Atmosphere : " So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously"

A fan of this duo's early work, it seemed like the time to check back in an see what kind of music they are pumping out these days. Its not until the second song that we hear any hints of  psychedelic influence . The opening track is almost too happy but perhaps this i9s a descent into his bizarre ride. "Sterling" lacks any hint of the hooks that powered "Seven's Travels". Is it better than most hip hop coming out these days ? Sure but that is a pretty low bar. There are actual instruments being played so that alone gets some points.  "In My Head' has some odd production, with the vocals sitting strangely in the mix.  Slug does seem very aware of the current social climate of the world and it feels he is tip toeing around it rather than confronting it. "Crop Circles' is just an interlude rather than an actual song. 

"Portrait" is a good example of how ambiance is used on this album. There is almost an acid jazz like quality to the song. It is almost like they are sampling Portishead. It was not until I gave the song a listen through headphones that I notice something odd, for rap music it lacked a defining bass line to drive it. Just percussion and synths. Bass is what give the sound punch and establishes groove, so while it might be a creative choice, I am not sure how effective of one it is. Instead on "It Happened Last Morning" we get minimalism, with kraut rock synths under it. Slug gets things back to normal on "September Fools Day". It has a bass as well as a much fuller sound. It has groove, along with the new found sense of nuance that glazes the songs. The groove is expanded upon with the very 80s feel of "Talk Talk". 

The mood mellows back down on "Watercolors". Then there is the Reggae inflected  "Hold My breath" . There are several undergoing r&b singers brought on to handle singing hooks here and there, None of them really blow me away. Things float out into the cosmos on the more jammy "Positive Space" It also makrs the first time I begin to ponder if 50 year old Slug is still as invested in the music. "Bigger Pictures" does have actual instruments being played, and the overall mood of the album is more organic than the bulk of this kind of thing. He does ponder getting older on this album which I can respect as it's real. "Truth & Nail" has an old school 70s funk feel. But it is sadly just an interlude. 

"Sculpting with Fire" is marginally darker, lyrical getting older has made him more well adjusted. Even when Slug is on the edge looking down it's not that bad. The album ends with the reprise of the first song as an outro. He is more like a self help speaker who raps to connect with the kids than a rapper on this album, but more chances are taken than what is being done in hip hop today and that deserves to be celebrated. I will give this album an 8, which is once again better than the bulk of hip hop today. If you are into hip hop it's worth a listen.