Publicized as an unmistakable voice of “fresh beats,” Pants is anything but. Welcome isn’t “fresh” by any means, but rather comes across as a shallow representation of the simplicity that made early synth-music so good. Instead of working up danceable beats like his predecessors, Pants seems intent to simply tease what could have been. Drawing you in with a catchy horn or a or a thick drum beat, he nearly always botches his tracks within the first 30 seconds. The flatness of the record is made worse as he somehow manages to work in pretty much every annoying sample from the last 30 years: robot voice – check, lawn-mower – check, car engine – check, gun-shots – check. The samples on the record seem to have been chosen for their eccentricity rather than their fit with the music; songs like My Girl become immediately off-putting after what sounds like a garage band practice session is made worse with psuedo-space noises that come out of nowhere.

And for a synth-record, Welcome is remarkably not jive inducing; tracks will not get you all “dumb in the club.” Pants has a penchant to work in sounds from a variety of genres, but on Welcome he strips away their character when he combines them, rendering them sub-standard. Maybe it’s charming in an ironic way, but if you do manage to listen long enough to hear some charm in it, it will eventually fade into insulting mediocrity.

With all my ragging, I do have to admit that there a few moments of mind-numbing brilliance. “Theme From Paris” and “Finger On The Knife”, with their Roots-centric drum-line cram more depth in a total of 4 minutes than the rest of the album as a whole. They’ll get you ridiculously happy, but much like the record, they’re only temporarily satisfying.

Welcome is a hard album to categorize. To Pants credit, there’s not much else on the market that sounds like it, but maybe there’s a reason why. He’s got undeniable talent, but until he gets rid of his distractions and focuses on making a fluid piece of music, it might be better to ignore him. – Michael Rodriguez

Political messages come in abundance on this record. Whether the call for revolution on “Same Thing”, a track with a funky bass line tinged by a perfectly placed trumpet, Stand Up, with a desperate viola sure to give you goose bumps, or the dark, brooding sound of “Anna Braden”, Flobots MCs Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit manage to pursue a political agenda with a deft wit and lyrical finesse often unseen. Almost as impressive, is the fact that they promote their political ideology without resorting to proselytizing; their messages, however sharp and critical they are, always come across as uplifting.

We’ve seen planes in the windows of buildings crumbled in
We’ve seen flames send the chills through London
And we’ve sent planes to kill them and some of them were children
But still we crumbling the building
Underfunded but we still don’t understand
Under God but we kill like the son of Sam
But if you feel like I feel like about the son of man
We will overcome

The record also has a lyrical complexity that most acts don’t.  “Anna Braden” and “Handlebars” are so thought provoking that you’re bound to question yourself after you hear them.

The instrumentation on the album doesn’t take a back seat to the powerful lyrics, but rather, complements them, giving the album a full, warm sound with a wide selection of great beats. The viola, guitar, bass, and trumpet playing are all top of the line, and demonstrate the group’s potential as a fan-stealing live act, akin to The Roots.  And like The Roots, the Flobots have a certain musical dexterity that leaves you guessing as to the next sound you’re going to hear; on “Combat”, they seem like they could break into a Sly and The Family Stone track at any second, while “Never Had It” starts off with some acoustic picking that’s a bit reminiscent of “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie. Every member of the group shows their prowess somewhere on the album, demonstrating that variety and drama are a Flobots strong-point.

Overall, this album is a great return to conscientious lyrics, something that definitely has its value in a time with so much political turmoil. With great instrumentation performed by a real band( !!!), this is an album that every hip hop fan, no wait, music fan, should pick up. – Michael Rodriguez

Sheek starts things off on a deceivingly high note with the region-defying club jam, “Think We Got A Problem”, featuring Texas MC Bun B, and Compton bred lyricist The Game. Trading verbal barbs over a beat sure to blow your subs, The Game steals the show by demonstrating his lyrical finesse: Think we got a problem, I snitched on myself, and I hate rats, so I dug a ditch for myself… Regrettably, this theme stays consistent for most of the album, as Sheek fails to rise to the same level as most of his guests, most notably on tracks “D-Block-Dipset” and “Gettin’ Stronger”, both of which feature D-Block co-stars Styles P and Jadakiss.

The downward trend is partially averted with “Good Love”, “We Comin’”, and “Don’t Be Them”, tracks which initially seem outside of Sheek’s stylistic range. With “Good Love”, Sheek slides into a comfortably mellow soul groove based on a Betty Wright sample from the early 1970′s; with a relaxed tempo unlike most of his work, Sheek forms a track destined to be a hit. On “We Comin’” featuring Atlanta DJ/Rapper Unk, Sheek gives in to temptation and rhymes over a crunk beat sure to move thugs in the club. Finally, on “Don’t Be Them”, Sheek shows a bit of lyrical consciousness on a track which compels members of the younger generation from working a career on the streets. The hook is pretty straight forward: Don’t be them/ Don’t be Jigga, Don’t be Nas, Don’t be Kim…/Be Yourself, For real, Don’t be Them… It’s always a treat to hear a grimy rapper send out a positive message.

Regrettably, for the rest of the album, Sheek reverts to his gangster tendencies on a number of tracks, which while not bad, are generally forgettable. “We at War”, “That’s A Soldier” and “We Spray Crowds” all fall victim to similar themes, similar verses, and similar beats, and will most likely be forgotten within 5 minutes of the end of the track. The same can be said for much of the album as a whole. After a few listens, the tracks begin to bleed into one another and become largely indistinguishable.

All in all, Silverback Gorilla is an average album. It definitely won’t win any awards or contend for album of the year, but it won’t be considered a horrible album either. So, if you’re down with hard East Coast rap, you should definitely check it out. But, if you’re like me, and look for a something a little different in your hip hop, check out the noteworthy tracks and singles, but wait for Sheek’s next attempt. – Michael Rodriguez

With so many accomplishments, Keys has arrived at a point in her career where anything she releases is going to sell, regardless of its actual quality. Some artists who reach this point keep focus and deliver definitive albums. More, however, slip and release musical debaucheries, that don’t vibe with their level of talent. Just think Jay’s Kingdom Come if you need an example. Sadly, Alicia Keys newest effort, As I Am, is of the latter sort, and comes across as unfocused and average.

Many tracks seem downright formulaic, following the path of a slow piano intro, to a frustrating chorus, to a two-minute breakdown in which she unsuccessfully tries to go outside of her vocal range, and instead, comes across as if she’s trying too hard and just yelling. “The Thing About Love” and “Where Do We Go From Here” take that same pattern. Also, while most of her songs create an image of empowerment and strength, some just seem self-serving and unoriginal; in the chorus to “Superwoman”, she sings “Cause I’m a Superwoman”, the chorus follows up immediately with “Yes you are…””” The special guests on the album don’t really much add too much to the effort either. The John Mayer produced, “Lessons Learned” and the aforementioned “Superwoman” by Linda Perry are among the weaker tracks on the album.

However, there are some great moments on the album. “Wreckless Love”, “Go Ahead”, and “Teenage Love Affair” see Keys delve back into a relaxed soul-groove where she strives. “Prelude to A Kiss” isn’t bad either; instead of reverting back to the yelling typical of most of the album, she instead seems to realize the value of an understated sound.

All in all, “As I Am” is an average album by a great artist. Check it out if you’re a fan, but if not, you might want to wait to see how she does come next time. – Michael Rodriguez