Two years in the making, and well worth the wait...
Mike Roy | Raleigh, NC | 08/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For anyone who enjoys the rock-n-roll side of the Soul-Junk oeuvre, this album is what you've been waiting for. (Those who primarily enjoy the more beat-heavy, hip-hoppy side of his catalog might be a bit let down).
I really don't even know where to start. It's a massive undertaking (as most Soul-Junk records are) ... the lyric for the album is the entirety of Psalm 119 - nothing added, nothing left out... which in and of itself is one of the truly amazing things about the record, and about Glen Galaxy. He can sing/rap/vocalize a static piece of written material and make it sound his own and make it fit perfectly with the music he has composed to go with it. The way he breaks up phrases not only adds interest, but also seems to amplify the content and expound upon the subject matter without commentary.
The music for this album is, for me, Soul-Junk at its finest. Guitar driven, drum heavy, angular, melodic, harsh at times, beautiful at times... it's quintessential... what you might hope to get from culling a "best of" in mix-tape fashion. Daniel Smith (and everyone involved) has done a phenomenal job fleshing these compositions out. Whoever had the idea to bring the cello into the mix wins the prize for single best arrangement idea. The cello features prominently on several tracks, and atmospherically on most. The contrast between the harshness of the drums/distorted guitar with the silky smoothness of the cello is one of the most satisfying elements of the album. It never sounds pretentious, but it adds a definite air of highbrow sophistication to the otherwise almost primal attack of tempo and texture. The other expertly executed balancing act on the record is that of the dissonant and the harmonious. All Soul-Junk work has dabbled in the un-melodic. Galaxy's lineage in experimental/noise/free jazz, etc. has always been an integral part of his aesthetic. This heritage has, at times, led to some almost unlistenable passages (for me anyway) but it's a huge part of what make's his work what it is. I think the only other album to approach this level of balance was the 1942 EP, which was also produced by Smith. I'm not sure if it's Smith that brings the more melodic side of Galaxy to the forefront, or if Galaxy saves up this material for when he gets to work with Smith. Whatever the case, their collaboration has led to the some of the strongest parts of the Soul-Junk catalog.
At two years in the making, it's clear that they wanted to make sure to get everything sounding exactly as intended. The drums are prominent in a fantastic way. The mix is, dare I say it, perfect. (And what a difficult project to mix!) Smith has outdone himself with this massive project. Bombastic wouldn't be hyperbole for this album, but neither would subtle. Everything in its right place, this really may be the Soul-Junk magnum opus, but I hope not!"
