Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4.5 stars, my favorite since Lucy Ford, April 24, 2008
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 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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bust Out That Gold Spray Paint! (4 Stars), May 5, 2008
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!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slugs New Groove: A Minimalist Story Teller, April 22, 2008
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.
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