Customer Reviews

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

By reading through the various reviews you can pretty easily tell whether you would like this latest release or not. As I see it there are two types of Atmosphere listeners. One type are drawn to Atmosphere for Slug's charisma, the other type likes Slug's more introspective and intellectual side '(Ant's beats are a given I think). I'm more part of the second group, and after listening to the album front to back four times (which is already a good sign) I can safely say that this is my favorite release since I first came to this duo with Lucy Ford. Though I like a lot of the fun and clever songs that you hear on the Felt Tributes, and the more hard hitting and upbeat songs last few releases, what really gets me is when Slug sits down to really write something introspective and maybe even depressing. I feel like Slug spent a longer time with the writing process on this one than in the past.

With that said, I really enjoyed the music on this album, and music it is. The days of simply using some tight hip hop loops seem to be something of the past for Atmosphere, they are branching out. Most of the songs use live instruments, have a lot of crescendos and breaks which gives the songs more complexity and less of a head nodding groove than a past albums. If you like hip-hop artists that are taking more musically complex directions rather than being devoted to some stuff you can slap in the car and feel the base thump, I would recommend this highly.

Also I think that this is more of a cohesive album than the previous two. Slug deals with some consistent themes in this album including addiction, hypocrisy, disappointments, and the need to grow up and deal with them. This is a very mature album made by two artists that are by this time wanting to branch out and expand and do things that interest them. There is nothing artificial about Slug's delivery, but you get the feeling that if he was as good at singing as he is at being an MC than this might be very well have been a rock album.

In the end, if you look to Atmosphere's music more for escape than for reflection this probably won't interest you and you should get the "Strictly Leakage" free download from their website, which is also a great album, and maybe stay away from this album.

I've been an Atmosphere fan since 2003, and seeing them flourish over the years has been an exciting process. The strategic approach counting down to the release of their 6th full-length album "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh** Gold", is among the best marketing scheme's you'll ever see spawned by an independent record label. So good in fact, that is has seemingly stripped them of underground status as the album debuted at an astonishing #5 on the Billboard Top 200 alongside other fluffy pop artists such as Mariah Carey & Ashlee Simpson.

Leading up to it's release, Atmosphere released a string of 4 excellent 5-song EPs, and the undeniably dope full-length "Strictly Leakage" for FREE through the official Rhymesayers web site. In addition to creating a plethora of solid material, Slug & Ant tirelessly promoted their new album through a series 10-minute You Tube episodes entitled "Paint It Gold", where they answered endless questions from fans throughout the world, and also provided them an outlet for that extra promotion they needed for the album.

In all actuality, the formula for "Lemons" is not sonically different from most Atmosphere records. Ant's beats creep into a bit more synth-heavy territory on some tracks, and on the whole, comes through with some of his cleanest, and most memorable set of beats to date. Slug is also maturing very nicely. His songwriting skills and his close-knit connection with his fans have reached an all-time high. I have a hard time thinking of a rapper that would be more in touch with the game of hip-hop today than Slug is. He seems to stay truly inspired, and it comes through in his writing and delivery. The album does slightly favor conscious, introspective material over straight bangers. In other words, it's nothing like "Strictly Leakage".

"Like The Rest Of Us" & "Puppets" kick the album off. They are notably slow for openers, and really sets up the mood for the album. "The Skinny" is one of the more unique gems here. The production is filled with grimey synth, and works quite well. Slug boasts clever lyrics about cigarettes through the metaphor of a pimp. "Dreamer" includes nice hooks, choruses & some beautiful production; definitely a favorite of mine. "Shoulda Know" is the first video/single off the record, and stands strong as well. "You" is definitely my favorite in the bunch. Ant's production is addictive here, and that chorus will get stuck in your head for days. And as Ant stated in one of their episodes of "Paint It Gold", this song makes you smile every time you hear it. The piano-filled "Yesterday" is equally dope in my opinion. "Guarantees" may be the most different song you'll hear here. Just Slug & a nice quiet guitar with a nice singer-songwriter piece. It would be served better with a better guitarist and a straight up acoustic, but it's still very nice. "Painting" & "Me" are also a couple of excellent tunes that border on melancholy. "Wild Wild Horses" works excellent here. Nice samples and beat all around. Closing out the album, we get some beautiful tunes. My favorites being "The Waitress" & the banger "Can't Break". The deluxe edition includes a 40-page gold embossed hard cover book with an illustrated book written by Slug, and a bonus DVD of an entire live performance straight from First Avenue in Minneapolis!

