo changes that will keep the listener on the edge of their seat; something that was distinctly missing from their last album.

Simply put, this is the first great album of the year in my opinion, and again, it is easily my favorite Foxygen album to date. Check it out.

8.5/10

The XX: I See You ALBUM REVIEW

The XX are a U.K. rock trio that have been putting out music since 2009. While I haven't been the biggest fan of theirs in the past, especially on their debut LP, which I found to be simply too sparse and empty sounding, I always look forward to hearing what the group will do next, because maybe they'll impress me. Unfortunately, while I can't say that their latest LP I See You has won me over in any major way, I will still concede to this being the trio's most enjoyable effort to date. In fact, aside from a sort of humdrum middle section and in my opinion, completely flat closing track, I See You is a very enjoyable release with nice grooves and the occasional bright hook.

The album starts promising with the track "Dangerous" which has a good beat and bassline, and even the vocals, usually whisper quite and strained, feel a lot more confident on this track. And this track is a perfect example of this album at its very best, when the music is lively and the vocal performances venture outside of the usual moody theatrics. This happens again on tracks like "On Hold" and "I Dare You" two other tracks that I feel are really solid, especially "On Hold" with its prominent Hall & Oates sample. I also really loved the track "Replica" which may be my favorite track on the entire LP. Not only does this track have a great melody and hook, but it is strengthened by the fact it comes after a stream of tracks that I can only describe as drab.

Now keep in mind, the track-list from "Say Something Loving" to "Performance" are actually closer to what The XX usually sound like, which means that my opinion on these tracks is pretty biased, considering I've never liked this sound from the band, but it is unfortunate that the group still managed to cram a bunch of these kinds of songs on to an album that is otherwise a nice change of pace. This is especially true on "Say Something Loving" which almost made me stop listening to the record altogether on my first listen, just because I couldn't find anything to attach my interest to.

However, the crown jewel of songs I didn't enjoy is the closer "Test Me" which I can only describe as a minute and a half of the same old same old, followed by wispy forgettable instrumental filler, before ultimately fading out into nothing... three of my musical pet peeves crammed into one song.

Still, despite my complaints, I still found some enjoyment out of this album, and I feel like XX fans will really love this album. New listeners, start here.

6.5/10

Sepultura: Machine Messiah ALBUM REVIEW

I'm a big fan of Sepultura's early work. The stuff this group put out between 1985 and 1993 is some of the finest Thrash/ Death metal you can find, especially on records like Arise or Chaos A.D.. As far as their stuff post Roots is concerned, I'll be honest, I haven't listened to much of it. Not because I found the change from lead vocalist Igor Cavalera to Derrick Green detestable or that I find the heavier emphasis on Nu- Metal to be super troubling, it's just that I either haven't had the time, or would rather listen to the older, more death and thrash oriented releases.

That being said, I found a lot to like on this new record, Machine Messiah. For instance, this album kicks off remarkably well with the title track, a mini-epic that introduces the loose concept of the record with a nice soft intro before barreling into some pretty nice death metal riffs. Also the track "I Am The Enemy" brings to the table a short, punk influenced track that is simply wonderful for how pummeling it is. And while it took a little time to grow, the track "Phantom Self" is a fantastic track that brings in the tribal influence that were so prevalent on a record like Roots.

However, this track also introduces one of the albums biggest flaws, its use of synthesizers or synthesized strings. Which, if used sparingly can be okay, but they really bog some of the tracks here down. Also, there are a couple duds here in the form of "Alethea" which just plods on, and  the penultimate track "Vandals Nest" which is an unfortunate lyrical wasteland. However, despite these flaws and a couple corny spoken-word spots, Machine Messiah delivers where it counts with plenty of great riffs and really nice guitar solos. And I can't go the entire review without mentioning Derrick Green, who holds down the vocals especially well. He gives a really captivating performance on nearly every track, and he diversifies enough to stop from sounding samey-samey on every track.

It may not be the strongest in the band's catalog, but having listened to this, I'm definitely going to do some looking back to see what else I've been missing out on.

