ALBUM REVIEW
by Shardae Jobson
(released in the U.S. June 2010)
Eminem's new album Recovery is an excellent breather and step above last year's Relapse, that had some good tracks, but was still a bit of a downer, which made sense since it was Marshall Mather's first LP after his best friend and confidante Proof (of D-12) was fatally shot, and his over abudant use of pills such as Vicodin that he says nearly killed him. On Recovery, Eminem seems to be doing just that, as the first song "Cold Wind Blows" shows his maturity while giving the listener flashbacks of his long missed alter ego, Slim Shady.
Recovery has a nice momentum to it that feels like Em is serious about trying to move on with godspeed and in good health, yet he also expresses his more altruistic side throughout much of the album, introduced to us with the lead single "Not Afraid", where he experimented with some sincere melodic singing. Unlike Relapse that was more woe is me than facing the music in a more constructive light, his latest is all about moving forward and getting it together. The music is also more instrumental in confident but lucid beats as Eminem worked with newer producers like Alex da Kid and Boi-1da.
Recognizing that despite his emotional battles and drug dependency in recent memory, Eminem is on a new trajectory as a kind of mentor and survivor of the rap game, with many of his competitors suddenly becoming business and musical buddies including Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne. Despite the sometimes return of Shady's grotesque and left field imagery (anybody in the mood for a "W.T.P"? White Trash Party?) that still is somehow more artistically amusing than the peachy keen norm of today's pop music climate, Shady shows his understanding for when the top dog falls down, giving shout-outs to T.I., Kanye and Weezy (who's currently in jail) on "Talkin' 2 Myself".
Another noticeable trait is while the album has cameos, they are not from his usual clan of 50 Cent, Snoop, or Dr. Dre, but instead newcomer Kobe, and two female artists, Pink (who should have been an collaborator years before), and surprisingly and not surprisingly Rihanna. "Love the Way You Lie" is an absurd and well crafted effort by Eminem that is almost endearing until the visuals by Em's last few sentences matches the chorus of Rihanna's distressing plea (in regards to burning), giving the song an overall eerie feel of love gone very wrong.
Recovery is also the first time on record that Mathers really discusses relationships, romantic and platonically, but especially romantically, with even the great sample usage of Haddaway's cheese-tastic '90s hit "What is Love" on "No Love". His disclosures of assumed cheating, longing, wondering, and intense adulation (even aggression towards the music industry) on a majority of the songs don't make Mathers come across like a punk, but a man that since becoming one the biggest and most important names in rap music, reflecting on the hard past and former present life that's made him the multi-faceted and still enigmatic man he is today. Almost every track features angelic or confident singing from Eminem or an unknown voice as he provides constant reminders of a heart that's been ripped out, stepped on or bleeding from hurt.
The lengthy Recovery is what was slightly, originally attempted with Relapse, as fans of Eminem, through the few magazine interviews he did last year, saw the headstrong superstar trying to stand tall after nearly falling apart (from what was described behind closed doors, due to sad circumstances). Shady Mathers hasn't sound this well-adjusted since The Eminem Show, and it's a good fact to witness as it would've been a real tragedy to see this talent go sooner than later. If he did let you down as he proclaims earlier on a record before, you'll be a fan all over again like it's 1999. Recovery is for sure one of the best mainstream albums of the year.
THE BEST: "Cold Wind Blows", "Talkin' 2 Myself", "On Fire", "Seduction", "No Love", "Space Bound", "25 to Life", "So Bad"
Eminem's new album Recovery is an excellent breather and step above last year's Relapse, that had some good tracks, but was still a bit of a downer, which made sense since it was Marshall Mather's first LP after his best friend and confidante Proof (of D-12) was fatally shot, and his over abudant use of pills such as Vicodin that he says nearly killed him. On Recovery, Eminem seems to be doing just that, as the first song "Cold Wind Blows" shows his maturity while giving the listener flashbacks of his long missed alter ego, Slim Shady.
Recovery has a nice momentum to it that feels like Em is serious about trying to move on with godspeed and in good health, yet he also expresses his more altruistic side throughout much of the album, introduced to us with the lead single "Not Afraid", where he experimented with some sincere melodic singing. Unlike Relapse that was more woe is me than facing the music in a more constructive light, his latest is all about moving forward and getting it together. The music is also more instrumental in confident but lucid beats as Eminem worked with newer producers like Alex da Kid and Boi-1da.
Recognizing that despite his emotional battles and drug dependency in recent memory, Eminem is on a new trajectory as a kind of mentor and survivor of the rap game, with many of his competitors suddenly becoming business and musical buddies including Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne. Despite the sometimes return of Shady's grotesque and left field imagery (anybody in the mood for a "W.T.P"? White Trash Party?) that still is somehow more artistically amusing than the peachy keen norm of today's pop music climate, Shady shows his understanding for when the top dog falls down, giving shout-outs to T.I., Kanye and Weezy (who's currently in jail) on "Talkin' 2 Myself".
Another noticeable trait is while the album has cameos, they are not from his usual clan of 50 Cent, Snoop, or Dr. Dre, but instead newcomer Kobe, and two female artists, Pink (who should have been an collaborator years before), and surprisingly and not surprisingly Rihanna. "Love the Way You Lie" is an absurd and well crafted effort by Eminem that is almost endearing until the visuals by Em's last few sentences matches the chorus of Rihanna's distressing plea (in regards to burning), giving the song an overall eerie feel of love gone very wrong.
Recovery is also the first time on record that Mathers really discusses relationships, romantic and platonically, but especially romantically, with even the great sample usage of Haddaway's cheese-tastic '90s hit "What is Love" on "No Love". His disclosures of assumed cheating, longing, wondering, and intense adulation (even aggression towards the music industry) on a majority of the songs don't make Mathers come across like a punk, but a man that since becoming one the biggest and most important names in rap music, reflecting on the hard past and former present life that's made him the multi-faceted and still enigmatic man he is today. Almost every track features angelic or confident singing from Eminem or an unknown voice as he provides constant reminders of a heart that's been ripped out, stepped on or bleeding from hurt.
The lengthy Recovery is what was slightly, originally attempted with Relapse, as fans of Eminem, through the few magazine interviews he did last year, saw the headstrong superstar trying to stand tall after nearly falling apart (from what was described behind closed doors, due to sad circumstances). Shady Mathers hasn't sound this well-adjusted since The Eminem Show, and it's a good fact to witness as it would've been a real tragedy to see this talent go sooner than later. If he did let you down as he proclaims earlier on a record before, you'll be a fan all over again like it's 1999. Recovery is for sure one of the best mainstream albums of the year.
THE BEST: "Cold Wind Blows", "Talkin' 2 Myself", "On Fire", "Seduction", "No Love", "Space Bound", "25 to Life", "So Bad"
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