Sole, formerly of anticon. fame (Plastique is out on Fake Four Records), has always fit perfectly into the box that mainstream hip-hop fans would prefer to call “alternative.”  His lyrics are yelled as much as they’re rapped; his content, which is political more often than not, is generally so dense that most of his work requires multiple in-headphone listens to even understand the topic (let alone his message); and the production, well, let’s just say it doesn’t exactly bang.

All of which apply now more than ever.  Backed by the Arizona group Skyrider, the band’s distorted drums and heavy soundscape often become the foreground, even when Sole hits full-blown sermon mode.  And he rarely lets up on that enthusiasm, so much so that it’s close to impossible to tell when his depressing outlook (“nothing’s gonna save your health, this song’s about nothing, ‘cuz nothing’s gonna love you back”) is satirical or not.  Almost ironically, one of the track’s titles is “Pissing in the Wind,” strange since the MC might be doing so for a good portion of this album. 

Which is unfortunate, because Sole’s Thoreau-like experience in an Arizona forest the past two years is the kind of thing everyone should get to take a lesson from.  For those who avoid heavy, difficulty-digested albums, you might want to stick with what you already have on your plate.  But for the anticon. die hards, and those willing to tackle what could, pessimistically, be considered a sonically-opaque LP, you’ll have plenty to feed on here.  Proceed, but with caution.

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