Since the heated debate about DJ Shadow’s new album The Outsider has subsided and the album has been released, it’s time to give my thoughts on it.
What struck me on the first few listens was the lack of cohesion throughout. It’s like he deliberately set out to confuse not just fans but first time listeners. The album starts with a ridiculous quasi-menacing spoken work intro, then moves through soul, hyphy, alternative-rock, new-age mysticism and back to hip hop again. Honestly, I’m impressed by the guy’s bravado in putting together the tracklisting. It makes no sense. So with that in mind, you are probably better off treating the album like a compilation, choosing the songs you like and ignoring all others. Sounds like Shadow’s gift to the mp3 downloading community.
There are only five songs I can come back to repeatedly on the album. The best track for me is “Seein’ Thangs”, a brooding hip hop track featuring David Banner lamenting about Hurricane Katrina victims and the hopelessness of it all, over ghostly voices and palpable 808 beats. Banner’s lyrics are as paranoid as they come – “Seeing things/ I can swear that I’m seeing things/ They’re coming for your soul/ They already got the change /“.
Other highlights are “Broken Levee Blues” – a electric guitar-led blues instrumental with the refrain “Nobody cares” also referring to the events in New Orleans last year. “Enuff” with Lateef and Q-Tip is Shadow’s poppiest song to date but lacks the intensity of previous work. “This Time (Gonna do it my way)” is a pleasant exercise in soul and states Shadow’s intentions for The Outsider while “Erase You” with Chris James will please fans of UNKLE records with it’s alt-rock instrumentation over hectic beats.
Unforunately the lows far outweight the highs, much of which can be attributed to the hip hop/hyphy songs. The MC’s are either annoying or uninspiring. Once or twice the music actually sounds good – witness the sirens during the last minute of “3 Freaks” or the bouncy start to “Turf Dancing”, but these are forgettable songs. Worst thing here by far is excrutiating “What have I Done” with Christina Carter babbling new-age nonsense – “We all have thoughts and we are together / I am your healing spirit “. Makes me shudder to think of listening to it again.
Ultimately, The Outsider is a non-runner as an album with an appalling lack of unity and clash of styles making it a very uncomfortable listen. Maybe only Shadow himself could enjoy the polarity within making him the outsider he claims to be.
MP3s
DJ Shadow – Seein Thangs (Featuring David Banner)
[audio:https://nialler9.com/mp3/DJ Shadow – Seein Thangs (Featuring David Banner).mp3]DJ Shadow – This Time I’m Gonna Try It My Way
[audio:https://nialler9.com/mp3/DJ Shadow – This Time Im Gonna Try It My Way.mp3]DJ Shadow – Erase You (Featuring Chris James)
[audio:https://nialler9.com/mp3/DJ Shadow – Erase You (Featuring Chris James).mp3][ Buy The Outsider + DVD | DJShadow.com ]
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
one of the coolest… well maybe not the best but it’s pretty cool man!
one of the coolest… well maybe not the best but it’s pretty cool man!
any doooooooob?
any doooooooob?
have to say i find shadow’s current output very bland compared to what went before
if he hadn’t set such a high watermark with ‘endtroducing’ this mightn’t have been judged as harshly but when you know what the guy is capable of, it’s hard to listen to him pissing around with mediocre fare like this
have to say i find shadow’s current output very bland compared to what went before
if he hadn’t set such a high watermark with ‘endtroducing’ this mightn’t have been judged as harshly but when you know what the guy is capable of, it’s hard to listen to him pissing around with mediocre fare like this
maybe i was a bit harsh on the shadowman in my previous comment
i quite like the ‘erase you’ track and even the single ‘enuff’ is growing on me
i think it’s like you said niall, shadow still has his moments and obviously has the ability, he just seems to be moving away from the whole ‘endtroducing’ vibe
saw him presenting some of his favourite music on MTV2 last night, good stuff – he had everything from a tribe called quest to mos def, jurassic 5, portishead and dizzee rascal
maybe i was a bit harsh on the shadowman in my previous comment
i quite like the ‘erase you’ track and even the single ‘enuff’ is growing on me
i think it’s like you said niall, shadow still has his moments and obviously has the ability, he just seems to be moving away from the whole ‘endtroducing’ vibe
saw him presenting some of his favourite music on MTV2 last night, good stuff – he had everything from a tribe called quest to mos def, jurassic 5, portishead and dizzee rascal
It’s not as cutting.
It lacks intensity.
Therefore I think it is bland when compared to previous work.
i don’t have MTV2 …
It’s not as cutting.
It lacks intensity.
Therefore I think it is bland when compared to previous work.
i don’t have MTV2 …
MTV2 – well it’s not essential by any means, during the day i think it goes more for the mainstream than the more interesting stuff on the fringes but after about 9pm it can be really good
it has this ‘120 minutes’ programme on late where 1 artist chooses the music for 2 hours
4tet was on it not so long ago and he came up with some inspired cuts (and some fantastic videos too) from the knife (pass this on), guillemots (we’re here), and a load of others i can’t remember
MTV2 – well it’s not essential by any means, during the day i think it goes more for the mainstream than the more interesting stuff on the fringes but after about 9pm it can be really good
it has this ‘120 minutes’ programme on late where 1 artist chooses the music for 2 hours
4tet was on it not so long ago and he came up with some inspired cuts (and some fantastic videos too) from the knife (pass this on), guillemots (we’re here), and a load of others i can’t remember
120 minutes was about the only good thing on it. Apart from catching a decent video during the day every now and then. Still not sold on the guillemots t’all.
120 minutes was about the only good thing on it. Apart from catching a decent video during the day every now and then. Still not sold on the guillemots t’all.