November 10 2007
Saul Williams – The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!
The last couple of Nine Inch Nails albums fell flat for me. Trent Reznor sounds like he's trying too hard to remake his previous hits. Overcrowded layers of distorted drums and blippy synths fight for attention. Some songs could be attempts at keeping up with the kids he inspired to make their own indie-dustrial. In many ways Trent always reminded me of Prince. Both are brilliant songwriters and arrangers whose fearless experiments redefined pop music. Both stumbled following up their breakthrough work. Now they have something else in common: revitalizing their stagnant skills by playing impresario to new talent.
Trent met slam poet and rapper Saul Williams while looking for opening acts a couple of years ago. Their friendship and mutual respect led to collaborations, which led to this album. Freed from Nails expectations, Trent reminds us that he's a true innovator. Starting with a hip hop skeleton he sculpts sound and rhythm into a beautiful monster. While his own music has become overly dense, the tracks for Williams are powerful in their careful construction. The opener "Black History Month" is reminiscent of early 90s Wax Trax! stompers with its stuttering media samples and amp busting beats. It may be the welcome mat meeting NIN fans at the door, but songs deeper inside are surprisingly restrained. "Scared Money" uses a laid back horn loop to create a menacing dub atmosphere. Comprised of a simple drum machine heartbeat and an occasional whispering wind, "Raw" is extremely sparse yet riveting.
For all of Reznor's great contributions, it's Williams that ties it all together and gives it meaning. He's powerful and comfortable in the guise of several characters. "Convict Colony" sounds like Lenny Kravitz reinterpreting NIN's "March of the Pigs." His strong delivery lives up to the Public Enemy samples of the title track. Saul channels Seal on a version of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday." And "Raised to be Lowered" is Faith No More's "We Care A Lot" with something to actually say.
On top of being a great album, it's free! (Those with a conscience can chip in a laughably reasonable five dollars for higher quality MP3s.) So why aren't you already listening to it?
