Common BE

One step closer to the revolution...

When Common released Electric Circus back in '02, the album unsurprisingly was received with mixed feelings. While the concept was well-intended, with its continuous envelope-pushing and often challenging sound, many felt that as a whole the album was just too unfocused and felt like the overly-experimental cousin of The Roots' Phrenology. Whether or not the album was another case of Erykah Badu's often intoxicating influence can be questioned (and funny enough is an issue addressed on Common's bonus DVD), but he makes a great sonic departure from the previous album with his new release BE.
BE returns to the sound that most Common fans are familiar with, as the backgrounds are heavily soul/jazz influenced while Kanye West's production provides an extra punch to Common's sound, adding a depth unfounded in any of his previous albums. The first song and lead single "The Corner" which features The Last Poets is a powerful single that truly showcases Common's incredible aptitude for not only story telling but also his great sense of social consciousness. The following track "Go" (which will be the second single for the album), while slightly repetitive with it's one word chorus, features an exceptional beat that should make it a club hit this summer. The other weakness with "Go" is that it features of all people John Mayer, and he essentially just sings the chorus which feels somewhat underwhelming. Other highlights on the album are the very soulful "Faithful" featuring Bilal and John Legend, "The Food" as heard from Chappelle's Show, and Common's homage to his hometown in "Chi City."
Overall, Common's sound is derivative, but not in a bad way by any means. While the beats and vocals are as strong as ever the production puts the focus on the connection between Common and the listener, and while nothing on here is particularly groundbreaking the pure honesty shown by Common and his lyrics alone make this album well worth buying. Fans of old Common can come into this album with open arms, while he may not have created the ultimate revolutionary album, he's definitely a few steps closer to making it.

Overall rating: ★★★★¼