The first time I listen to an album, I like to drop the CD in without checking out the album-art, booklet or any reviews cause I'm a music junkie at heart and all those other components tend to blur my response. After giving "Undun" a first listen I felt pretty unsatisfied. The format is definitely outside of the norm, the tracks are very downbeat, and the entire album barely hits the 39-minute mark.
I knew there had to be something I wasn't getting at this point cause say what you may about the past few Roots albums but these guys are still one of the most legendary groups in Hip-Hop and they know how to live up to that name. So here's the deal, "Undun" is concept album hence the odd format. It tells the rewinding story (kind of like that film Memento) of a fictional character, Redford Stephens, who get involved in drugs and the likes, which eventually leads to his downfall and death. In this case, The Roots were not trying to focus so much on the character's death but rather the significance of the circumstances that lead him there.
Needless to say that this album isn't for your average Joe listener.
Trying to wrap your mind around Black Thought's veiled rap style is already quite the challenge and the four-part orchestral suite, inspired from Sufjan Stevens' "Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou)", they finish off with is truly for experts only. For those elements I must say Chapeau to The Roots. It's about time artists treat their fans like mature and intelligent beings that are capable enjoying music that requires a higher level of concentration and understanding. I do however feel that the album as whole lacks a little crispness and length. Due to the downbeat vibe, some of the tracks flow through your mind without any demarcation and I really think that 39 minutes isn't long enough express their theme.
There are a couple of treasures off this album that definitely deserve special mention including: One Time [ft. Phonte & Dice Raw], I Remember and Tip The Scale [ft.Dice Raw]
Don't judge this album off one listen son! It's deeper than that.
-MF Gold
(Say Word! Wednesdays 3-4pm on CJLO)
(Other music reviews: Sarah MK - Worth It, Best Local 2011 Releases)
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