Overall, this is one of Atmosphere's most gorgeously crafted albums in their entire catalog; and of 2008. And I can't think of a much better album that could break into the Billboard charts with such presence than "Lemons". And it definitely holds a much different vibe than your typical mainstream rap affair, which will hopefully shine some light on more of the "real" hip-hop released in the days where mainstream rap is in a world of hurt. Excellent job Slug & Ant. You are making Minnesota proud!

Throughout the album slug departs from his previous up front, personal lyrics to telling stories. His beats are minimalistic and beautiful. "Yesterday" is by far the upbeat track of the album, but slug creates his familiar stark contrast with the sparse "Guarantees". Although Slug maintains some old formulas a major change is his live band making most of the beats which can be a good thing and a bad thing. It allows him more freedom musically but the 70s soul bass lines and guitar riffs become formulaic. This is not Atmosphere's best work, but it is certainly a fresh identity for Slug: storyteller.

What I love about Atmosphere is they keep evolving as artists. Everyone else wants them to deliver the same old stuff time after time, but every time they put out something new and original. Slug's storytelling ability continues to wow me on this album its as if he's actually standing in someone else's shoes(Guarantee's, In Her Music Box, Yesterday). Ant's beats are diverse and crazy and often time's on this album mesmerizing.

I will bump shoulda known everyday for the next month driving around town.

This album explains alot of the 5 track EP's and free albums Slug and Ant released leading up to this release. From track 1 til track 15, this album is a story. Hell, even the track names read as a full sentence if you look. This isn't a party album, but a masterful piece of evidence that true hip-hop is NOT dead.

Kicking off with the piano keys on "Like the Rest of Us" and ending with the anthem for any father that listens to hiphop, "In Her Music Box". The best part of this album, however, isn't the album itself, but the Limited Edition DVD of Sad Clown Bad Dub 13... It's about an hour of live performance's from the last 2 shows in Minneapolis from their previous tour. Alot of the songs from Lemons are run through, but also peppered in with some classics and rare songs like "Say Shhh".

This isn't "mass-consumption" hip-hop. If you still enjoy having rappers tell you about their money, jewels, and how dope they are... go buy a 50 Cent CD and wash your mouth with buckshot. This is the art of storytelling right here... This is Slug and Ant showing us what they do best... incredible music.

I have read a lot of reviews here. I just wanted to put in my two cents. You probably realize by now that this isn't like there previous releases, but in a way, if you look, you can see how this is where they have been heading for a while now.
I recommend this cd vigorously to any Atmosphere fan. No, its not upbeat, but the music has a certain pull to it. You can listen to "Guarantees" on the rhymesayers website, if you want to get a feel for the mood the album sets. Its not a party album, but an album to put in when your riding by yourself at night or something. If this album doesn't draw you in, then you need to check your pulse. It almost sounds like a "farewell cd" in its own way (which I hope it isn't)
You just have to remember that these guys are in there mid thirties, and lets face it we all like Atmosphere for the realness they bring with them and they represent. You can't expect someone being all "Guns and Cigarettes" at his age. I would guess that most of the more negative reviews are from a younger crowd.
Once you let yourself get into the mood that this release sets, then I think you can appreciate it, for what it is. Probably their best work of art to date.

first, its unfair to assume that any innovative artist would accomplish much by sticking to the same old formula of past albums. if you cant get past that, you most likely wont like this album.

Slug has matured. when you age, the things that matter to you seems to change. as a artist, this would change your subject matter, unless you were a sell out, and thankfully slug is anything but a sell out.

i welcome the dark, real world feeling this album has. the beats arent mainstream, but i dont think i ever bought into the mainstream since the 80's. i am glad someone is willing to take a chance, and break the ice on a otherwise stagnant genre in music. i enjoy the fact that slug is challenging us all with his lyrics. the stories he tells can withstand the tests of time, much more so than raps about rims and bling.

i think anyone that has collected more than a few albums of atmosphere can see them as chapters in his life. this particular chapter of his life has him wrestling with age in my opinion anyhow. as you age, you have more things to look back on and reflect upon.

the final eye opener on the debate of this album is the title. he is showing us all the lemons that life has given him...

This album is absolutely fantastic. My bf pre-ordered it and we had it on Sat so needless to say I've had it on repeat for the last few days. As the first reviewer mentioned, the songs can be depressing but life is not all shiny and happy. Atmosphere tells stories of people in real life situations. Each track is filled with raw emotion, sick beats and I love that. I definitely recommend this to any fan of hip-hop. I'm filing it as one of my favorite albums. Go check them out on tour!!

