(Aftermath)
The most hyped rapper to come out since Eminem and perhaps the most controversial since 2Pac, 50 Cent released his first major label-backed album this past week. Gaining notoriety back in 1999 with his controversial cut \How to Rob,"" 50 was subsequently dropped from his label. Between being dropped from his first label and signing with Eminem's Shady Records, 50 Cent survived being shot nine times. Later, he was stabbed, allegedly by Ja Rule and his Murder Inc. labelmates in a New York recording studio. He still found time to release two independent albums on the streets. Having survived all of this turmoil, 50 Cent comes out swinging on his first major release.
Having Dr. Dre and Eminem oversee the creation of any album is a great way to ensure that the album is going to be solid. Get Rich or Die Tryin' however, is more than just solid. Combining the excellent production from Dre, Eminem and others with 50 Cent's melodic flow makes Get Rich an album you never have to fast-forward.
However, people expecting an album full of club tracks like his first single ""Wanksta"" or his newly released single ""In Da Club"" will be disappointed. Despite the inclusion of these tracks and one or two others like it, the range of songs is much more in the vein of a true gangsta rap album. This is never more apparent than on the cuts ""Back Down,"" where 50 addresses his enemies over a dark, ominous beat and on ""P.I.M.P.,"" where he talks about his attitudes toward women. Yet 50 does have a few introspective moments. On ""21 Questions,"" 50 takes a minute to sweetly talk to the ladies, with Nate Dogg supplying his always smooth voice on the hook, and on ""Gotta Make It To Heaven,"" where 50 discusses his past travails in life and in the rap game.
In an era when rap artists have the entire world make guest appearances on their albums, 50 Cent keeps it to a minimum, with guest appearances from only Eminem, Nate Dogg and his G-Unit clique on a couple of tracks. All of these appearances are especially strong. ""Patiently Waiting,"" produced by and featuring Eminem, is perhaps one of the top two or three tracks on the album, and Eminem truly shows off his lyrical skills.
Ultimately, there is very little wrong with 50's first major release. With 16 tracks and 3 bonus tracks included on the album, only one of the bonus tracks, ""Life on the Line,"" could be justifiably eliminated from the album, and even that would require some discussion. There is finally a new solo star in rap who doesn't just make songs for the radio. Everyone who is a fan of hip-hop should go pick this album up.
(Elektra)
Phish's Round Room sounds folksy, childish, laid-back and unimaginative. Still, they are an undeniably talented band and Round Room, despite its deficiencies, provides mellow background music to fall asleep to.
Lazy jams persevere until they fall apart. Periods of disharmony are left on the finished album in an attempt to give off the feel of the construction-deconstruction-reconstruction jams that they've honed at their live shows.
Round Room's simple and low-key sound gives the impression that the band is struggling to have fun. The nasal singing of Mike Gordon makes him sound like a drunk refusing to leave the stage at a karaoke bar. Throughout the album there is an overwhelming sense that they're running out of ideas.
But when Trey Anastasio embarks on his adventurous solos, which at their best channel the spirit of Duane Allman, he demonstrates why Phish is still making albums. Songs like ""Mexican Cousin"" show what Phish is capable of in the studio. It's fun with irrelevant, yet irresistible lyrics and a note-piercing solo that unexpectedly explodes from what sounds like a drinking song. These are the moments that Phish allows you to sit back and soak in the music. Unfortunately, on Round Room these moments are few and far between.
(Doghouse)
All-American Rejects appears to be an appropriate name for this Stillwater, Okla.-based band, as nearly every song on its self-titled debut album deals with the theme of rejection. This pop-punk group's lamentations on uninterested girls are mostly filled with energetic, infectious Top 40 radio-ready melodies and repetitive lyrics and instrumentals.
Vocalist and bassist Tyson Ritter has a voice that is easy to listen to if not especially musical or distinctive. His voice sounds as though he has not fully completed puberty, which can be at times endearing and at others annoying and whiny. Guitarist/keyboardist Nick Wheeler, guitarist Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor provide solid accompaniment. While there are impressive moments, the growing d??j?? vu and redundancy throughout the album suggest the band needs to expand its songwriting creativity.
The group's first released single, ""Swing, Swing,"" sounds like a somewhat overmixed, somewhat unoriginal typical pop hit. It is a decent track but by no means the best on the album. The band shows their true potential on more ballad-like songs, such as ""Too Far Gone,"" a touching piece with wonderfully restrained instrumental backing which allows the lyrics to dominate with lines such as ""Now we're too far gone/ Hope is such a waste/ Every breath you take/ You give me the burden's bitter taste."" The band also shines on ""Time Stands Still,"" a song in which Ritter enchantingly whispers certain words, drawing the listener closer.
All-American Rejects provide a solid debut, though the redundancy renders many songs forgettable. The title of the track ""One More Sad Song"" seems to accurately sum up track after track on this album, yet the energy within the songs keeps the album from being depressing. Rejects have the feel of a band one might see in a hip club scene on a WB show where the characters feel lonely and contemplate their lives in a melodramatic, pop-culture sort of way. But those moods come along occasionally, and this band gives them a decent, listenable soundtrack. Overall, this is a band with a sound start and a lot of potential.
