Review: The Roots – How I Got Over

Palmer reviews The Roots’ How I Got Over.

Artist: The Roots
Album: How I Got Over
Genre: Hip-Hop
Year: 2010

There’s something mesmerizing about a group like The Roots. They’re such talented artists that pretty much everything they touch exceeds expectations – even by their own standards. In a lot of my reviews, I tend to talk about how an artist’s current album can’t compare to their past material – it’s refreshing to finally hear an album that does. The Roots are consistent and they take time to perfect their craft. How I Got Over is no exception – this album is truly phenomenal.

How I Got Over has a distinct, jazz quality sound to it. It’s smooth, and it’s easy to be disarmed by its charm. Each time I turned the album on, I discovered a new groove to wander in. Soulful lyrics and jazzy piano lines blended like sweet scents in the air. When I closed my eyes, I could imagine the notes flowing out of my speakers, swirling around my ears, and gently kissing my senses as the trail wisps around, combined with brilliant colors flashing with each beat of the rhythm. It was almost like listening to a natural high.

The drums are always on point – never simple, never complicated – always the perfect device to continue the songs on. The easygoing piano and acoustic guitar that’s found in the album is never abrasive, always complimentary, and it continues to be one of the best examples of live instrumentation used for hip-hop beats. The contributions from featured artists on this album are solid. Each artist brings his or her on flavor to the individual tracks, but they never sound forced, instead they sound natural, as if they’re part of the band rather than a featured artist.

This is easily The Roots most ambitious project since Illadelph Halflife (1996). I daresay it’s on par, possibly better. I’m very happy to say this is one of the most outstanding hip-hop albums I’ve heard in a long, long time. When albums like this come out, I can’t help but think, maybe Nas and everyone else is wrong then they say, “Hip-hop is dead”. Modern rap needs to listen to this album and take A LOT of notes.

Verdict:

+ It’s an alarmingly disarming album for your senses – trust me, that’s a good thing.
+ It’s a perfect blend of jazz and soul music that creates a very smooth album that’s easy to listen and take in.
+The lyrics are deep, meaningful, and identifiable.
- I would have liked to see more variation on the featured artists.

96/100

Best Tracks: ‘Walk Alone’, ‘Radio Daze’, ‘Right on’, ‘Doin’ It Again’, and ‘The Fire’ – you really just need to hear this whole album.

- Palmer Sturman
palmer@musicreview.co.za
www.twitter.com/despitefulminat