Tical, a supposed reference to marijuana or standing for 'Taking Into Consideration All Life', depending on which article you read, was produced by RZA, and was the first solo album from the group after the success of 36 Chambers.
The beats and samples are deliberately hazy, with a grittiness not present on Liquid Swords, and only hinted at on Fishscale. The sound is distinctive, with a filter seeming to appear between the listener and original sound, but one that adds an element of darkness to the sound. In terms of content, there is less humour, fewer skits, and it lacks the obvious singles of the other albums.
I was slightly disappointed overall with the album, having read such universally positive reviews prior to hearing it. It isn't bad, and I really enjoy the production, although it does end up being a bit samey, but there aren't enough stnad out songs to make me want to put it on. Indeed, I can't really imagine any of these making my hip-hop playlist, which is a pretty damning indictment, given my lack of depth in that particular genre.
Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 3. Bring the Pain
Olly's album rating: 5
Olly's favourite track: 11. Mr Sandman
Next week is 333. Greetings from L.A. by Tim Buckley.
No comments:
Post a Comment