NOTE: With exception for the introduction, each paragraph of the review represents the next track on the album.
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“The Spotless Mind,” which debuted via the Internet on February 14, 2009, is a very inspirational and soulful, Hip-Hop/R&B project, also representing the artists’ official freshman release. The album cover features a creative portrayal of a handgun firing what seems to be a synchronized, artistic bliss of hearts and diamonds. In my perspective, it is a metaphorical way of expressing the objective and quality of the associated compilation. Considering the title of the anthology, it also adds a sense of suspense and mystery and prepares your mind for the album’s unique sound.
With anticipation at its high, the first track, dubbed “Land of Make Believe,” makes a first impression by transitioning from a melodic sample of a woman singing and sounds of ascension to a smooth radio pod cast. The artist introduces himself and his relationship to rap, and touches on issues involving many façades that exist throughout the music industry. He is accompanied by a relaxing feminine tune on the chorus, which accentuates the initial jazzy aura established during the introduction. The song continues with a catchy flow and evidence of several old school influences, hosting a breakdown toward the end to conclude a powerful opening sequence.
The next track titled “Food for Thought” uses the classic “mixtape” approach, and you immediately begin to recognize the poetic vibe that the artist possesses throughout his lyrics. The production, on the other hand, has a very distinguishable flavor—one that many songs fail to create. It maintains a generally upbeat rhythm; smooth enough to make a large, diverse demographic drift in the direction of the dance floor. In essence, it’s good music. At this point in the album, it is clear that the artist is passionate about his craft and is able to produce a laid back yet valuable resonance.
Proceeding, the adjacent track titled “The Revolution Experimet” has anthem potential within the first few seconds of play. It seems as though the tone of the album is steadily increasing, especially as the beats continue to hit harder through every rotation. Despite the raw characteristic of the vocals and its fluid momentum, the lyrics are organized in a rather unorthodox pattern. Interestingly, this does not affect the result of the music, thus the artist still manages to showcase his musical ability; an overall decent recording.
The omnibus experiences a mainstream mood shift with the sound of a clean electric guitar, giving rise to the title of this record: “The Guitar.” This track focuses on a strictly alternative rock and hip-hop collaboration, highlighted by yet another female singer on the hook. You can almost feel the energy in the production running through your nerves as if it were adrenaline, and the open-minded listener will definitely appreciate the mixture of live instruments and wordplay. It is then polished by an organ prominence as it fades out at the four-minute mark.
From mainstream ear candy to political awareness, the album switches to a vivid picture of American warfare, described in detail by the artist(s). The beat has a different feel compared to its previous counterparts as it allows the lyricists to paint discrete emotional visuals of the pain, struggle and thoughts of the average soldier in real combat. As the song develops, you witness a story discussing very important topics unfold—a story that many active troops may be able to relate to. The eerie piano strokes and pounding drums give this track form and command, and thus illuminating the message being shared. The artists also carefully and intelligently design the song around the title of the recording, and this, in itself, inspired the development of the chorus. At about a little less than a minute left of audio, the producer brings in Dionne Warwick's “Walk on by” sample to complete the structure and motivate a remorseful response to what is happening throughout the tale.
Track number six, dubbed “Paradise,” begins with a classic sample, followed with a baseline and snare combination to initiate the “drop” into the depths of the instrumental. Unlike the previous recording, the artist does not concentrate on a topic related to the title of the track. Instead, he utilizes the mixtape approach as mentioned earlier and yet again uses a pungent female presence on the hook. Observationally speaking, this is thus far one of the least favorites of the tracks on the album, particularly in terms of lyrical versatility, but the production continues to tweak and enhance the overall flavor of the entire collection.
Imagine yourself in a luxurious wooden cabin, heated by a fireplace in the corner of the room, after you recently discovered that you hold the winning lottery ticket. This is how the introduction should make you feel for the first several seconds of the track. A featured artist approaches the rhythm with confidence and wit and the song then presents its listeners with a very jazzy old school style. Of course, the enjoyable saxophone playing smoothly in the background concludes the final additions to this record.
An unpredictable chopped sample from Jay-Z’s second verse on his track titled “Girls, Girls, Girls” blesses the commencement of Heartbeat the Producers’ eighth track dubbed “Peep Pick and Parlay.” The flow adapts a basic structure and prevents the concept of the song from developing efficiently. However, the chorus attains an admirable level of creativity using the poetic hip-hop sample. In fact, the manner in which it intersects the beat choice is impressive and very appreciable.
Whoa. The various samples used to transition between the music are very clever and this track uses its appeal to its advantage once again. As it reaches its first climax, the instrumental shows sign of being rather eccentric—a great quality for those who understand the beauty governing superior musical quality. A “Prince of Thieves” not only has a different label compared to the other tracks featured on the album, it also possesses a change in flow, microphone presence and delivery that satisfies the action-packed, “street racing-like” choice of production. Furthermore, if it was ever safe to assume that the effectiveness of the choruses could not increase anymore, this possibility is quickly put to rest with a four-sample hook, including quotes from hip-hop artists like Mos Def, Jay-Z and Cassidy. The scratches incorporate the b-boy vibe that many fans can easily interpret and remember, thus giving this song a ranking much higher than its peers.
A simplistic, abusive horn and a generic drum pattern give this track its overall structure while the linguistics remains similar. The title “Jersey Love” leans toward the implication of a hometown anthem, however, the song itself is a false representation of this ideology. Although it manages to capture the epitome of cliché hip-hop music, it does not necessarily meet excellent album standards. Unfortunately, it blends in with the remainder of the compilation and fails to create the catchiness that most people tend to retain from music.
On another note, the next song titled “Yesterday, We Love You!” strikes you instantly as an amazingly groovy collection of real instrumentation. The lyrics seem to follow a storyline in reference to its theme, and you can feel the difference in energy; by energy, I mean the emotional power exerted by the artist(s). Real music—preferably the type that just comes naturally and “effortlessly.” A lovely R&B serenade grazes the chorus, serving as an outstanding breakdown between verses. This track is cool; in fact, it’s ‘really’ cool. It has poise, definition, and a strong overall presence. Yes. A song that you will probably replay a few times if you like that intense syncopated sensation.
The last track titled “Suburbs” is the albums’ only bonus track, so I’ll let everyone make their own interpretations for this one. Overall, I would give this album three and three quarter stars out of five. The production was very consistent throughout and the lyricism maintained a unique style, despite the minor criticisms stated above. This album will gain the respect it demands, and set the bar for the next release, which will feature yet another great array of vocalists and musicians.
-- KP
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