7.2/10

The Minutemen Discography: Part 4: 3-Way Tie (For Last)

3-Way Tie was released in 1985, shortly after the unfortunate passing of singer/ guitarist/ founder D. Boon. After D.'s passing, the group called it quits and has never released a new set of songs under the Minutemen name, out of respect for D. Boon. In fact, the remaining members were ready to quit music all-together, and nearly did, but after some encouragement from fellow bands on the scene, they did go off to do side projects. 3-Way Tie; therefore, is the final statement that the band made, and while I can't say that it is my favorite, there are still some strong moments here, and an entirely new focus for the band, sound-wise.

Up until this point, the band had a sound that brought to mind the sounds of post-punk and jittery experimental rock that would go on to influence bands like The Pixies, with the occasional experiment in jazz, or even rockabilly. But on this LP,  the band wholeheartedly embraced a sound that I can only describe as alt-country. The opening cut "The Price of Paradise" reminds me a lot of what a band like Drive-By Truckers would be doing half a decade later and there is even a CCR cover on this album in the form of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". In fact, covers are pretty prevalent on this album, and while I'm not really a fan of multiple covers on a proper studio LP, the ones on offer here are certainly stamped with enough Minutemen personality to make them at least worth a listen.

However, despite being a pretty significant change for the group stylistically, a change that conceptually I'm all for, this LP does suffer in my opinion from over production. The Minutemen, for all of their superior abilities as musicians, never were ones to overthink their production; for example, an EP like Buzz or Howl was mostly recorded live and the tracks that weren't were recorded cheaply, which led to the entire project only costing around $50. And while I don't think higher production values are an inherently bad thing, even for punk, (heck, my favorite Ramones album was heavily produced) I can't help but fell like these songs lose a lot of guts with this kind of recording. For instance, on a track like "The Price of Paradise" or "Courage", two tracks with strong anti-war messages, I don't feel so much like rising to the call as much as I feel like taking a nice anti-war nap.

Again, this is not because the songs are bad, this is simply a matter of the production covering up a lot of the greatness. Sadly, this means that 3-Way Tie is the only Minutemen record that I wouldn't recommend unless you're absolutely a fan. It's not bad, it's just not great in my opinion.

As far as the entire discography is concerned, I urge you to check out everything up until this LP, this is punk/ experimental rock at its DIY peak, one that very few bands in my experience have come close to.

7.5/10

The Minutemen Discography: Part 3: Double Nickels on the Dime

The more and more I dig into The Minutemen's discography, the more I realize just how prolific they were. In the time between 1983's What Makes a Man Start Fires and 1984's Double Nickels on the Dime, the band had released two EP's, one of which is perhaps my favorite Minutemen release full stop: Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat. Pile on top of that the fact that the groups third full length release is one of punk rocks most ambitious; with 43 tracks (46 with some versions, though the missing songs are covers) and a total runtime of about 80 minutes and the proof of the band's non-stop work ethic is impossible to deny.

However, whereas most overly long ambitious punk LP's come off as a bit dry in spots, The Minutemen, for the most part, put together an album that is entirely creative and enjoyable from start to finish, with only a couple tracks here and there sounding redundant or like filler. This comes from the fact that the album is broken up into four smaller albums technically, though there's no concept that I could glean, the breakage simply comes from who wrote the majority of the tracks for any set disc or side. Luckily, this leads to an album with great pacing, all things considered, with a near flawless balance of energetic and thoughtful, jazzy cuts.

Now, I'm not going to pretend like I know every track on here by heart, because I don't, but there are tracks on here that I look forward to in the track listing, such as "#1 Hit Song", "Don't Look Now", "The Big Foist", "Corona", and "The Glory of Man". There are more of course, but honestly it is hard to review this album in my typical track based breakdown, because while the runtime of the LP isn't anything too daunting, the shear number of tracks on offer here is; simply put, there are too many great moments here to fit concisely into a review.

But, to keep things to the point, this is the Minutemen's finest moment; maybe not my overall favorite, but undeniably a masterwork from a band that was at this point operating at a level never before seen in punk music. And just like my last review, this album does step even further outside the constraints of punk music at the time, opting for even more experimental forms of expression, furthering the jazzy interplay, jittery guitar leads, hypnotic drum lines and groove-heavy basslines.

Perhaps this album is just too large and full of little moments to really do justice in a written review that is less than a 10-page essay, but with that being said I'll leave it at this: listen to this album. Whether you're a fan of punk or just of experimental rock, this album will have some thing for you.

9.3/10 

The Minutemen Discography: Part 2: What Makes a Man Start Fires?

