| |
|
Music Archives:
Most Recent
| Highest
Rated | Alphabetical
| Highest Rated 2006
Only Happy When He’s Sad
 |
|
Roots Manuva: Awfully Deep
Big Dada, 2005
Rating: 4.1
|
|
Posted:
March 5,
2005
By
Laurence Station
South Londoner Rodney Smith’s Roots Manuva persona is hip hop’s answer to
Constantine. Turmoil, be it inner conflict or external pressures, is the
engine that drives him. From his 1999 debut Brand New Second Hand
through 2001's stunning Run Come Save Me to his latest, Awfully
Deep, Smith has consistently touched on the angelic/demonic nature of
his character. While it’s doubtful he'll ever reconcile the two, Awfully
Deep proves Smith's most explicit examination of the demons tormenting
him, making for his most intensely measured album, more precisely executed
and less spontaneous (and, ultimately, less fun) than the first two.
On the swirling, feverishly knob-spinning title track, Smith announces
“sanity’s back on the line again” and relates a brief stint spent in a
psychiatric hospital (at the urging of his management company, no less!) in
which he was assailed by “crooked doctors and kinky nurses.” Later he claims
“I seen the devil sit right before me” and “I screamed for Jesus but it was
no use.” The dense “Mind 2 Motion” attempts to “shake away the hurt,” while
the moody “A Haunting” acknowledges there’s no escaping from the “railroad
of one’s mind.” Smith’s internal struggle could easily overwhelm Awfully
Deep and make the album a self-pitying downer.
Fortunately, thanks to the positivism of key surrounding tracks and the
sharp wit with which Smith delivers his literate rhymes, the end result is
more cathartic than regressive.
“Cause 4 Pause” chooses to “celebrate the expedition,” while the grooving
electronic centerpiece “Colossal Insight” is refreshingly honest: “This
could well be my last LP / I've had a good run / I've made a few Gs.”
(Obviously Smith’s contract might not include a “good run” escape clause,
but it’s nice to hear a heavyweight rapper at least entertaining the thought
of going out near the top of his game.) The gothic, big-stepping “Too Cold”
manages an infectious hook out of “sometimes I hate myself / sometimes I
love myself” and finds Smith admitting that he’s no UK rap savior,
castigating the media for blowing his importance all out of proportion. The
aggressively defiant “Chin High” stares down the world’s problems: “Chin
high / Puffed chest / We step right to it / The choice is there, ain’t no
choice but to pursue it.” The hypnotically meditative “Thinking” deals with
coming to terms with life’s ups and downs.
And then there’s the club factor. “Move Ya Loin” boasts a steady, laid-back
rhythm, as well as guest rapper Lotek, whose frank, sandpapery flow adds
some welcome balance to Smith’s stentorian baritone. The jumpy, hyperactive
“Rebel Heart” is the obligatory dance track, offering the expected
shout-outs, propulsive grooves and some genuinely inspired rump-shaker lines
like “Holy Ghost come and take control.”
“The Falling” offers a laundry list of worldly terrors, trotting out “enjoy
what you’ve got” platitudes and a lame beat to produce the one truly
dispensable track on the album. Fortunately, that’s hardly a deal-breaker.
Awfully Deep is another strong release for Smith, and while it
doesn’t sport the effortless flow of his debut or the rich variety of Run
Come Save Me, its considered assessment of where he’s been and where he
might be heading (retiring the Roots Manuva persona, perhaps?) helps the
album more than live up to its title.
Site
design copyright © 2001-2007 Shaking Through.net. All original artwork,
photography and text used on this site is the sole copyright of the respective creator(s)/author(s). Reprinting, reposting, or citing any of the original
content appearing on this site without the written consent of Shaking
Through.net is strictly forbidden. Contact us at
shaking@shakingthrough.net if
you wish to use any of the material published here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
