Review Summary: The Roots display what makes them a cultural force of nature, but also show off why their newer work is ultimately disappointing for hardcore fans.
The Roots are one of the more recognizable hip/hop and jazz fusion artists in the world. Fans have no limit to finding music from the group's various members through side projects and especially on their late night show gig with Jimmy Fallon. Life has to be good knowing that even if they do not make another album in the future, Jimmy Fallon's fan base can keep them employed for a lengthy time. However, The Roots are always at their finest when working together. Especially on classic albums released in the 1990s, specifically Things Fall Apart. Their newer work has been getting much less overall acclaim but the musicianship is always top notch to make even their lower points passable. Their newest album seems to be stuck in that groove once again, managing to be a decent record but falling well short of past greatness.
Sonically The Roots are always solid. ATYSYC is no different, putting together good backing tracks to the various rhymes dropped throughout. The piano work is masterful, conveying moods of happiness, depression, and fear for what could happen next. Guitars are toned down for most of the tracks, but they have a few moments to shine. Bass work is also strong, bringing a groove to most tracks that is worth moving to.
Writing has been what separates The Roots from other artists in their genre, but ATYSYC is lacking in the department. The themes of the album speak of the struggles of making a living on the streets, being stuck in gangster culture, and small rays of hope at the end of the tunnel. In other words, this album thematically has been done a million times already. Perhaps if the songs were more catchy and well executed this could be looked past, but they are not.
Of the eight full length tracks on the album, four are solid and the other four are quite poor. When the People Cheer is a one of the best available songs, featuring a beautiful female-led chorus, amazing drums, and the best flow on the whole album. Black Rock features a darker toned beat with heavier keys, solid guitar presence, and a hard verse from Dice Raw. However, the hook is only passable at best, hurting the track as a whole. Undoubtedly the finest song on the album is The Dark(Trinity). The beat is constantly brooding the background and the verses are the most intriguing of anything on the album, especially with the themes of preferring to die young than become a has-been on the streets. The combination of both positives gives the track an airy and real feel. Finally, Tomorrow ends the album on a high note. Being the most hopeful song by a mile, the chorus is fun even if it can get a bit repetitive. The beat work on the track is catchy as hell, which is what really brings you back to Tomorrow on additional listens.
For every positive note on ATYSYC, there is an equally bad note to follow it. The first full-length, Never is rough. Aside from the earthy piano work, the horrid chorus and theatrical opening destroy any sense of flow on the track. Understand is the most average track here, not really moving me in any way. The organ-led beat and ironic presence of religion on the streets are interesting, but the chorus is barely passable and the lack of tangible flow is hard to manage. The Coming should be a good track, but the vocals completely destroy it. Mercedes Martinez has an interesting voice, but the distortion is horrid. It makes the track dizzying and painful to digest. The Unraveling has strong piano work ripping up the track, but there is too much wasted time. There is a 90 second long intro that builds toward nothing, with a verse that has a hard time building the track back up. There is also a bizarre breakdown that kills any flow the track tries to have.
Overall, The Roots may have released their least interesting album to date. There is a handful of solid songs and beautiful musicianship everywhere on the album. However, the bad songs are quite bad, sound mixing is a bit hard to digest, and the short length of the album is disappointing.
