So, I had no idea he was coming out with a new album until I saw him reply to someone on Twitter, “Thank you.” I guess I was twitter stalking a bit, but I clicked on the person he was replying to and it said, “I love the new album!” My reaction, WHAT!!? Finally! I’ve been waiting for new Citizen Cope stuff to see if my love for the band was real. If you haven’t ever heard of Citizen Cope, he usually combines folk and hip hop styles. Lets start the adventure now, shall we?
Well, Clarence Greenwood starts off singing a shorter than three minute song, “Keep Asking,” which sounds like the same style as Greenwood always had. Lyrics of the chorus go something like, “Keep askin' how long will my love it last, always. Keep askin’ how long will my days they pass, always.”
Again, with the chorus being the introduction of the song, “Healing Hands,” starts off much slower. Opening with only acoustic guitar and then picking up the beat and lyrics at about 30 seconds. This song is about all the hard times that people have experienced in their lives, yes everyone. While leaders are (or were) being killed, there’s violence in the world, but still there’s still that hope for happiness with these healing hands. Greenwood name-drops in reference to John F. Kennedy, singing “He left Jackie O for Marilyn Monroe.”
The next song, “I Couldn’t Explain Why,” is about just what it sounds like. Wondering about the unexplainable things, the little things, that happen every day. Well, I’ve never experienced anything he’s talking about, but I understand the message.
Lifeline is a slower beat song, and again, a little bit depressing. “Well the children still dying in the streets, the babies still living with disease, the cops got guns, the poor folks got sons, who work for Mr. Franklin every week,” The guitar is accompanied with a little bit of piano and they compliment each other well. When the piano picks up, that’s all I can hear and it’s nice. The effect I love about this album is that you can hear the “record” between each track.
As soon as “Off The Ground” starts, I’m loving it. I probably love it because it’s got a reggae feel to it, and I’m a sucker for reggae music. I was beginning to think this album was going to be a big circle of depressing moments, but the keys are upbeat and I can’t help but moving these shoulders of mine. I know, just my shoulders, but that’s a lot of movement when I’m just sitting here. It sounds as though he cut the guitar completely out of this song. Interesting!
I want to give what I think about this album so far right in the middle of my article. So far, I’m a little sad about it. The Clarence Greenwood Recordings was my favorite album by him and I feel like it might be hard to top. I don’t want to be negative, but I just wish this was an album where I couldn’t pick my favorite song! With only a few more songs to review I feel as though, maybe, just maybe, “Off The Ground” is going to be the only one that I will remember. Lets continue with the adventure…
Jericho is different, but not over the top. It’s very upbeat and interesting but I can’t tell if I like it or not. To be honest, I can’t really understand much of the lyrics so I’m going to move on with this one.
Slow it back down now. Next up is “The Newspaper,” which is sounds a little bluesy and jazzy. The first verse is an explanation of how all news is bad news. “A Father’s Son,” is probably my other favorite following “Off The Ground.” It sounds like a lot’s going on with the beat, but whatever is going on, is working.
Coming up to conclude the album are the “barefeet” version of “Lifeline” and acoustic “Keep Askin’.” I’m not really sure what the difference is in the barefeet version, and when I listen to the song, it sounds exactly the same. The lyrics say, “His barefeet touching her barefeet, the air breathes sweet,” but I’m not sure how that changes the song from the first version! In the acoustic version of “Keep Askin’” you notice almost immediately that the piano was dropped.
Yes, my opinion hasn’t changed from midreview. It’s sad I know, but this happens from time to time doesn’t it? I don’t hate the album, I just had my hopes up according to previous ones. I miss songs like, “Bullet and a Target,” and “My Way Home,” or even “Let the Drummer Kick.” I’m not mad about my purchase decision, I’m still thinking about seeing Citizen Cope at First Ave in Minneapolis over spring break. In order to rate the album, I’ll give it a 7/10.
