Subtle, For Hero for Fool, Astralwerks
The underground rap supergroup Subtle challenges all sorts of assumptions. No act since the golden age of indie hip-hop in the late ‘90s has so effectively and startlingly confronted ideas about what hip-hop sounds like, looks like or can deal with. Subtle’s sophomore release, For Hero for Fool, is the second in a trilogy of records dealing with race, money and exploitation in hip-hop. Built on a complex series of metaphors and semi-autobiographical characters, the album is anything but background music.
A six-member collective, Subtle is more or less what would happen if The Roots started dropping acid and finally got a decent MC. The beats, largely constructed with live instrumentation, are intricate, meticulously layered,and perfectly produced. Anticon mastermind Jel handles the drum programming, providing some of the most complex, weirdly funky breaks this side of Timbaland. The rapping, delivered primarily by Doseone, is a marvel of control and rhythmic skill. Surreal diss track “Midas Gutz” has him switching cadence and tone so often it’s hard to believe that it’s one person spitting out all these lines. Elsewhere, as on album centerpiece “The Mercury Craze,” he’s able to ride Jel’s drum line so well that it takes a minute to notice that he’s rapping about the vampirism of fame and fortune.
This sort of hip-hop won’t rock the party, but it is the kind of genuinely interesting, forward-thinking rap that we haven’t seen in a long time. If their performance at the Black Cat earlier this week is any indication, Subtle doesn’t have much of an audience yet, but they aren’t necessarily making music for popular attention. Good music is likeable, thoughtful and fun to listen to. Great music is all these while also testing the limits and confines of genre, as well as the expectations of listeners. For Hero for Fool definitely falls into the latter category.
—P.S. Hepburn
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife, Capital Records
The Crane Wife, inspired by an ancient Japanese folk tale, unsurprisingly delivers more of the rich lyrical ballads that have become the Decemberists’ trademark. While remaining faithful to their classic maritime melodies with themes of rape and plundering, the group’s new album also boasts some ambitious, multi-part tracks that prove this group is nowhere near settling down or selling out.
The Crane Wife is the Decemberists’ first album released on a major label, Capitol Records. Under the pressures of hitting the mainstream, the band could have potentially compromised their artistic freedom. Fortunately, this notion couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only have the Decemberists expanded their musical horizons, they’ve also managed to churn out some of their best music to date.
“The Island” is a three-movement, 12-minute odyssey of instrumental genius and forlorn poetics. The track has a classic rock feel coupled with an impressive organ solo and the emotionally charged pipes of front man Colin Meloy. “Yankee Bayonet,” a duet with folk artist Laura Veirs, contrasts the more aggressive rock tracks with delicate, breathy vocals and lovelorn lyrics.
The most pleasantly surprising number is undoubtedly “The Perfect Crime 2,” a ‘70s funk-inspired number with a beat that will no doubt get hipsters grooving. “Crane Wife 1 and 2,” the album’s second epic track, incorporates Cat Stevens-esque acoustics while placing deep, resonant drums at the forefront to create a subtle but rich fable-themed ballad.
Although a few mediocre tracks like “O Valencia” pale in comparison to the album’s many successful songs, The Crane Wife maintains a harmonious balance of the band’s traditional hallmarks with a few refreshingly bold moves. While the Decemberists aren’t about to abandon their melodramatic ship anytime soon, this album proves that they can successfully navigate uncharted territory without getting lost at sea.
—Madeline Reidy
Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor, Atlantic
When was the last time you heard a mainstream rap album without any profanity? Lupe Fiasco wants to help you answer that question. A Muslim MC straight out of the heart of Chicago, Lupe rhymes with a style that’s clean and literate. His narratives paint vivid pictures of what it’s like to be a talented, ambitious black man stuck in America’s often-cruel social hierarchy. Promoted relentlessly by Kanye West, Fiasco’s debut, Food & Liquor, lives up to the hype and proves to be one of this year’s strongest rap albums.
Lupe sounds strongest on Food when accompanied by driving, grandiose arrangements. The album’s opener, “Real,” is a perfect example of this strength. It’s a dissection of life in the inner city in which Lupe preaches, “Struggle, another sign that God loves you/ ‘cause on the low, being po’ makes you humble.” Another highlight, “The Emperor’s Soundtrack”, uses an angelic choral loop to add fire to Lupe’s assertion, “I only fear God/ not the weapons of the weak.” He doesn’t shy away from making big, generalizing statements, and though it sometimes seems as though he’s got a Kanye-like God complex, he knows how and when to temper it.
The lead single, “Kick, Push,” is stylistically and lyrically lighter than anything else on the album, but its clean, straightforward orchestral production gives it a boost. “He Say She Say” benefits from the same even-handed studio work and features some of Lupe’s finest rhymes.
Food & Liquor does have one glaring weakness: the drab choruses. Usually performed by guests, these occasionally take away from Lupe’s strong verses. The most obvious culprit here is the Mike Shinoda-produced “The Instrumental,” in which the vocal track in the chorus sounds unsettlingly close to his uninventive main project, Linkin Park. As a whole, though, Food & Liquor is a refreshing and consistent release that rivals Ghostface’s Fishscale as the year’s top rap album. Any fans of Kanye, Common, Talib Kweli or even Nas would do well to pick this up.
—Justin Scott
