The Roots Rising Down

Fuzzy Bits:

Release Date: April 29

Last Album: Game Theory (2006)

Sounds Like: A very cold, dark place that you can’t escape from.

Overall Rating: 86

Starting with the unsettling introductory track “Pow Wow,” which centers around an argument between The Roots and Geffen Records, Rising Down makes their last effort (Game Theory) look like a soundtrack for a Disney flick. The album is downtrodden almost to a fault– the unrelenting gritty and cold productions wear thin over the course of time. The songs, however, are jam-packed with some of the sharpest and most poignant lyrics to be featured on a Roots album, as Black Thought completely masters tracks like “@15″ and “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)”– the latter offering a frenzy of disheartened rhymes in such a no-holds barred manner that it’s borderline scary. While it almost feels like there are too many guest spots on the album this time around, they always add a welcome change of pace. This is particularly evident on the first two tracks, “Rising Down” and “Get Busy.” Both are something of a blend of older, more familiar Roots stylings with the new synthesizer-enhanced sounds. Other standouts include the addicting “Criminal,” the incredibly smart “I Will Not Apologize,” and the terrific closing track “Rising Up.” Rising Down somehow exceeds Game Theory in bleakness and claustrophobic production and when you pair that with a number of songs that have a less than optimal song structure (the redundant “Singing Man” and noise-happy “I Can’t Help It”), it can be a bit problematic. However, the lyrics, attitude and level of experimentation are all mesmerizing, and that’s what keeps the album afloat.

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