Fishscale encompasses all that is great about Ghostface Killah, a mesmerizing album.
While Ghostface Killah is easily one of the most entertaining, not to mention talented, lyricists around, it always seems like his productions and overall composition have fallen short (see Pretty Toney Album). That's not at all the case on Fishscale, one of the few albums in recent memory that doesn't have a single throwaway track despite being 24-tracks long. Ghostface is sharp is ever and this time he's got the focused productions to back it up with MF Doom, Madlib and Pete Rock as the men behind the scene. "The Champ" hits hard with Ghostface's vicious rhymes and appropriately uses a boxing match as the backdrop. On a good chunk of the tracks, namely "Kilo," "9 Milli Bros." and "Dogs of War," members of the Wu-Tang Clan contribute successfully, even pushing the already impressive productions further and it really seems to also bring the most out of Ghostface's lyrics. There's not much more to say about this album other than it's a truly compelling listen and exemplifies the true talent that Ghostface Killah possesses. Highly recommended.
Overall Rating: 100
Jaheim Ghetto Classics
More consistent than his previous effort, Jaheim returns with a solid album.
On Ghetto Classics, Jaheim is very well versed in recreating the "slow-jams" era R&B to a stunning effect a times, while other times just falling short. At his best, he creates tracks like the openers "The Chosen One" and "Everytime I Think About Her." Both songs feature sweeping melodies that create a classically dynamic sound once characterized by such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, while songs like "Forgetful" more closely resemble the sound that Jaheim had on Still Ghetto. The biggest departure from Jaheim's typical sound is on the track "Like a DJ" which is an interesting 80's electronic/r&b fusion that's actually relatively successful. The super-smooth ballad of "I Ain't Never" and laid back "125th" are also noteworthy tracks. It seems as if Jaheim has found his stride as far as his music is concerned, now if only his lyrics could improve to match his voice.
Overall Rating: 78
Van Hunt On the Jungle Floor
On the Jungle Floor is the sound of Van Hunt fully realizing himself as an artist and having a good time doing it.
While his eponymous debut relied more heavily on the linear croons and grooves that noted such influences as Stevie Wonder among others, Van Hunt really lets loose on On the Jungle Floor, sometimes sounding like he's trying to even outdo Prince in funkified strangeness (see the opener "If I Take You Home (Upon...)"). While there's nothing as striking as the singles from his previous effort, overall Van Hunt seems to be much more focused and has progressed greatly as an artist. The absolutely gorgeous "Daredevil, Baby" shows a sense of maturity rarely seen so early in a career. "Ride, Ride, Ride" gets closer to Jimi Hendrix than Lenny Kravitz could ever dream of, while "Being a Girl" is a lazy and airy groove with such an outstanding baseline it's hard not to get into. Nikka Costa guests on "Mean Sleep" and despite the seemingly odd coupling, she actually does a great job in complimenting Van Hunt and helps elevating what would otherwise be an easily disposable song. "Priest or Police" and the single "Character" are also very nicely done grooves, and show Van Hunt at his most comfortable vocally. One of the most intriguing songs on the album is Van Hunt's cover of Iggy Pop & The Stooges' "No Sense of Crime" which features the Sonus Quartet. It shows an interesting dynamic not only in Van Hut's musical influences but also in his approach to making a song, particularly rock song, his own, and on "No Sense of Crime" he is very successful in accomplishing that. If there's a weakness to this album, it would be that there is nothing on here that is going to be immediately accessible to anyone; On the Jungle Floor is best enjoyed in it's entirety and will begin finding its way into heavy rotation after repeated listens. Considering how much better this album is over the debut overall, I'd say that's a pretty good trade off.
Overall Rating: 86
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