When going through hip-hop albums of the past, one name is bound to pop up. The independent hip-hop group known as Atmosphere has been a forefather to rappers, lyricists and poets alike. Atmosphere is comprised of Ant, also known as Anthony Davis, (left) and Slug or Sean Daley (left center). However they tour with Nate Collins on guitar (center right) and Erick Anderson on keys (right).
Ant’s production skills are forever eminent and remain to keep things fresh and different. Erick Anderson and Nate Collins add an instrumental and almost bluesy feel within each song, much different than the typical straight drum and snare pattern. CoS describes the new sound as "mellow tones ... get buried between trip-hop and occasional bursts of electric blues guitar". What does keep consistent is the content. Slug’s rhymes are more like powerful stories that speak with brutal honesty about everything from heart wrenching lost loves to the hip-hop scene and the repercussions that come with it. The band also stays true to their values. LA Music Blog commented, “every album they have dropped has been different from its predecessor in nearly all aspects, yet they have remained thoroughly consistent with who they are and what they represent”.
And because of this, the fans keep coming back for more.
The Family Sign was released April 12 of this year, and so far almost all reviews have been positive. Being the giant Atmosphere fan that I am I downloaded the album and have been picking each song apart gradually.
Track List
1. My Key – A shout-out to his family including but not limited to the father of his child, his son, his mother, his father, and his girlfriend. Super mellow beat, beautiful guitar and bass lines. Metaphors are deep, provocative and new.
Dope quote – “Guess that it means if my people hurt / Somebody, please disturb my peaceful smirk / Take everything that I bring with me / Make who I be now / Hear my family now”
2. The Last To Say – A brutal story telling of domestic violence that will give you goosebumps and make your eyes turn foggy. LA Music Blog says that this song “noticeably stands out from the rest of the impressive 14-track album and paints an ugly picture in a beautiful manner, depicting a story of domestic violence that has heavily impacted a witnessing child.” No drums in this song, but Slug can give a hip hop beat to the eerie guitar and piano.
Dope quote – “Just tear it all apart and build new / Cause if you don't kill him, he's gonna kill you / You can't hold hands when they make fists / And I aint the first to say this.”
3. Became – When I heard the intro it made me remember my ballet classes. Classical music until Slug’s raspy and deep voice pops in. A classic story telling piece again. For fans of “Always Coming Back Home To You”, this is a piece for you. The story talks about two wolfs that are following someone. The wolves are obvious metaphors for something or someone, but I need to continue to break this song. It’s one of those multiple metaphor songs. (No YouTube link for this one! Sorry!)
Dope quote – “I read the trail your feet made, each step was deliberately placed.It looks like you know where it leads but I see nothing but leafless frozen trees.”
4. Just For Show – Ant obviously makes use of DJ experience in this song, using more electronic sounds to make this beat rock. This is a song that makes your body rock and the chorus is sexy. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. Slug sings, his voice drops when the beat does. The song is about a girl, of course, but instead of angriness (See: Fuck You, Lucy) it’s more of a grown up fight. He shows maturation because he isn’t bitter, just stating that he can be fine without her.
Dope quote – “It's no sweat at all na I won't stress about / Anything projected out of your passive agressive mouth / Let it out, if we walking on a separate ground
5. She’s Enough – Another rad guitar song courtesy of Nate Collins. Another song for his girl, obviously. But as opposed to a happy love song or an angry love song, this song is more respectful. Instead of whining about the girl, Slug tells about how strong and beautiful she is to him.
Dope quote - She wanna do the damn thing and I'm on her side / she opened up the wings and she gonna fly / she got no time for the fuss and fight / she does it right, she loves her life”
6. Bad Bad Daddy – Honestly, this song has a cool beat, but the chorus is lame. He repeats, “I’m a bad bad daddy” over and over, and makes me think of a cheesy porno before my idol, Slug. Slug basically just bashes himself for not being a better father. Kind of lame in my opinion. No dope quote, I can’t find one.
