Thursday, February 08, 2007

Speaking of letdowns, what are you doing RJD2??

If you haven't been paying attention the last years, RJD2 has been one of the most celebrated alternative producers, making beats and remixing his Def Jux labelmates. But the best part's always been this guys solo albums.

I consider Deadringer (2002) and Since We Last Spoke (2004) to be two of my all time favorite albums. So once again, I must admit my expectations were on steroids when I unexpectedly got a hold of his new album The Third Hand.

His previous albums have been semi-instrumental, where vocals have been restricted to samples. Now, I've never been against artists trying new stuff, but I think RJD2 took a wrong turn somewhere with this release. Word of advice Mr Krohn, surround yourself with different people, because if none of your friends told you you have a terrible singing voice, who knows what kinda shit they're keeping from you!

That's right, he's singing on this record, on almost all of the tracks. And as aforementioned, he's not good at it. But that's not all. His productions seems uninspired, dull and nowhere near the classic tracks he's cooked up in the past years.

If you're new to RJD2, try these songs instead: Clean Living, Good Times Roll Pt 2 and the 'hidden track' (entitled The Air That's Left) on Deadringer. That'll give you an idea of the genious this guy is capable of.

If you're not new, my advice is, lower your expectations and cling on to Murs Beat and Sweet Piece (which are the two songs that doesn't downright suck) while we wait for a new Soul Position or another production

Tracklist:
01. Intro (1:01)
02. You Never Had it (4:04)
03. Have Mercy (3:18)
04. Reality (3:01)
05. Work it Out (3:26)
06. Laws of the Gods (2:10)
07. Get it (3:30)
08. Someday (1:22)
09. Murs Beat (4:04)
10. Beyond (3:57)
11. Sweet Piece (4:00)
12. Rules (4:03)
13. Legends (2:49)
14. Just When (3:28)
15. Evening Gospel (2:53)

The Third Hand is in stores March 06, 2007

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