A Quick One While He's Away... The Third Hand

This is just a quick one cus i'm a busy man...

RJD2 has always been plagued with DJ Shadow comparisons and his new album ain't gonna do him any favours. Although Shadow's album was all over the place it still had some great tracks on it (particularly the hyphy ones), even the indie guitary/singer tracks...and that's where RJ flaps it...

Looking at this three solo albums in context you can tell Since We Last Spoke was a transistional piece to his new full singer-songwriter over hip hop-lite beats style...and it ain't really a good look...

Upon first listen the album comes over as 'interesting' and there's a hope that the songs will grow on you - unfortunately that don't seem to be happening. They're just too weak and his voice is simply too meek and shrill to hold your attention properly. The beats aren't really a saving grace either, and this is mainly cus he's gone and fucked off his samples. Now for a man that is an badboy manipulator of other peoples breaks this is a risk and it doesn't really pay off. You can understand him wanting to prove he can write his own stuff but if you go the whole hog you gotta come correct - that shit's gotta be provocative B! Fair do's he can play a few instruments but there are problems that let his music down - mainly that he doesn't play them very well...a lot of the time he throws in a chord that just sounds off or that seems like a poor choice as you can hear another chord in your head working far better...

Basically it seems RJ is an ambitious man but at the mo this skills don't match his vision. Maybe he'll have found his feet with his new style on his next album but on this one he definitely flaps the crisps. I mean it ain't that bad but its hard to give an album that you merely find 'interesting' repeated listens, you've gotta really like the shit - ya gets?

STYLEZ OUT