Released in 1983, What Makes a Man Start Fires is the second studio LP from The Minutemen. At this point in the band's career they had released a handful of EP's and only one studio release, but they were already proving themselves to be unlike any other punk band. Having been slotted under the 'hardcore'- punk label early on, this album, and pretty much every other release from the band going forward would prove that label to be sort of useless in describing what this band was doing. In my opinion, WMAMSF is proof that this band was more of a post-punk band in the long run, whereas the debut had 'hints' of Gang of Four who were pretty pivotal to the sound of post-punk; this album not only wholeheartedly embraces the jagged, oddly timed rock music that made Gang of Four so great, but they also incorporate jazzier, more free-form styles as well, such as on "East Wind/ Faith" which starts with a drum solo before bursting into its second half.

Also, this album contains very little in the way of more traditional hardcore-punk sounds; sure the songs are short, and yes they have political subject matter most of the time, but rarely are any of these tracks the typical three-chord bursts of aggression that say a band like Minor Threat would bring to the table. Instead, the band opts to slow things down, let the grooves sink in for a bit, and create an album that is just as irresistibly catchy and enthralling as their debut, even more so.

Tracks like "Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs" and "Sell Or Be Sold" are so bare bones and raw, while tracks such as "Mutiny in Jonestown" or "Fake Contest" are more catchy and even upbeat musically, as is the case with the former track. Simply put, there's a lot of variety on offer here, even if the overall package still only clocks in at 28 minutes or so, it is easy to see just how much the band were improving even in such a short amount of time. There are only a couple moments here that pale in comparison or sound a bit familiar, but overall WMAMSF is easily my favorite Minutemen LP to sit down and listen to in one sitting.

9.0/10

The Minutemen Discography: Part 1: The Punchline

The Minutemen were a Punk/ Experimental Rock trio from San Pedro California. They formed in the late 70's and put out their first full length LP, The Punchline in 1981. The trio had preceded this album with a string of very well received EP's, such as the punchy and visceral Paranoid Time. And right from the start this trio proved to be a lot more than your standard three chord Hardcore punk band, with a lot of their sound relying on the interplay between jagged guitar leads and groove-based basslines that get a really prominent spot in the mix. Also, the band's approach to politics in their music was a lot more subtle and based on satire than outright preaching or posturing, which was certainly refreshing at the time and proves to be one of the many secret weapons that still make The Minutemen so great all these years later.

But what about this LP, The Punchline?  A quick perusal of the internet may give you the impression that this album is an 'okay' start for the group with a lot of reviews giving 3 out 5's and 6.5 out of 10's, but in my opinion, though slightly derivative of a group like Gang of Four, The Punchline is the most immediate and stripped back the group ever sounded and that is a huge plus considering that they went on to produce a 43 track opus in the form of Double Nickels on the Dime. To me, the straightforward, no frills approach that this album takes makes it a perfect starting point for any new listener of not only The Minutemen, but perhaps Hardcore punk in general. Even though I think this is definitely the closest the group ever got to sounding like a stereotypical Hardcore punk band. Still, this LP manages to be both sour and sweet in equal measure while also balancing the band's love for fast paced punk and the stylings of jazz and experimental music.

In terms of length this LP is true to the punk spirit, with 18 tracks that go by in exactly 15 minutes with songs that only ever dare to be longer than a minute and a half at their longest. Some songs here bleed into each other which can make the first couple of listens a little hard to pick apart, but in my opinion more than enough tracks stand on their own, such as the title track, "Search", "Tension", "History Lesson" and the fantastically melodic closer "Static". If I had one additional gripe, my first being the tendency for tracks to bleed into one another, would be that this album doesn't stand out as much when put into the larger context of the groups discography, and while that's not inherently a bad thing considering this is still a great album, the fact that this LP was immediately followed by What Makes a Man Start Fires and the aforementioned opus, makes this album certainly pale in comparison. Still, this LP gets my ringing endorsement, it certainly deserves more attention and respect.

8.1/10

Nick Drake Discography: Part 3: Pink Moon

By 1972, the year that Pink Moon was released, it is said that Nick Drake had all but become a complete hermit. In fact, instead of calling a meeting to show his label and producers the new album, he instead simply dropped it off at the studio with the label "Pink Moon" written on the stack of tapes. In many ways, this isolation and overall depression is very present on Pink Moon, seeing as all the tracks here, save for some piano embellishments on the title track feature Drake and Drake alone, plucking away on his acoustic guitar. And while after coming from an album so well constructed and lavish as Bryter Layter, Pink Moon in many ways feels somehow fuller than any album that Drake ever produced. In my opinion, this comes from the fact that without all the added instrumentation, Drake's poetic and sad lyrics are given room  to breath, and what he has to say on this album is truly beautiful.

