Sadly, this glimpse into Murs’ complexity is hardly developed on the rest of the album. Given its shortcomings in the content department, The End of the Beginning is best enjoyed—as Murs implies—like a good situation comedy. It’s not an awful way to spend an hour, but don’t expect to learn much.
—Michael S. Hoffman
Richard Ashcroft
Human Conditions
Virgin
Richard Ashcroft is like a filmmaker who’s had enough of directing commercials. Human Conditions is Ashcroft’s feature-length epic, an album that dispenses with lightheartedness in favor of profound philosophical meditations.
Gone are lyrics like “the drugs don’t work/they just make you worse.” Instead, Ashcroft writes songs that ponder “the human condition, the big decisions”, as he summarizes in his opening track.
Despite this shift to more universal themes, though, the style of music has essentially remained the same. Nearly all of the songs on Human Conditions are laid-back rock ballads supported by strings and brass, an approach that has become almost synonymous with Ashcroft’s name since his days as frontman for the Verve. In fact, there is only one track on the album, “Bright Lights”, that even comes close to being an upbeat rock n’ roll anthem.
Regardless, it’s clear that the downtempo rock ballad is Ashcroft’s specialty—and for good reason. Few rock artists can so effectively wield an orchestra as thematic element, and even fewer have (as Ashcroft has done) managed to compose memorable instrumental lines that utterly complement the vocals.
By confining himself to rock ballads, however, Ashcroft denies his listeners the stylistic variety that a musician of his talent could easily handle. Human Conditions is a great album, but without more musical experimentation in future works, it could be his last real success.
—Gary P. H. Ho
Zion I
Deep Water slang, vol. 2
Raptivism
The star of Deep Water Slang, Vol. 2, the new album from Oakland hip-hop duo Zion I, is producer Amp Live. Amp juggles diverse textures, tempos and musical idioms, lacing the album with complex yet infectious beats. Though MC Zion’s nasal staccato and superior rhythmic sensibility are well suited for these rich backdrops, it’s ultimately the music—not the words—that fuel this lush and energizing record.
Zion I hinted at their potential on their 2000 debut Mind Over Matter, with brilliant tracks like “Silly Puddy” and “Trippin’.” But while that album might well have been shortened into an EP, Deep Water is virtually devoid of filler.
“The Drill” is one of many standouts, setting epic pizzicato strings against a swirling synth, while “Finger Paint” balances distorted guitar with warm female vocals. Thankfully, Amp rescues “Sorry” (an apology to Zion’s ex-girlfriends) from the realm of tired cliches, laying an ethereal flute and keys over violins and a crunchy boom-bip. MC Zion particularly shines on “Dune,” a haunting proclamation of socio-political apocalypse. The song’s chorus finds some hope among all the despair: “Cadillac, prison guards, Mumia behind bars / We in charge, live for God, no matter how hard.”
Deep Water is a rare achievement in underground hip-hop, at once accessible and cutting-edge—and if there is any justice in the world, it will bring Zion I, and especially Amp Live, loads of recognition.
—Michael S. Hoffman