If you’re looking for a record with an album length story arc, based on a semi-fictional character whose story unfolds across dramatic interludes on a song suite where each number seamlessly blends into one another. A concept album where the voices of the ensemble seem to step in and out of character in order to illustrate the drama, as musical themes are stretched out during an instrumental section with a classical suite in four movements. If this is the kind of album you desire then surely you’ll flip back to the Prog-Rock scene of the early 70s wouldn’t you? You’re not going to hope to find such a grand premise and the musical dexterity to pull it off in the US Rap arena, now are you? I’m being a touch facetious here, not to mention forgetful, for I already made plain in last year’s countdown that we’re witnessing an incredible modern day act blossom into an amazing maturity with The Roots. They are just so multi-talented it’s frightening. It’s not simply that they’ve attempted a deep work of urban fiction with this album, it’s that it is executed with so much credibility; on every single track the vibe of the music captures the exact sensation being experienced by the stories central character. Even a relatively upbeat song like ‘The Other Side’ somehow manages to capture a sense of overwhelming foreboding. It’s nothing short of a musical work with the detail and punch of TV’s acclaimed crime drama ‘The Wire’. It’s only been released this month and may yet stand the test of time as one of the greatest pieces of work in 2012 but at the moment I’m tempering my amazement by considering the longer held appreciation and love I have for the albums placed above it, but this is pretty damn special!
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