In retrospect, tracks like "Pink Moon" which seems to point to the inevitability of death or the following track "Place To Be" in which the lyrics find Drake himself seemingly finding the truth about life and how he doesn't find himself comfortable in his "place", a sentiment that was true of Drake in his day to day life, where he never felt comfortable. I wouldn't say that any of the songs here are necessarily the words of a man on the verge of suicide (the ultimate fate of Nick Drake), but I can say with absolute certainty that these lyrics, no matter how abstract, are most definitely the musings of a deeply sad person, one that wasn't even fit to be on the cover of his own album.

But aside from the sadness and overall feelings of desperation and loneliness, the music here is lean and punchy, ofttimes producing Drake's most listener friendly moments ever, such as the title track, "Which Will" or "Free Ride". And while the track "Horn" does present another instrumental, I actually feel like this track fits better than the instrumentals on Bryter Layter where they simply felt like filler or A/B side separators. Speaking of which, this album contains absolutely no filler, which its run-time reflects, seeing as how the LP clocks in at just over 28 minutes. However, I wouldn't say that this is Drake's most enjoyable LP for the newcomer; sure the title track is a great start, but unless you're willing to listen closely, this album may come off as just a bit to simple or one-dimensional. But, once you give it time, this is the kind of album that is hard to forget. For me, this album's sadness is one that I find creeping into my subconscious at  regular intervals throughout the years and it is one that I don't hesitate to give a full listen to every time I put it on. Nick Drake's best work, in my opinion and an absolute masterwork of an album.

10/10

Nick Drake Discography: Part 2: Bryter Layter

Released in 1970, only a year after his debut, Nick Drake's Bryter Layter is in my opinion a step up in quality from Five Leaves Left. The main complaint that I had with the debut is how some of the songs were so softly spoken and quite that they tended to fade into the background, and while vocally Drake was always whisper-quite, Bryter Layter surrounds him with lush, often surprisingly bright instrumentation that shows that he could still pen some truly sad tunes without the rest of the song falling into a lull. Some of the best examples of this are the excellent and textured "At The Chime Of A City Clock" which has fantastic contrast between its verses and choruses, and we even get some smooth saxophone playing from Ray Warleigh. There are even a couple of tracks where Velvet Underground member John Cale shows up, showing just how much Nick Drake's record company were trying to push Drake as a mainstream act, luckily, these tracks are still fantastic and the two work together wonderfully.

It is actually hard for me to find things that I disliked about this album; maybe the backing vocals on "Poor Boy" feel a little out of place? But really, Bryter Layter is everything that the debut was, but it is more textured and the songwriting is even stronger. Moments such as "One Of These Things First" call back to the more contemplative moments from the debut, but again, the backing instrumentation is more finely tuned and infinitely more attention grabbing. There are even a couple of purely instrumental tracks here in the form of "Introduction", "Sunday" and the title track; all are really solid, but I'll admit, looking back, I'd love if we could of gotten more vocal tracks from Drake, as his voice and lyrics are what truly made him such a great artist.

I've read reviews of how melancholy this album is, and while true, I don't think it gets lost in it like the debut did at points. And of course this sounds a bit odd, considering that his final album Pink Moon is my favorite, an album that is notoriously sad, but I think at least instrumentally, this is Drake's best release. I may like the mood and lyrics of Pink Moon more, but Bryter Layter is proof that if Drake had gotten a little more attention back in the day, he would of been a more than viable commercial act alongside Dylan and Young. If you're looking for an easy in for Nick Drake, pick this one.

9.2/10

Nick Drake Discography: Part 1: Five Leaves Left

Well, it is the beginning of a new year and once again I find myself in the dead season of album releases. So, just like last year, I'll be focusing the next couple of reviews on the discography of a single artist, in this case, that of cult folk favorite Nick Drake. Now, back in the late 60's when Nick Drake first debuted with the somber and non intrusive Five Leaves Left, the public reception of his work was luke-warm to say the least, with a less than 5,000 copies of the LP being sold during Drake's lifetime. This would sadly be a trend for the rest of Drake's very short career which is a real shame, because while he is a folk icon nowadays, he did actually craft some legitimately fantastic music in the half decade that he was recording music. And while there is very little that is actually known about Drake on a personal level, his music really speaks not only for him, but also for itself in it's sad, often depressed moods and in just how beautifully delicate it all is. So, without further delay, let's get into this!