I first got into Atmosphere through the songs "A Song About A Friend" and "F*** You Lucy," two tracks I enjoyed very much. I checked out their album "Godlovesugly," which was pretty good. So when "You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having" dropped, I picked it up with the quickness. Tracks like "Say Hey There," "Pour Me Another," "Panic Attack," and "Musical Chairs," their 2005 release was a winner. Three years later, the duo of Ant and Slug drop a near classic in the form of "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold." The special edition packages comes with a children's book written by Slug, song lyrics, and a bons DVD with live footage and extras. With this new addition to Atmosphere's catalogue, Slug juggles the topics of fatherhood, optimism, pessimism, hope, hard times, and relationships with the aura of a man who's seen it all.

The opening track is a slow, soft track titled "Like The Rest of Us." It really sets the mood for the rest of the album. "Puppets" has Slug spitting only like he can and the track has a grooving chorus with nice background vocals from Channy Casselle. "The Skinny" is a unique track with a banging beat. Slug raps about how cigarettes are like a pimp to women. It gets many repeats from this reviewer. "Dreamer" is an up-beat, optimistic tune about a woman who ends up with a few kids before she's fully mature and takes care of herself to get by. Another one of my favorites is the infectuous "You," the kinda song you'll smile and nod your head to.

From track seven to the end of the album, the songs tend to get a bit darker. "Painting" tells the story of a man who can't get past the demons he lives with. "Your Glasshouse" describes something that is common to a lot of people, me included at times: being a stranger in your own house. The track that breaks the pessimistic monotony is "Yesterday", a nice, retrospective track about his father. As it's been noted by other reviewers, the song has an optimistic vibe. "Guarantees" has Slug rhyming over a guitar rhythm by Nate Collins. It's pretty much a rap about how life is. It's gotten a little airplay on MTV, which is great. It's probably my favorite song on here. "Me" is a narrative of a boy's life, from childhood to manhood. It's got a morose atmosphere to it...maybe it's autobiographical? "Wild Wild Horses" connects as Slug presents the viewpoints of two people trying to make a relationship work. "The Waitress" is a great cut, about a homeless man who bothers a waitress for acknowldegement, and come to find out the waitress is the man's daughter. "In Her Music Box" ends the album off right, with lyrics about Slug and his daughter.

I don't see why any Atmosphere fan wouldn't be happy with this release. The musicianship here is at it's finest, and Slug delivers in such a personal way that you can't help but to be drawn in. Yes, it's slower, depressing (at times), but the music is still great. Slug still has a killer flow and clever lyrics and Ant's beats have reached perfection. This is an album that's perfect for reflecting. Any Atmosphere fan should pick this up.

I'll say this first: this album will be a tough one for Atmosphere's die-hard fans to embrace. It's definitely different, but after awhile the album reveals its true brilliance--the beautiful, poetic lyrics combined with different, innovative beats create an irresistible album. Because Slug and Ant have been around for nearly ten years, it was probably time for them to reinvent rap--again, and their esteemed position in indie rap becomes even further deserved with this cd. At first, it seems as if the duo have lost their edge, there aren't any killer tracks like "F@#* You Lucy" or "Pour Me Another." The entire album is less abrasive, and more subtle than their past cds; but this does not make the music boring. Rather, the band has matured, and Slug's ability to tell the stories of people he loves, or has just encountered, is incredible. He can see beyond his own traumas, unlike in past cds, and extend his talents to tell other stories. Songs such as "The Waitress," "Dreamer," and "Your Glasshouse" reflect other's struggles beautifully and realistically. Slug hasn't completely forgotten about himself; however, tracks such as "Me" and "Yesterday" mirror his own life and struggles. "Yesterday" is an especially memorable track about Slug's father's death, and is surprisingly upbeat and optimistic; it just might be the album's highlight. Ant's nostalgic yet innovative beats add many layers to the songs and elevate the album beyond a typical rap attempt. Overall, stand out tracks include "You," which is catchy and infectious, "Your Glasshouse," which evokes a dark, damp, alcohol-ridden basement party, and "Puppets," a soulful, vibrant song. In all honesty, each and every one of these songs deserves to stand amongst the others--there aren't any throwaway tracks here. This album truly seems to be a labor of love for the duo, and sets a new standard for other rappers to emulate. Unlike past Atmosphere albums, the songs take some time to grow on you and to fully understand, but are well worth the effort.