Kojimbo

8mo

All the albums after the dreamer the believer kinda blend together for me

WESLEY PRESELY

8mo

Common and Pete Rock are 2 individuals that need no introduction, and they don’t really provide one either. They just jump straight into the dynamic on track 1. Like a lot of Commons recent work, this is an album that serves as a continuation of the wisdom Common acquired from years of making music and living as a human being. Pete Rock serves as the highlight of this album, cooking up a boom bap sound mixed with chopped and spliced soul samples. And that’s something that Common hasn’t fully visited since The Dreamer/The Believer in 2011. The production is beautiful and Pete Rock cultivates a sound I would describe as timeless. No matter how much music evolves, the sound they work with will always have a place. What keeps this album from being one of his best however, is the lack of bite that made albums like Be, Like Water For Chocolate and One Day It’ll All Make Sense as distinctive and beloved as they are. Common on here, continues to coast in the type of energy that he’s grown accustomed to on his last 3-4 albums. You could say that’s a bit disappointing from a technical perspective, but Pete Rock manages to match Commons energy nicely. The production is great and doesn’t overpower Common, which it easily could’ve if it had been harder hitting. There isn’t a jarring juxtaposition that exists between the 2. This album is like getting a meal from a restaurant you’ve dined at multiple times. It’s not new or captivating in a way discovering something new is, but it’s still satisfactory and enjoyable. You get what you would expect with a little extra spice incorporated this time then the last few times you’ve ordered the dish.

Final Score: 7.5/10

Favorite songs: Dreamin, This Man, Fortunate and Lonesome

WESLEY PRESELY

8mo

Nobody Smiling is pretty unique for Common discography sonically. Probably his darkest album.

But yeah he found a neo-soul pocket with Kareem Riggims that he got very comfortable in for years. This new album is the first time he went back to a slightly older sound in awhile.