I know what you're thinking: "have the Brits finally done it?" Have they surmounted their Royal Pussy stereotype to put together a dope hip-hop LP? Has the day finally come where Brits play on DJ mixes alongside Mystikal in a spirit of unity and black ass? Is New Flesh the new savior, the Tiger Woods, if you will, of British beats and rhymes?
No! Good god, no, are you joking? Jesus! That's okay, though; this album got my hopes up, too. Aside from the buoyant packaging hype promising 'album of the year' quality, New Flesh also boasts cameo spots by two of the best and hottest underground emcees in the game: Beans (Antipop Consortium) and Gift of Gab (Blackalicious). The album couldn't possibly be anything less than spectacular, could it?
Sure it could. As a matter of fact, it could suck. Lightly suck, as on a swizzle stick, but suck nonetheless. Problem is, assuming the greatness of this one rests on a false inference. Supposing Beans and Gift of Gab recorded Understanding by themselves, we'd probably have ourselves an all-time classic. Talent doesn't just disappear, after all. As it is, though, we have two classic tracks, and a bunch of dub/drum-n-bass drivel, melded together with raspy-throated dancehall vox and some other booshit (Sade-esque background vocals, mechanical beats, utter absence of soul, you know, the usual). This stuff is dubby dubby dubby, following in the funky footsteps of another Big Dada-ite, Roots Manuva. Oh wait, did I just call Roots funky? Pardon my British: I meant "retarded."
Before you pass on your own piece of Understanding, consider this: there is such a thing as a two-song album. System of a Down had one of the finest two-song albums in recent memory last year, taking those two songs, "Chop Suey" and "Toxicity," and magically winning top album honors with a few partially respected rock mags. Be ye fooled as I, though, and you found out that nothing else on that album was even close to decent. Confounding!
So consider, then, that Understanding begins its spin with a dose of nasty verse on "Move Slow," courtesy of Beans. Tight production, even, with a spacy synth vamp and a deep electronic bass groove. Wait six more tracks and you'll hear Gab standing at the mic for his turn, the smashing "Communicate," with a delivery as fluid and mesmerizing as (almost) anything on Blazing Arrow. It's also got a nice, pulsing dance beat that fits well with the track; I guess New Flesh know how to treat guests. Give 'em good beats, a cup of Earl Grey, maybe some scones, clotted cream. As they say in Manchester: tizzle my schnizzle. Or something like that.
You are a junkie, you buy. You are not, you don't. Either way, you go home with two songs, two songs for the price of 13 (or 14, counting the hidden track that JUST SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME). Don't grimace and say you were cheated, because now you know. To summarize, you now have understanding. And as I deduced as a child, understanding is the other half of the battle-- not the 'knowing' half, the other one.
