Tracklist: 1. Lightspeed
2. Bloody Poetry
3. Falling From You
4. On The Rocks
5. Sunny Side Of Hell
6. Tragic
7. Boogie Man
8. Pressure Cracks
9. No Matter What
10. Vice Grip
11. Heartbreak Hotel
12. Speak Easy
13. Prize Fighter
14. Wild Thing
15. Growing Pains
16. Against The Bottom
Together/Apart is a manifestation of Rhymesayers Entertainment's marketing department and their seemingly neverending quest to homogenize hip-hop. Their understanding of the 20-something white male psyche is unrivaled in this industry. It is unfortunate; Grieves has the makings of a multi-dimensional vocalist with a pleasant voice and something of substance to say with it. There aren't technically complex multi-syllabics to be had here, just pure introspection. "On The Rocks" hearkens backs to previous releases and almost recalls what could have been amidst a catcy hook and producer Budo's (previously) typical electro-funk.
But Grieves presses forward almost too awkwardly with a poorly executed spoken word vibe-come-Brother Ali preaching made more obvious by their phoned in duet on "Tragic". The production suffers more, taking [mis]cues from nearly every Rhymesayers Entertainment release over the past 5 years. Most of the tracks emulate what could be B-Sides of a post-Lemons Ant, doing nothing so groundbreaking as regurgitating mid-90's soul. Budo was never an incredible producer in the past, but did just enough to shine a spotlight on Grieves' strong personal narrative. It is in that regard that Together/Apart reeks of compromise and mimicry.
Recommended Track: "On The Rocks", "Bloody Poetry"
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