Search - Field Mob :: Light Poles & Pine Trees

The Answer To The Question What If Big & Pac Woulda Got Alon

Enlightened | Atlanta Georgia | 06/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Field Mob finally returns with their 3rd studio album Light Poles & Pine Trees after a long layoff. Four years have passed since their critically acclaimed sophomore album From Tha Roota To Tha Toota that had their hit single Sick Of Being Lonely and their hood classic All I Know with Cee-Lo that really catapulted them to stardom.



But now the mob has returned and this time looking to make a real mark on the music industry and walking with a lot of confidence and swagger. After being signed to DTP by Ludacris who called this group "the heart of the label", they were ready to make a comeback. Their first chance to do this was on their first comeback single using the official song of Georgia by Ray Charles to create a classic song. They let Jamie Foxx on the hook to give it an authentic feel and Ludacris and Field Mob shined on this track. GEORGIA was undoubtedly one of the all time great hip hop anthems for GA, right up there with Pastor Troy's - Aint No Mo Play In GA, Youngbloodz - 85, and Outkast - Spottieottiedopalicious. And it came right around the time Jamie Foxx was the biggest thing in Entertainment and RAY had gotten it's many awards, adding to the songs popularity.



After this success however, Smoke did a little jail stint and the Field Mob album ended up getting pushed back from 2005 to 2006 (that's the reason songs like Friday Night and Deep Tonight aren't on this album). After he got out, they went back in the studio, hooked up with the queen of Crunk N B Ciara and Superproducer Jazze Pha for SO WHAT and the rest is history.



Field Mob's So What shot up the charts and radio requests, video on 106 & Park and MTV and finally gave the Mob a widely accepted hit single. As great as that song is, it is hardly the best song on the album. Smoke & Shawn Jay are both extremely lyrical and it's impossible to catch everything they say on the first couple listens. They weave intricate verses on every song and further solidify the fact that the south is on top right now in originality, production, lyrics, style, and creativity. Lyrically, Field Mob can hang with the best of them (Ludacris sounds so regular on SMILIN compared to the mob!).



Light Poles & Pine Trees is a great release from Field Mob and is their best effort in my opinion. I love every song on the album except for I Hate You which is a meaningless horrible rock track that steals Kelis' chorus from her debut single, and Area Code 229 which is just a filler track. Other than those two songs the album is a great listen from So What & Georgia to Smilin, Blacker Da Berry, 123, Pistol Grip, and At The Park. I have a hard time choosing my favorite song but it's most likely At The Park. Support Field Mob because they have a lot of charisma and personality to go along with their talent making music and it would be a shame to see them go unappreciated. It baffles me how people scream that they want something different and then when something different comes along they don't want that either. If you like Outkast, Goodie Mob, Nappy Roots, Eightball & MJG, Little Brother etc. or just plain out great music then you should check this album out ASAP. 5 Stars."

(3.5 Stars) Field Mob Getting Better With Time

Charles L. Hubbert | Milwaukee, WI | 07/11/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Talk about grinding just to be noticed. Boondox and Kalage of Field Mob have been working hard to make a name for themselves since 2000 when 613: Ashy To Classy dropped and their 2002 follow-up From The Roota To Tha Toota which produced the hit "Sick Of Being Lonely." After some self-evaluation and a little lady luck with the recent collaboration with Ludacris for the smash hit "Georgia," Field Mob is ready to put their best foot forward with their Disturbing The Peace debut Light Poles And Palm Trees.



The good thing about Field Mob is that fact that the South is on a huge upswing in popularity thanks to people like Outkast, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Bun B, Ludacris, Chamillionaire, Dem Franchise Boyz, and countless others. Luckily, they don't sound like anybody mentioned, which sets them apart from anybody out there. They have a underlying comedic tone to their lyrics and sound, but the finished product still comes off as skillfully done and nowhere near primitive. Listening to an album track like "Baby Bend Over" will have you bobbing your head and laughing, but then play the very next track titled "Smilin'" and you'll hear them discuss the hater-ation from people around the way who wish they could be in their shoes. The first single "So What" features Jazze Pha on the boards and Ciara providing the hook, a formula that's been working as far as getting attention and airplay. And after a hilarious skit about Boondox's dark complexion, he offers the reflective track "Blacker The Berry," an inspiring track on what it's like being who he is.



Then there are the tracks that just meant to bump at volume 10 in your car stereos like "My Wheels," "1, 2, 3" and "Pistol Grip." Other standouts include the certified summer cut "At The Park," the aforementioned "Georgia," the provocative "Eat Em Up, Beat Em Up," and the mellow track "Sorry Baby" with Bobby Valentino. The only tracks that disrupt the flow include "Area Code 229" with its amateurish outcome, the rock-infused "I Hate You" that they could have done without, and the singing on "It's Over" will have you proclaiming just that in the first 45 seconds of the song! Despite the few blemishes, Field Mob still manages to give us an album worth checking out with Light Poles and Palm Trees."

Beneath The Field Mob Standard {3 Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 06/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Before you click "no", hear me out.



If you love the southern sound and can't get enough of it, then you probably think this is a 5 star album.



If you can't stand the southern sound and simply can't take anymore of it, then you probably think this is a 1 star album.



I stand in between the two sides and this is just a 3 star album to me. This is coming from someone that owns all three of their albums (I loved their first album). As far as content goes, this album is a step backward from their last album (From The Roota To The Toota). While they had a nice blend of uplifitng and typical southern songs, this album is more typical than anything else. Are there good songs on this album? Definitely. Are the beats tight? Yes they are. What I'm saying is, the little bit of substance they exhibited on their second album has all but disappeared. There are some good tracks to be found though. I can't get enough of "So What" and "At The Park" because of the feel good party vibes I get from them. "Area Code 229", though somewhat silly, is still catchy. "Blacker The Berry" shows what Field Mob is capable of when they actually put some effort into what they do.



The problem with this album is the amount of generic content. Tracks like "Baby Bend Over", "Eat 'Em Up, Beat 'Em Up", and "My Wheels" (despite decent production) are the most unoriginal and lazy songs I've heard in a while (I can only take so much babbling about ridin' rims and gettin' laid). I firmly believe that this kind of stuff is beneath them. Just check out the awful "Pistol Grip". It's a perfect example of what I'm getting at.



Light Poles & Pine Trees is a solid album to me. I still believe that Shawn Jay and Smoke have very unique and original flows, and when they get good topics and good production, that's when they REALLY shine. They trip up when they lower themselves to do generic tracks dedicated to rims and gettin' head. I think Field Mob can do SO MUCH BETTER and this stuff their putting out is below them. It's kind of like when you see a prospect that you know can become an elite player, but they don't realize their potential yet, so they settle for being good instead of great. I hear two exceptional rappers doing below average songs because they don't seem to realize that they're as good as they really are. Maybe I'm expecting too much from them. Like I said before, how you percieve this album depends on how you view southern rap. Some love it, some hate it. I don't belong to either extreme, I just like it. You probably will too, but if you don't think they can do better, you may be kidding yourself.



Standout Tracks: Sorry Baby, Blacker The Berry (My Favorite), So What feat. Ciara, 1 2 3, At The Park, and Georgia feat. Ludacris & Jamie Foxx

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