Album Review!

For those of you that know me personally know that I eat, sleep, and breathe MUSIC! It is truly my passion. So for this blog post I thought I'd do something a little different and review an album. I was in La Crosse, Wisconsin last weekend and picked up the following from Deaf Ear Records, an independent music store (I was a bit disappointed in their selection):

Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe
Air - Pocket Symphony
Lady Sovereign - Jigsaw
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Santigold - Santogold
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
P.O.S. - Never Better
Royksopp - Junior

I'll be reviewing the album by P.O.S. - Never Better

I know I have the strangest taste in music so it's not really surprising I'd like a hip-hop artist from Minneapolis. Surprisingly, Minneapolis has a good underground hip-hop scene. I'll admit that I don't know much about hip-hop, besides the fact I think that the stuff they play on the radio is stupid and entirely commercialized, I do like thoughtful and poetic hip-hop.

The album starts out strong with the first track Let It Rattle then moves on to Drumroll (We're All Thirsty) which features Doomtree. I really like track three, Savion Glover which is a fun upbeat track, which references punk group, Fugazi. I pushed skip for the next two songs and stopped on track six, Goodbye, which is the single to the album played often on The Current on Minnesota Public Radio.

Track eight is probably my favorite, Been Afraid. I like the story of the two young lovers struggling with their own demons to finally trusting each other and healing.

The rest of the tracks are all good but none that make me stop and listen. I don't mean that it's a bad album, just none that I've been in the mood for lately.

Overall I really enjoyed this CD. I know it's an album that I'll grow to love even more as time goes on just because there are so many different moods present on the CD. What I like most about the album is that his lyrics make you think. They don't talk about getting lots of money and how many "bitches" he has. It's thoughtful and poetic set to a beat!

So if anyone is interested in exploring the world of underground/independent hip-hop I strongly recommend picking up this album!