7. Millennium Dodo – Another awesome story by Slug intermingled with self-deprecating explanations for his habits. The beat has various tones of “dings” and classic bass lines. My favorite part of this song is the shout out to the late and great Eyedea (Michael Larsen). The bridge of this song has a sexy beat as well (maybe Slug just gives me butterflies). Slug’s singing paired with a slow and but dope beat makes me want to move! (No YouTube link for this one! Sorry!)
Dope quote – “I only claim whats in my veins / That's my crown and that's my name / Gotta wait till they slash the price / Before you catch a life”
8. Who I’ll Never Be – My favorite song from this album. Unplugged and raw, this song is a beautiful piece about a girl who writes songs on the guitar about him. Definite chills every time I listen to this song. It truly is beautiful and the guitar really showcases Nate Collins’ guitar skill. It was really hard to choose a dope quote, so you should listen to the whole song. Please excuse how long this quote is. (No YouTube link for this one! Sorry!)
Dope quote – “She picked up her instrument / and I don't know where I went. / I just close my eyes and float / like I'm in there with her tryin' to hold all / the notes she hits, motionless, / a secret solo show she gives. / Sometimes she'll search for a line / and I wish I could give her one of mine. / But it would all unravel / if she found out I was in the shadows. / So I suppress what I obsess, / but your biggest fan wanna sing a duet.”
9. I Don’t Need Brighter Days – Slug opens this song with beautiful singing. Who knew his singing voice was actually really good? This song is bluesy and features a lot of echo use (don’t know how I feel about it). The song is full of strange little phrases, but somehow they all work together and make a cohesive story.
Dope quote – “They say brave when you don't flinch / But we never saw the blade, never had the chance to cringe / Don't ever forget to put misery on the guest list / Sippin' on a memory for breakfast
10. Ain’t Nobody – This song features a more pronounced drum beat and upbeat twang of the guitar and piano. However, the song feels forced, and not as original and memorable as Atmosphere’s past songs. (No YouTube link for this one! Sorry!)
Dope quote – “But if I walk away you'll blame it on my arrogance. / Let's make this clear, I'm not your therapist. / There is no interest in hearing about your carelessness.”
11. Your Name Here – The song is supposed to be like Slug is talking to a friend from the past. Hip Hop DX made a good point, relating this song to The Loser Wins off of their most recent EP To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy. “Whereas the latter was an angry conversation about learning when to cut ties with friends, the former takes place years later, where Slug runs into the aforementioned friend and has had time to cool off from the emotion of the situation.”
Dope quote – “It was a special surprise to bump into you / Stay safe! You have yourself a great day! / Wait, what was that? What'd you say? / My phone number? Nah I don't think so. / I only gave it to a handful of close people / Let's not make this into an issue, / But the truth is, I don't miss you.”
12. If You Can Save Me Now – More story telling! This song is about someone in what seems to be in a car accident recalling the life they made with a person they were with at the time. It flashes back to different periods of time that were memorable. (No YouTube link for this one! Sorry!)
Dope quote – “We all got scars and broken parts. / But most of the marks stay close to my heart. / Waitin' for the down-poor to start. / The rain clouds over my head got dark.”
13. Something So – Slug sings again for us in this song! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. This song is about being on tour and missing family, friends and loved ones. This song is the perfect ending for this album.
Dope quote – “We only get to live one time, but twice did my life stand in some sunshine. / I could lose eyesight, I could end up blind. / But I drew my design inside the bloodline. / Years go by, memories combine. / But y'all the only reason I would even rewind. / Thank you for the branch you grew on this tree.”
I love Atmosphere, so I'm pretty down with this album. However, Bad Bad Daddy is a crappy song. What's strange is that no one who has written an album review has said one bad thing about this album (in particular, that song). Maybe it's just me.
Overall, this album is the grown up Atmosphere, and I feel it's appropriate as many of the listeners are growing up as well.
What are your thoughts on the album?
