Madvillain

Madvillainy

(Stones Throw)

“Audiences love to hate,” the 50s style monotone intones beginning the introduction of MF Doom and Madlib, the duo known as Madvillain. And these snide guys are off at the races, galumphing off from rhyme to rhyme and hitting off everything from Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four years—the influence for MF Doom’s style—to Mutley, the dastardly companion of acid-washed 70s cartoons starring Dick Dasterdly.

MF Doom used to be part of a normal rap group, but as that hit the fan, he created this new identity for himself and, true to form, his true face hasn’t been seen in years, dropping yearly tracks under a number of aliases, including Victor Vaughn.

No matter their initial protestations, this is not a dangerous album. These two are not gangsters; they are simply witty pranksters, touting public service announcements that marijuana is sure to increase creativity. They certainly sound like they’re having a good time and they’re, according to one song, “America’s Most Blunted.”

The interesting thing about Madvillain is that they are clearly having a blast chilling with their friends and occasionally recording. In contrast, College Dropout, for all its wit and creativity, often seems put on, a show to replace J-Hova in America’s hearts and minds.

Thankfully the samples in here go beyond the ordinary R & B hits of the 60s and 70s. They dig and find hooks—often narrated instead of sung—that they can dominate instead of giving a new twist on an old classic that dominates their rhymes.

Madvillainy is like Pharcyde’s Bizzare Ride, meeting Spider Man and His Amazing Friends somewhere around Q-Tip’s house and, though it sometimes is too creative for danceable hip-hop, it works on many levels.

—Scoop A. Wasserstein

Muse

Absolution

(Warner Bros.)

After I first heard the song “Unintended” by Muse last year, I was in a frenzy to find as much Muse music as I could. After going through 2001’s Origin of Symmetry breathlessly, I braced myself for disappointment from their new album, Absolution. But to my great shock, I’m not disappointed at all. Each track is pure Muse, the beautiful voice of Matt Bellamy flows over pounding piano chords and arpeggios, drums and fantastic bass rifts. “Sing for Absolution” is one of the best tracks. Its melancholic melody is woven with piano and bass to a stunning effect.

“Stockholm Syndrome” is blow-you-away intense and “Falling Away with You,” like “Unintended,” is sweet and gentle, and gracefully falls into a 30 second “Interlude.” When the vocals come in during “Hysteria,” there is an overwhelming aching feeling that is augmented by the stunning background music.