Eminem's voice and rhyming skills, and music are iconic. They continue to be iconic. The twisted word plays and fantasies have played on many different levels and have varied on their levels of seriousness.The quest for him and his style of music still can play and be relevant to a crowd that has now b
egun to grow into their 30's and assume the mass of adulthood, having lived past the tragedies (not unlike his own in many ways.) one is almost sure to experience by the their early teens and twenties.
For me, Eminem started at age 15. The first time I heard him was while going to bed with the radio on the local rock station (or anything that could be considered "alternative") and listened to a hip hop song.
Obviously from there he became a huge part of American culture. The white rapper from Michigan. A rags to riches story about poor America and upward mobility. All the while shouting controversial lyrics and commenting on the nearly universal issues such as drugs and addiction, love, anger, and lately taking specific aim at the political policies of hate and our current climate.
The album cover shows a silhouette of what appears to be Eminem with his hand over his head as if saddened or in a moment of pain. The backdrop is an American flag, which I take to mean that the album is a reflection to how Em might feel about the Country currently. Or how he feels existing within it.
Overall the album is worth a listen, but it in all likelihood will not have the impact that Recovery had musically. Eminem is at his best when his confidence is high and he's taking on all comers. On this record he seems to battling social injustice while battling his own personal demons which leave's him sounding at times a bit muffled.
Track 1. Walk On Water (ft. Beyonce) ****
The light piano trickles in like a stream, relenting to Beyonce's vocals. Eminem comes in after you hear another piece of papers seems to be crumpled and thrown out. In many ways it feels like Eminem is letting us in on his inner process.
He laments the pressures and expectations of being a role model in this day and age, as well as his own pursuit of finding the perfect verse's, the perfect writing and rhyme's. He starts, again and again. Knowing that he isn't perfect, but yet he remains defiant in pursuit of his perfection.
The sound is slow, melodic in such a way that really shines, and the contrast of Beyonce' and Eminem works very well.
Track 2. Believe ***
The sound changes dramatically to a darker sound slow track where Eminem draws on his past and tells the story of how he needs to constantly drive. At first blush the track moves a bit too slow for me. I'm expecting a faster tempo and it takes a bit of time for the sound to really hit and understand the song.
Track 3. Chloraseptic. *
I'll be honest this tempo and voice didn't hit me well. It's a relatively simple song about in Em's mind amounts to his perceived and perhaps metaphorical competition is. Honestly, I'm sure some people like the word play here and what not, but it's just not my speed on first listen.
Track 4. Untouchable ***
A funky track intro belies the incredible take on white culture and taking on the issue of police brutality, and more acutely later in the song white entitlement. He attempts to tackle the impossible of racial inequality in America. Needless to say, your feeling towards this song's content will probably greatly affect how you think of the song. Personally? I really enjoyed it. Em and his speech are the stars here, the music and chorus only meant for you to pay attention and not to get lost in the relatively forgettable background beat.
Track 5. River (Ft. Ed Sheeran) ****
It's a song about being a cheat. Straight up. Em spins the tale of high intensity love and sex drive while Ed Sheeran laments the results. A song about not being able to be in control and give in to temptation, and the regret in the inability to become more emotionally available.
Track 6. Intro
Track 7. Remind Me **
A departure from the serious mood and back to the juvenile level that made Eminem, Remind Me uses the iconic sound of Joann Jett's "I love rock'n'roll" to create a hip-hop saloon song that see's Em chasing an overly sexualized version of women. It's playful and fun, but for me, a bit over the top and not necessarily as clever or as catchy as some of his other work.
Track 8. Revival (Interlude)
Track 9. Like Home ***
He takes on Trump. It's a direct attack on him and how many in America see his as an obstacle to race relations and peace. Similar to Believe, your own politics will play on how you feel about this song. If you feel that race still plays a huge part in American society and discrimination then you'll have empathy for this song. If not, you won't.
Track 10. Bad Husband (Ft. X Ambassadors) **
A melancholy song about the Eminem's failures as a husband. Kim remains a muse for Shady, and no matter how many words are said about his family, there appears to be a never ending love that cannot be broken forever.
Track 11. Tragic Endings (Ft. Skylar Grey) **
A recurring theme of the album and maybe why Album seems to dwell on Eminem's pain. In this song he talks about how his attraction to a love makes him see past abuse and things that might be detrimental to himself. The feelings of insecurity, of being manipulated for the pursuit of love. It's not a bad song, but at this point in the album I'm still waiting to get pumped up by something and now I'm starting to feel a bit depressed.
Track 12. Framed *
A fantasy track of sorts where Slim takes on a journey of putting Ivanka Trump in a trunk and dismembering lawyers. Too be honest a bit too over the top for me at first blush.
Track 13. Nowhere Fast (Ft. Kehalani) ***
This is the pace that I think I was looking forward to and waiting for.
Instantly accessible with the mentality of a middle finger to the world, this song is about on some levels if the world ends tomorrow and not stressing about things. However the musical arrangement really compliments the rap and thus brings out the first memorable and potential cross over track since "River"
Track 14. Heat *
In my mind a pretty forgettable track that sounds like a bit of a continuation of Remind Me, except it lacks Joan Jett's music. I'm sure it was fun to make and write but I found it a bit boring and too similar to his earlier tracks.
Track 15. Offended ****
This is where if you love word play, you really see the true talent of Eminem. How he can move and rhyme in so many different speeds and move to different directions. This won't be a radio hit in all likelihood but it may be one of Em's most popular song among rap enthusiasts similar to "Rap God"
Track 16. Need Me (Ft. Pink) **
Another song about co-dependency on one another. While similar to Tragic Ending's, Eminem's tone seems a bit different, perhaps more hopeful. More uplifting. Still the message can't be ignored about how flawed Eminem see's himself and his relationships.
Track 17. In Your Head ***
As the album finally begins to wind down Eminem seems a bit lost. Indeed he does go inside his own head takes on the Persona that is Em. He wonders where he has come from, and where does he go from here. The sampled cranberries, similar to how he sampled Joan Jett again really come and help the song move along.
Track 18. Castle **
A song dedicated to his daughter. Em reflects on his decisions to how raise Hailie. The only problem is that while the song isn't bad, it's also on some level just a continuation of Mocking Bird that he released in 2004.
Track 19. Arose **
An introspective Eminem speaks to his commercial success as well as his failures. He can't help but speak his regrets and how he has grown. While he plays cleverly at the end to show that he still has more to give. And while this album might be a bit more subdued than Recovery or the Marshall Mathers LP2, he will be back, still striving for his perfect rhyme.