Five Leaves Left is as stated above, the debut album from Nick Drake. Released in 1969, it features rich acoustic instrumentation, backed by horns, strings and piano and the odd steel guitar here and there. And while I can't say that the components of this album are anything uncommon for the time, especially considering that guys like Neil Young and Bob Dylan were doing similar things in their music, it is the voice and somber emotions that sort of put this album in a place of its own. And yes, the argument could easily (and will be) made that Nick Drakes later output, most notably his final album Pink Moon is a lot more sad and depressive than this LP, it is important to understand that this album represents the moment in time where Drake was first revealing himself and his talent to the world, and while the public wasn't very receptive at the time, future generations would find attachment to this work in a big way.

I'll go ahead and say that I think the level of sadness and isolation that this and an album like Pink Moon bring to the table simply weren't recognized upon release because the world around it was not ready for patient, often near ambient folk music. Instead, the average music listener was more interested in folk music with a political edge, of which this album is completely devoid for the most part. Instead, Five Leaves Left acts as a meditation on Drake's personal feelings and moods, especially on tracks like "Man In A Shed" which points directly to Drake's introspective nature or "Day Is Done" which is easily the albums most depressive tune.

Though not every tune here is wallowing in sadness, as the simply beautiful and sort of cute "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" shows, Drake wasn't apposed to simply writing an upbeat song about a girl, or the sort of bitter-sweet closer "Saturday Sun" which leaves the album off on a contemplative note. And while I do love this album, I will admit that it isn't the most memorable music experience upon the first couple of listens; this album does require a bit of time to really sink in and even then, some of its moments can find themselves hanging in the background. But the talent on display here is simply undeniable; especially considering how young Drake was at the time of its recording. I'd also like to point out of great the guitar playing is here; Drake had a very smooth and confident finger-picked style that would improve on future releases, but always carried the tunes on his albums.

So, while not my favorite release from Nick Drake, Five Leaves Left is a fantastic starting point, and in my opinion, Drake only got better from here.

8.5/10

Run the Jewels: RTJ 3 ALBUM REVIEW

Killer Mike and EL-P are perhaps the most successful and well-received rap duo in the last decade. Especially after the release of the incendiary RTJ 2, these guys have been on everyone's list as some of the finest rappers to play the game in a long long time. Which meant that the anticipation for RTJ 3 was incredibly high, so, the question is, does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and no. Yes, this is a great album from front to bottom, but no, it is not as good as RTJ 2, in my opinion.

The album starts off surprisingly mellow with the track "Down"; not a bad start. but certainly not nearly as hype building as "Jeopardy" was on RTJ 2. But after the first track the album takes off at full speed with back to back hits that are sure to melt a few faces along the way, among my favorites in the first half are the banging "Legend Has It" and the odd "Call Ticketron". It's also worth noting that this album is the group's most overtly political as well, though the first half doesn't reveal this fact wholeheartedly; sure, the duo do have pseudo-political statements on the first half, but it feels more playful, much like RTJ 2 was.

But after the track "Stay Gold" with the exception of "Panther Like a Panther", the LP is one political message after another. However tiresome that may sound (because even the most political albums ever made still have moments of levity throughout), the duo never come off as preachy or overly forceful in their need to put political messages in their tracks, instead we get a powerful but level-headed approach that makes their points even more sharp and effective. Which is also helped by the fact that Killer Mike and EL-P are just as witty and fantastic in terms of flow and lyrics that they were on RTJ 2, and aside from some familiar moments, EL-P's production is as sharp as ever.

My biggest complaint with this album is that it simply isn't as straight to the point as RTJ 2 was. Which may be an unfair expectation, but I can't help but measure the two, because to this day I can still recite at least half of RTJ 2 based on memory alone, whereas I feel like while great, RTJ 3 isn't as memorable. Still, RTJ on an okay day is still better than 90% of modern rappers, so take my statements with that fact in mind.

8.4/10