Erik Schrody

The album went fairly un-noticed or reviewed by the mainstream media, which is unfortunate because it may be Everlast’s greatest work. With the exception of opening track “Kill The Emperor,” the album largely abandons any hip-hop influence one might expect, instead delivering dark tales and gritty personal musings all threaded together by Everlast’s baritone crooning and a gang of live instruments.

Is Everlast believable in this darker, grittier tone and is it sustainable for a entire album? The songs come off sounding very genuine and introspective. Although his vocal range is limited and this can cause some songs to sound repetitive– there is a great variety of instrumentals and moods. From the “Insane In the Membrane“-esque cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues“, the slow bluesy ballad of “Anyone” to the frustrated barebones acoustic “Friend” or the more upbeat twisted love-song “Dirty”. Everlast does not disappoint.

“Letters Home From The Garden of Stone” is a chilling track written from the perspective of a soldier in doubt, fearful and missing home.

“Sitting restless under the moonlight, I know I’m getting ready to kill, They say we’re going in with the daylight. Ma (Mom), I don’t want to but I will… Coz I won’t know the man who kills me, and I don’t know these men I kill.. I pray to god for my salvation.. wash away the blood I spill”

“Stone In My Hand” and “Naked” are two other stand-out quality tracks.  You can’t help but respect Everlast’s artistic reinvention and evolution. While many artists stay safely within their cookie-cutter dimensions, Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford is an example of an artist successfully walking a new path. While some fans may be disappointed by the new direction, other listeners are bound to become fans as a result of it.

Check this album out– it’s one of 2008′s best.

“I’m just so f*cking depressed, I just can’t seem to get out this slump/ if I could just get over this hump/ but I need something to pull me out this dump/ I took my bruises/ took my lumps/ fell down and I got right back up/ But I need that spark to get psyched back up/ In order for me to pick the mic back up/ I don’t how or why or when I ended up in this position I’m in/ I’m starting to feel distance again/ so I decided just to pick this pen up and make an attempt to vent/ but I just can’t admit/ or come to grips with that fact that I may be done with rap/ “

Eminem is a 36 year old man now, that’s 10 years since his first album. His modern attempts to be shocking and edgy lack the passionate delivery and sincerity of previous work. It often comes off sounding very forced and contrived. Other times lyrics lack any real cohesion, sure the words rhyme but it’s mostly gibberish.

The good news is there’s only a handful of songs with these shortcomings. The album as a whole is a great improvement over The Eminem Show. Songs like “Hello”, “Bagpipes from Baghdad” and “Same Song and Dance” are great examples of classic Eminem; great delivery and clever rhyme schemes. In contrast, “Déjà vu” and “Beautiful” are great examples of a more grown up Eminem with very honest, reflective lyrics. I can’t help but wish the entire album was more in the spirit of those for-mentioned tracks.

The albums first two singles “Crack a Bottle” and “We Made You” are sure to satisfy the mainstream bubble-gum rap fans. As a fan, it’s hard for me to be so critical of the album but Eminem has the potential for a greater overall product. Relapse was originally planned as a double album, so I can’t help but wonder if Eminem is saving the best for last with Relapse 2 slated for release in late 2009.

Roth finally discovered hip-hop in 1998 “When I heard the Annie sample with Jay-Z….When I wrote my ‘A Milli’ freestyle, that was me listening to 10 years of hip hop and not relating to it at all. Like, Damn I don’t sell coke. Damn, I don’t have cars or 25-inch rims. I don’t have guns. I finally got to a point where I had the confidence to do this thing myself, and I was making music for me. And it turns out, a lot of people feel the same way I do.“

Fast forward to 2009 with his first studio release “Asleep In The Bread Aisle”. So is he good? I found this album to be refreshing. Although I’d say his content and style are different than Eminem, the skill is comparable.

The album features 12 tracks, the songs I gravitated toward were the very first track (and second single) “Lark On My Go-Kart” which feels like a 3 minute freestyle, no hook just great lyrics and delivery.

“Mario kart skills are outrageous/
Play me any day and I’ll be the best racist/
Wait no erase it/ meant to say racer/
Traded in my cell phone for a new pager/
Take off your bluetooth now dot com/
I’m at the grocery store with hot moms/”

“I Love College” the first single, a good college anthem.

“La Di Da” is about the struggle to stay on the track, through all the hurdles and obstacles. Catchy hook.

“Bad Day” is pretty self explanatory track, although I’m not crazy about the hook by Jazze Pha, but the verses by Asher are classic:

“It’s already 11:20 and I’m ready to sleep/
But instead I end up sitting in the 27th seat/
An aisle seat/ fine by me/ But the guy that’s insides always trying to pee/
With a wild child behind that’s crying and keeps/
Flipping out and kicking at me while it violently screams/
So I silently plead “Oh God, please let there be a hunny sitting 27B”/
But of course a morbidly obese beast is in the seat/
That wheezes when it breathes/ dude sitting D is at least three deep/
And he keeps telling me what is wrong with his knees/
Osgood Slaughter/ just need water/ but for a bottle they charge two dollars/
and when I thought that it couldn’t be worse, I forgot my iPod.”

“His Dream” is what appears to be a tribute to his father.

“Fallin’” is great track with an old-school feel, reminiscing about his days growing up.

These are just the stand-out tracks to me. I’d say the overall album is great listen and is well worth the money. Which is something that can rarely be said about a lot of artists this day.

For more information on Asher Roth visit his official website.